261. The 2008 Masters

Thirty years ago golf legend Gary Player, now 72, won his third and last Masters tournament in Augusta, Georgia. Yesterday, a second golfer from South Africa won the Masters. "Finally!" said Gary, proudly.

Sunday, April 13, was cool and very windy. Only nine of the 45 golfers managed to shoot par or better. Trevor Immelman, 28, struggled throughout the day. But he managed to maintain his lead, finally beating Tiger Woods by three strokes. 

Tiger finished in second place for the third year in a row. Trevor was PGA Rookie of the Year in 2006. But since 2006 he had won only one PGA tournament. He missed the first two months of the 2008 golf season after surgeons removed a benign tumor on his diaphragm. The tumor, coincidentally, was the size of a golf ball. 

Trevor played poorly in the tournaments he entered after recovering from the surgery. In the Houston tournament just one week before the Masters, Trevor missed the cut. In professional golf tournaments, the cut occurs after the first 36 holes. 

Half the golfers, the ones with the worst scores, are dropped from the tournament. They earn no money. In Britain, where bookies always post the odds for the Masters, Trevor was a long shot. But anyone who bet $10 on him before Thursday would have won $800 on Sunday. 

In two weeks, Trevor had gone from worst to first, from failing to win a dime in Texas to wearing the prized green jacket in Georgia (and $1.35 million). When asked what contributed most to his victory, Trevor said it wouldn't have been possible without his parents' loving support during his years as a junior golfer.

Vocabulary Words

                                                           

No.	Word	Definition	Example Sentence
01	golf legend	A very famous and successful person in the sport of golf.	Thirty years ago golf legend Gary Player won his third Masters.
02	Masters tournament	One of the four major championships in professional golf.	won his third and last Masters tournament in Augusta, Georgia.
03	cool and very windy	Describing the weather as moderately cold and gusty.	Sunday, April 13, was cool and very windy.
04	par or better	A score equal to or lower than the expected number of strokes for the course.	Only nine of the 45 golfers managed to shoot par or better.
05	struggled	Had difficulty or made a strenuous effort.	Trevor Immelman, 28, struggled throughout the day.
06	maintain his lead	To keep his position ahead of the other competitors.	But he managed to maintain his lead, finally beating Tiger Woods.
07	beating	Defeating or winning against.	finally beating Tiger Woods by three strokes.
08	PGA Rookie of the Year	The award given to the most outstanding first-year professional golfer on the PGA Tour.	Trevor was PGA Rookie of the Year in 2006.
09	surgeons	Medical doctors who perform operations.	after surgeons removed a benign tumor on his diaphragm.
10	benign tumor	A non-cancerous growth of cells.	removed a benign tumor on his diaphragm.
11	diaphragm	A dome-shaped muscle beneath the lungs, used in breathing.	removed a benign tumor on his diaphragm.
12	coincidentally	By chance or surprisingly at the same time.	The tumor, coincidentally, was the size of a golf ball.
13	played poorly	Performed badly or with little skill.	Trevor played poorly in the tournaments he entered.
14	missed the cut	Failed to qualify for the final rounds of a tournament.	Trevor missed the cut.
15	cut	The point in a tournament where competitors with the lowest scores are eliminated.	the cut occurs after the first 36 holes.
16	worst scores	The highest, or least favorable, number of strokes in golf.	the ones with the worst scores, are dropped from the tournament.
17	bookies	Short for bookmakers; people who accept and pay out bets.	In Britain, where bookies always post the odds for the Masters.
18	long shot	A competitor or bet with a very low chance of winning.	Trevor was a long shot.
19	prized green jacket	The highly valued traditional award given to the Masters winner.	to wearing the prized green jacket in Georgia.
20	junior golfer	A young person (usually under 18) who plays golf competitively.	during his years as a junior golfer.

Comprehension Questions and answers

                                                       

No.	Question	Answer
01	Who was the golf legend mentioned at the start of the story?	**Gary Player**.
02	Where are both Gary Player and Trevor Immelman from?	**South Africa**.
03	What was the weather like on the final day of the tournament?	**Cool and very windy**.
04	How many golfers shot par or better that final day?	**Only nine** of the 45 golfers.
05	Who finished second in the tournament?	**Tiger Woods**.
06	By how many strokes did Trevor Immelman win?	By **three strokes**.
07	In what year was Trevor Immelman named PGA Rookie of the Year?	In **2006**.
08	What medical procedure did Trevor Immelman have before the 2008 season?	**Surgeons removed a benign tumor** on his diaphragm.
09	Where was the tumor located on his body?	On his **diaphragm**.
10	What was the surprising size of the tumor?	The size of a **golf ball**.
11	How did Trevor play in the tournaments *after* recovering from surgery?	He **played poorly**.
12	What tournament did he play in just one week before the Masters?	The **Houston tournament**.
13	What happened to Trevor in that tournament?	He **missed the cut**.
14	After how many holes does the cut typically occur in professional golf?	After the first **36 holes**.
15	What happened to the golfers who missed the cut?	They were **dropped** from the tournament and **earned no money**.
16	Where do bookies always post the odds for the Masters?	In **Britain**.
17	What term was used to describe Trevor's odds before the Masters began?	He was a **long shot**.
18	How much money would a $10 bet on Trevor have won?	**$800**.
19	What was the prize money Trevor won for his victory?	**$1.35 million**.
20	What did Trevor say was the greatest contributor to his victory?	His **parents' loving support** during his years as a junior golfer.