Grace delights home crowd to win Nedbank title

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AUGUSTA, Ga. - The arrival of the Masters brings hope, a commodity whose value has risen exponentially in the past year. Players know they're on the precipice of a potentially life-altering week, one that could give their calendar a permanent April engagement. Patrons on the grounds and fans around the world look forward to seeing more history made at a course they know so well. In a fast-moving world, Augusta National's familiarity may be its biggest appeal. Few have played the course but so many know Augusta National's holes by sight. RELATED: What’s on DJ’s Champions Dinner menu? | Nine things to know about Augusta | Preview Masters storylines Tradition forms the bedrock for the Masters. A lifetime of invitations makes a Masters victory invaluable. There aren't many places in the world more difficult to get into than the Champions Locker Room. The weight of the accomplishment was enough to make Dustin Johnson cry. The Champions Dinner on Tuesday and Par-3 Contest on the tournament's eve give a familiar cadence to the week. There will be no Par-3 Contest for a second consecutive year but this Masters marks a return to the tournament's April date and of the patrons whose roars create the soundtrack of the second nine. Fall's muted colors provided a unique backdrop for Johnson's record-setting win but it's better when the canvas is brightened by the blooms of azaleas. Spring is synonymous with renewal and the Masters is an important part of that season. A golf tournament can't reverse a pandemic but it can lift spirits. That's what the arrival of the Masters promises to do. The sun shone brightly on Augusta National on Sunday as competitors took part in the Drive, Chip and Putt while professionals prepared for the Masters. Bubba Watson, a two-time winner here, was behind the 18th green passing out fist bumps and encouragement. Justin Thomas took a break from hitting balls to take a peek at the children competing on the nearby chipping green, clapping after each shot. "So incredible to watch these boys and girls get this opportunity. Can't wait to get out there later this morning and see for myself!" Thomas tweeted earlier in the day, obviously inspired by the enthusiasm that was on display from Sunday's youthful competitors. Sandy Lyle waited to start his practice round until after a cadre of young players crossed in front of the first tee, fresh from hitting their putts on the same 18th green where a champion will be crowned in seven days. Lyle has amassed more than three decades of local knowledge here but he was off early for his solo Sunday practice round The past is revered here while progress is made. There are no cell phones allowed on the grounds but you can see every shot struck this week thanks to the tournament's technology. The events that now precede the Masters - the Augusta National Women's Amateur and Drive, Chip and Putt - show the tournament's forward-looking spirit. Not to mention that Lee Elder will be one of the honorary starters on Thursday - alongside Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player - to recognize his groundbreaking appearance here in 1975. The ANWA's second edition ended Saturday, with 17-year-old Tsubasa Kajitani winning in a playoff. That event has shown that new ground can be broken, old barriers brought down. The girls who competed Sunday in the Drive, Chip and Putt mentioned that it was an aspiration as they continue their competitive journey. Eighty children took part Sunday in four divisions for each gender. All had qualified in 2019 but had to wait an extra year to arrive at Augusta National. Imagine that wait. Their motions - from their swing planes to their pre-shot routines — mirror the pros they're trying to emulate. And their enthusiasm was infectious. "It's just beautiful. Everything is perfect. It's hard to imagine a golf course can be so perfect," said Analiese Raath, who finished eighth in the girls 14-15 division. Elyse Meerdink won the girls 10-11 division by holing a 15-footer to the Masters' traditional Sunday hole location, tucked behind the front bunker on the green's left side. She called Sunday "probably the best day of my life." Samantha Straight, who finished third in the girls 14-15 division, said Drive, Chip and Putt helped her realize "that golf is just a game of fun," a reminder we could all use at times. Pierceson Huyck, like most visitors to these grounds, was blown away by the conditions. "I was really excited to see how nice this course is because everybody says it's unexplainable. And I got that today," said Huyck, who finished fourth in the boys 7-9 division. "And I'm excited to walk all of the 18 holes tomorrow and see how pretty they are." He's not the only one. Another Masters week is here. It's something we can all be excited about.

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