Ben Crenshaw expects emotional final run at Masters

Ben Crenshaw is a day away from starting the first leg of his final journey around Augusta Na­tional Golf Club as a participant, and he’s wondering how he’ll
keep his emotions together.

“I started thinking about it awhile back about this week,” Crenshaw said Tuesday. “I’m going to get through it the best way I can. I’ll just play and have fun, and the people have been great already.”

The two-time Masters Tour­na­ment champion will begin his 44th and final Masters at 10:08 a.m. Thurs­day, paired with last year’s first-round leader, Bill Haas, and past PGA Cham­pionship winner Jason Dufner.

Before that, he’ll sub for Ar­­nold Palmer in the annual Par-3 Contest today, teeing off with Jack Nicklaus and Gary Play­er at 3:02 p.m. Palmer is recovering from a dislocated shoulder.

Crenshaw’s longtime manager, Scott Sayers, believes Thursday will be an emotional roller coaster from the beginning for Crenshaw.

“The crowd is so respectful and knows what the course means to him. They are going to respond to Ben in a way that overwhelms him,” Sayers said. “I don’t know how he’s going to react.”

When he won in 1995, Cren­shaw birdied Nos. 16 and 17 to take the lead for good.

“When he walks across the Sarazen Bridge on No. 15 and comes up 16, that’s when it’s all going to come out,” Sayers said.

Crenshaw hasn’t made the cut since 2007, but his longtime caddie, Carl Jackson, isn’t ruling out a 72-hole trip this week.

“The course is too long, but I know how a chipper and putter can play golf around here. I give him a chance all the time,” Jackson said Tuesday.

Whether the final round of Crenshaw’s career is Friday or Sunday, he’ll walk up that final fairway with Jackson, who will be working his 39th Masters with Crenshaw and the 54th and final one of his career.

“Knowing Ben, it will be together,” Jackson said of the walk. “Even if I’m going to look behind me, he’ll come back and get me. A lifetime is going to flash in our face. It can get emotional.”

Crenshaw said Jackson “has had as much to do with what I’ve done here as me.”

Rob Gillette, the president of Crenshaw’s fan club, who is here this week, said he wouldn’t be surprised to see Crenshaw and Jackson walk up the 18th fairway arm-in-arm.

“Two halves made a whole; that’s the way they’ve always been. They’re really one – professionally and personally,” Gillette said. “They’re going to break through that finish line with
great glory and celebration.”

Crenshaw hasn’t broken 80 in his past five Masters rounds and said Tuesday that he’s “probably stayed too long.” But it was hard to give it up until now.

“There’s no other tournament like it, No. 1, everything about the tournament is unique,” he said. “You’re treated accordingly. There’s a lot to play for, obviously. When they put a lifetime on a win, it’s exceedingly high.”