UPalmer: Indoda ebuyise itop eluhlaza kumdlalo weMasters

Akulula ukufumana into efanekisayo kwirakhi yodonga. Kodwa itop eluhlaza enikwa ophumeleleyo kwiMasters ingaphezulu nje kwengubo elula; ibonisa ukuba iMasters luhambo lwegalufa, eyona ngubo idumileyo kumdlalo wegalufa, nakuyo yonke imidlalo. Kumsitho wokunikezelwa kwamabhaso, ophumeleleyo uncedwa ukuba afake itop eluhlaza yintshatsheli yangaphambili phambi kwesihlwele esinombulelo kunye namakhulu eekhamera ezikhanyayo. Kwanomlandeli oqhelekileyo uyazi ukuba itshatsheli nganye entsha yeMasters ayiphumeleli nje kuphela enye yezona hambo zegalufa zidumileyo kwihlabathi liphela, kodwa ikwaphumelela netop eluhlaza. I-Masters Tournament isekelwe kwi-Augusta National iklabhu yegalufaIngaphezulu eluhlaza ngumbala wayo we-fairway, kwaye ibonakalisa ukugqwesa, impumelelo, isiko kunye noloyiso oluza nokudlala kule nkundla yegalufa idumileyo.

UGary Player, iMasters Champion kathathu, uthe, "Uluvo alunakuthelekiswa nanto. Itop eluhlaza ayithethi nje ukuphumelela iiMasters, ifanekisela abantu abanjengoBob Jones kunye negalelo lakhe kumdlalo wegalufa. Ikwafanekisela uClifford Roberts, owanikela ngentliziyo yakhe nomphefumlo wakhe ku-Augusta National kunye neeMasters. Imele uhambo olukhulu lwegalufa, inkundla yegalufa enkulu ehlabathini, abantu abakhulu kunye nempumelelo enkulu. Itop eluhlaza yeMasters ibonisa ukugqibelela kwegalufa." USnyder uhamba e-Augusta minyaka le. Uthe, "Xa usiya kwisidlo sangokuhlwa seChampions kwaye ujonge wonke umntu onxibe itop eluhlaza, uzive ngathi uphakathi kwabantu ababalaseleyo emhlabeni."

Kumanqaku akhe, uMnu. Roberts udla ngokubhekisa kwi-top eluhlaza njenge "tunic" endaweni ye "top". Kodwa nokuba lithini na igama, yingubo yeMasters enomtya omnye, enamaqhosha amathathu, eyenziwe ngomxube weeyadi ezi-3 zoboya kunye neefayibha ezenziweyo, kwaye igcinwa kwikhabhathi yomthi oqingqiweyo kwindlu yeklabhu. Kwiminyaka engama-50 edlulileyo, abavelisi abane abahlukeneyo baye bavelisa i-top eluhlaza, kodwa ibisoloko igcina iimpawu zayo eziphawulekayo: umbala oluhlaza, amaqhosha obhedu, kunye nelogo ye-Augusta National Golf Club ehonjiswe kwipokotho yesifuba sasekhohlo. Kwiminyaka edlulileyo, iilogo ezimbini zimele i-Augusta National, kodwa inye kuphela evele kwi-top eluhlaza: isangqa esijikeleze umzobo wase-US, ogcwele i-flagpole kunye nomngxuma obekwe ngqo kwindawo ye-Augusta National.

Kodwa iitopu eziluhlaza zaqala zithobekile. Ngo-1937, iitopu zokuqala eziluhlaza zazinxitywa ngamalungu eMasters Tournament Club ukuze kube lula kubathengi ukufumana amalungu. Ekuqaleni, amanye amalungu ayengenamdla wokunxiba eziluhlaza ezikhanyayo, aze aziqhele kamva. Akukho mntu unokukhumbula ukuba ngubani owaqala weza nombono wokunika abaphumeleleyo beMasters iitopu eziluhlaza kunye nobulungu obuhloniphekileyo kwi-Augusta National Golf Club. Kodwa ngo-1949 uSam Snead waba ngumdlali wokuqala ukuhlonitshwa kangaka, ephumelela isihloko ngeemivimbo ezintathu phezu kukaJohnny Bulla noLloyd Mangrum. USam Snyder ukhumbula athi, "Bonke abadlali bamangaliswa. Akukho namnye kuthi owayesazi ukuba baza kunika i-top." USnyder waqhubeka nokuphumelela iMasters kabini, ngo-1952 nango-1954, kodwa abaphumeleleyo abaninzi babengasafumani iitopu eziluhlaza ngaphandle kokuba ubungakanani bazo butshintshe kakhulu phakathi kokuphumelela. USnyder wayengumntu okhethekileyo. Uthe, "Ngandlela thile itop yam yokuqala eluhlaza yalahleka kwaye bendisoloko ndinxibe ihempe kaBob Jones ukusukela ngoko. Ndafumana entsha ngo-1994 kuba imikhono yayimfutshane nge-intshi ezi-4." Nangona onke amalungu kufuneka athenge iitop eziluhlaza, intshatsheli yeMasters ayinikwa itop eluhlaza de kube emva kokuba igqibile imidlalo yokugqibela. Kuyinto eqhelekileyo ukuba ophumeleleyo athathe itop eluhlaza aye nayo ekhaya unyaka wonke aze ayinxibe kuphela kwiitumente kunye neendibano ezinxulumene negalufa. Iitop eziluhlaza azivumelekanga ukuba zisetyenziswe kwimicimbi enxulumene nentengiso yorhwebo. Ukongeza, iitop eziluhlaza zinokunxitywa kuphela kwiiklabhu.

Ngo-1961, uArnold Palmer, itshatsheli yeMasters ka-1960, wanceda umdlali obalaseleyo ukuba anxibe i-top eluhlaza xa iinyawo zommi waseMzantsi Afrika zazingekafiki ixesha elide emhlabeni. Umdlali wathi, "Ndandonwabile kakhulu kwaye ndonwabile ukufumana ihempe eluhlaza. Ndayibuyisela eMzantsi Afrika, ndayigquma ngesigqubuthelo seplastiki esihle kakhulu ndaza ndayixhoma kwikhabhathi. Kakade ke, bendingayi kuyinxiba. Ngenye imini, emva konyaka okanye ngaphezulu, ndafumana umnxeba ovela kuMnu. Roberts. Wathi 'Garry, ndicinga ukuba uthathe i-top yeCelebrity Race Green ekhaya. Akukho mntu uvumelekileyo ukwenza loo nto.' Ndathi, 'Ewe, Mnu. Roberts, ndiyithathe ekhaya. Kodwa ukuba uyayifuna, kuya kufuneka uyifumane ngokwakho.' Sobabini sahleka. Wathi, 'Nceda, nceda ungayinxibi kwenye indawo.' Kuyo yonke le minyaka, i-blouse eluhlaza isaxhonywe kwikhabhathi yam. Ndihlala ndiyibona nanini na xa nditshintsha impahla.'

Ingubo eluhlaza eyayinxitywe yintshatsheli entsha yeMasters kumsitho wokunikezelwa kwamabhaso yayiyeyobukhulu obufanelekileyo bengubo yamalungu eyayibolekwe kwikhabhathi yeqela eyenziwe ngomthi oqingqiweyo.