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17 Takeaways From The 2016 Masters

By GolfDigest.com Editors

What did we learn from the season's first major? We learned Danny Willett is the real deal, Jordan Spieth is fallible, and that Augusta National is still the greatest stage in golf. We recap a memorable week in golf with the highs and lows, and the curious moments in between.

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Photo by Donald Miralle
Age is just a number
Who said golf is a young man's game? Fifty-eight-year-old Bernhard Langer was in contention for the green jacket, 51-year-old Davis Love III made a Sunday ace and Larry Mize, 57, made the cut.
Apparently, there's a more exciting shot than a hole-in-one
And that would be banking a tee shot of your playing partner's ball for a hole-in-one.
Security guards don't give a damn who you are
As Jack Nicklaus found out when trying to drive down Magnolia Lane.
Golden Bell?
More like "Golden Hell," am I right?
Dustin Johnson would be great to have in your scramble group
As long as you weren't counting on him to putt.
It's good to make the cut at the Masters
Thongchai Jaidee finished 26 strokes behind winner Danny Willett. But he got to play Augusta National for an entire week and made $23,000 in the process. Must be nice.
Jordan Spieth is a monster at majors
He's not going to have fond memories of the 2016 Masters, but Spieth has now finished 1-1-T4-2-T2 in his last five major appearances.
Tom Watson still connects with America’s youth
As noted by Lil Wayne's ode to the eight-time major winner's farewell to the Masters.
Golf rules can be callous and cruel
In case you needed a reminder, Billy Horschel's adventures on the 15th hole showcased this sentiment.
Sergio Garcia officially will never win a major
OK, maybe not officially, but the Spaniard is now 0-for70 in major appearance. He has 20 top-10 finishes and is only 36 years old, yet time seems to be running out on Garcia.
Rickie's hot major streak has turned cold
Since his stunning 2014 run of finishing in the top 5 in every major, Fowler has not placed in the top 10 in the past five, including two missed cuts.
Be careful not to ground your club in a hazard
Especially when cameras are watching.
The golf gods hate Ernie Els
It's the only explanation.
The pros...just like us!
From Spieth's collapse to Els' putting woes to Ian Poulter's shanks and Jason Day's back-nine troubles, these guys are human after all.
The British are coming here
England's Danny Willett grabbed headlines as the tournament champ, but fellow Brit Lee Westwood tied for second. Matthew Fitzpatrick and Paul Casey had the rounds of the day with 67s, and Justin Rose had a nice backdoor top-10 finish. This is shaping up to be quite the Ryder Cup showdown at Hazeltine.
PJ Willett is the brother we all wish we had
Danny won the Masters, but PJ won Twitter on Sunday.
At some point, everyone needs a hug
That's what friends are for.
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