The Week: Swing Away

Here is who's hot and who's not after Augusta

By Alan Shipnuck

Snead's ceremonial tee shot was a knockout.  Simon Bruty GOLF PLUS EXTRA Teeing Off: A Grand Plan Big Play: Eric Alpenfels TRUST ME There are more ugly Sundays in store for the Masters. Believe it or not, the wet conditions made the revamped course play easier. When it's firm and fast, train wrecks will abound and making par will be the path to the championship. NEXT UP PGA: Worldcom Classic LPGA: Longs Drugs Challenge European: The Seve Trophy INSTANT POLL Will you play a hot driver knowing that it will later be deemed nonconforming? Yes No View Results

The donning of the green jacket tends to blot out the Masters' subplots, however juicy they may be. Yes, Tiger Woods was the champion and Retief Goosen the runner-up, but there were plenty of other winners and losers last week.

THE LOSERS
Tradition Fewer past champions, more trees, fewer eagles, more bogeys and loose talk about a Masters ball. What's next, a green sweat suit for the winner?

Middle-aged Americans The flameout of Davis Love III, the first-round leader, symbolized a lost generation of players sliding toward irrelevancy. Love (who faded to 14th), Paul Azinger (missed cut), Fred Couples (36th), Tom Lehman (missed cut) and Hal Sutton (withdrew) all look increasingly like one-hit wonders in the majors.

Jos Vanstiphout The failed pop singer turned sports psychologist became a cult figure when he helped Goosen shake off his 72nd-hole blunder at the 2001 U.S. Open, and he has gotten much of the credit for Ernie Els's renaissance. It may be time to rethink Vanstiphout's Belgian voodoo. On Sunday, Els lost his head on the 13th hole and blew himself out of the tournament, while Goosen never regained his confidence after an ugly three-putt on the 1st hole.

Jack Nicklaus Don't look now, but Woods, 26, is halfway to the Golden Bear's record of 20 majors.

The Ryder Cup José María Olazábal, fourth at the Masters, doesn't get to play, but Pierre Fulke, who wasn't even invited to Augusta, does? Sutton gets a nod, but Charles Howell, 29th in his first Masters, doesn't? Wake us when it's time for the Presidents Cup.

David Duval Six of the top seven in the World Ranking were fighting it out on the leader board, so where was Waldo? With rounds of 74-74 Duval missed the cut -- no great surprise since he has cracked the top 20 only once this season. With a brittle body, fragile psyche and an often mystifying schedule, Duval rarely seems ready to play.

Golf Just when it looked as if the gap was narrowing between Woods and his competition, Tiger dismantled the field with frightening ease. Is anyone going to challenge this guy?

THE WINNERS
Golf Then again, nothing creates more buzz than Woods winning the Masters.

Byron Nelson At 90, he quietly made his own exit, leaving Sam Snead as the lone honorary starter. Lord Byron looked all the wiser when Snead coldcocked a spectator with his errant drive.

U.S. Open With Woods stalking a real Grand Slam, the People's Open now has even more juice.

Tom Fazio Augusta National's consulting architect pushed all the right buttons in restoring the course's former shot values. Can't wait to see what he does with the once fearsome 5th hole for next year's Masters.

Mud Even at the hoity-toity Masters, a little dollop of slop can send balls soaring off-line. It was fun listening to players whine about not getting to lift, clean and place on the mushy fairways.

Adam Scott Forget Howell and Sergio García -- the world's hottest player (22-and-under division) is this stylish Aussie, who tied for ninth in his first Masters.

TV viewers The fans at home finally got a peek at the front nine as well as their first glimpse of the outdoor jacket ceremony. Throw in the fact that Ken Venturi finally signed off, and this was probably the greatest Masters ever -- for the couch potato.

O.B.