The Super Bowl Of Golf: Why The Masters Is More Than A Tournament

It’s that time of year again: the week in April that has far more meaning than just a golf tournament in Augusta, GA. Of course, I’m talking about The Masters, also known as the Super Bowl of golf.

It's the week when we watch the world’s best golfers struggle from the pressure of millions of viewers watching every shot they take.

We tune in to CBS all day Sunday to watch the final round at Augusta, with nothing but golf flowing through our veins. We whip out the putter at the office and putt into a mug when we're bored; we practice our swings, staring out into the distance, pretending we just hit a good shot.

The Masters represents something more than just the start of the PGA tour golf season; it represents the end of shoveling walkways, human hibernation and the start of living life to the fullest.

Winter brings nothing but cabin fever to most of us. After New Year's Eve, there’s nothing on our minds but summer and warmer weather.

Football season is over for the most part, and everyone wakes up, only wanting to go back to sleep until it’s 70 degrees and sunny again.

Our daily routines become more rigorous and time-consuming, with the snowfall and ice producing more delays and problems. We come home to the thought of getting into our warm beds and passing out after six hours of binge-watching Netflix.

March Madness kept us occupied for the last moments of winter, but as soon as that bracket was filled, we were already back to checking the weather forecast in hopes of that 50-degree day that gets us out of the house like it’s Labor Day weekend.

Even though the winter air still lingers around, the Masters brings us that warm Georgia air to every television set. Augusta National’s beauty hits us right in the face.

Fans are silenced before each shot, and you can hear nothing but birds chirping from the beautiful trees that reflect off each water hazard. There's grass so fresh you would think it was fake.

The harsh winter makes us so lifeless, we appreciate Mother Nature’s inner beauty more than the golfers.

History is made at Augusta every year on a Sunday afternoon in April. Tiger Woods became who he is today because of that one Sunday in April.

Tiger has been injured all year, withdrawing from every tournament except for one -- yep, the Masters. The Masters gives him such a special feeling, he is willing to sacrifice his health to go against the best.

It’s just not a competition, but a celebration. It's a celebration of a new golf season; of spring and life. Despite all of his injuries, you cannot count Tiger Woods out of winning it all; unexpected things are known to happen in the Masters.

In 1986, Jack Nicklaus surprised the world by winning at Augusta at the age of 46, 11 years since receiving his last Green Jacket. In 1997, Tiger became the youngest golfer to ever win, making history as the first African-American to ever win in Augusta.

This makes the tourney that much more exciting to watch.

Every year, each golfer tries to make history. The winner isn’t usually determined until the final shot of the whole tournament, so each shot is more nerve-racking than the last.

We love watching the winner drop down to his knees in glory as he puts his head in his hands in disbelief after 72 holes of nothing but pressure. It's a moment so special, it has all of us doing the Tiger fist pumps whenever we succeed at anything in our lives.

Masters Sunday represents something more than a PGA major; it’s first sign of light in the winter darkness.