- José María Olazábal finished with 11 pars in a row after making three bogeys
- The 58-year-old Spaniard made the cut after Jordan Spieth and Justin Thomas failed to do so.
- Jon Rahm praised his Spanish compatriot and called his performances “incredible”
As the great Spaniard advanced on the 18th hole, a young man extended his hand to ask for a ball.
José María Olazábal was forced to leave the delighted young man, with his green Masters cap, with another memory. The boy’s father extended a fist to hit. ‘He was a champion twice,’ he told her.
At 58 years old, those victories, in 1994 and 1999, may well seem like a long time ago. Nowadays, simply avoiding the cut represents a success for a veteran who has played only two professional events since 2022.
While younger men including 2015 winner Jordan Spieth, Justin Thomas and Viktor Hovland have already boarded their private jets, Olazábal remains here for the weekend, albeit by the slimmest of margins.
The strong winds that wiped out low scores on Friday ended up leaving the door ajar for those who could draw on their experience to find the answers.
José María Olazábal finished Saturday with 11 pars in a row after making three bogeys
Avoiding the cut is a success for a veteran who has competed in two professional events since 2022
When Olazábal finished six times earlier in the day, he spoke of “leaving the field with his head held high.” It would be enough to keep him above the line.
After missing three shots in the first seven holes Saturday morning, it may have felt more like a curse than a blessing. But Olazábal dug deep into the hole and stopped each of the next 11, playing with precision and grace.
There was more of the latter on display when he later spoke to reporters.
“I don’t think about the players who don’t make the cut,” he said, not wanting to seem disrespectful when he was pointed out to some of those who did.
‘I just know that being here for the weekend is a fantastic achievement. Every year there are big names that don’t make the cut, but for me it’s an achievement anyway.”
Olazábal dug deep into the hole and parred 11 holes in a row, playing with precision and grace.
It was up to his compatriot Jon Rahm, last year’s winner, to find the most powerful words.
“He loves this game,” he said of Olazábal after his own attempt to retain his title failed.
‘Why else would he still be here trying to compete and trying hard there? At her age, it’s incredible. Like him, there are a lot of those great players who keep fighting when they don’t really need to just because they love it.”
If the applause on the greens and fairways of Augusta is anything to go by, the love goes both ways.