Cameron Davis came to the 10th hole at Augusta National in the third round, tied for 4th at the Masters. He was 2-under for the day, 5-under for the tournament, and seemingly had control of his golf ball. He came to the 10th tee intending to hit a low draw into the fairway’s speed slot, but he overcooked it deep into the trees. Two shots later, he was well over the green and playing a delicate chip to a dangerous pin, which he caught a little heavy. The ball came up short and rolled back to his feet. Moving day had come to a grinding halt. You could see the anxiety and frustration mount. Oh no, I thought. I’ve seen this movie before.
It was a rainy September afternoon in 2017 in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, when I stepped on the tee with Davis at Bell Bay Golf Club. We were playing a practice round for the Cape Breton Open on PGA Tour Canada and this would be the first time I’d get to see the young Aussie hit a golf shot – one I wouldn’t forget.
The hole was a narrow, uphill par 4 and the tall 22-year-old Davis stood over some kind of driving iron. Davis’ backswing was unhurried and wide, stopping short of parallel before he delivered a rhythmic, powerful downswing. The ball flew fast and steadily down the fairway, cutting through the wind and never wavering. I couldn’t tell how far it went, but I sensed it would be difficult to reach with my own driving iron. I had never heard of this kid before, and yet knew immediately he possessed special powers.
