5 takeaways from an incredible fall Masters

The Masters likes to fancy itself as "a tradition unlike any other," but the 2020 tournament might actually fit that description.

With the COVID-19 pandemic postponing the conventional April playing, the golfing world was treated to picturesque Augusta National action in the beautiful fall colors.

The timing wasn't the only thing unique about the event: Dustin Johnson shattered the scoring record, posting a ridiculous 20-under total to claim his first green jacket.

Here are five takeaways from the first - and likely only - fall edition of the Masters.

Rory teases yet again

The common saying around the golf world is the Masters Tournament doesn't begin until the second-nine on Sunday, but Rory McIlroy would likely dispute that claim heavily. The four-time major winner once again turned in a strong showing in an attempt to complete the career Grand Slam but a horrific 75 in the opening round was his undoing. After a 3-over-par total that left him nine shots back on Thursday, McIlroy went bananas on the historic track and shot an incredible 14-under over his next 54 holes to finish nine back and tied for fifth.

McIlroy now has six top-10 finishes at Augusta in his last seven tries but can't quite secure the elusive green jacket. There are few things in the sport more entertaining than watching McIlroy attack a golf course once he's well off the lead, but eliminating the bad round and slipping a green jacket over his shoulders is probably something the 31-year-old would enjoy more. Don't be shocked if we are writing the exact same words after another top-10 finish at Augusta five months from now.

When Johnson is on, nobody is touching him

Johnson's win certainly wasn't a surprise, but how the World No. 1 accomplished the feat was a stark reminder that his best effort tops the game. Not only did Johnson break the 72-hole scoring record, but he also had the lowest number of bogeys ever posted by a Masters champion. He's now won eight tournaments since January of 2018, with seven of those victories coming by at least three shots. Nobody can bludgeon a field like the 36-year-old, and with another Masters Tournament just 144 days away, the two-time major winner could become a three-time champion real quick.

Cam Smith is made for the Masters

Cameron Smith may not be the biggest name on the PGA Tour, but fans should get used to seeing him on leaderboards at the National. The 27-year-old Australian became the first player ever to shoot in the 60s for all four rounds of the Masters en route to a second-place finish. Smith has now played in 17 major championships in his career and has three top-5 finishes - two of those have now come at Augusta. Smith was also brilliant at last year's Presidents Cup at Royal Melbourne, another Alister MacKenzie design. His imagination appears to mesh perfectly with these types of layouts, which this incredible shot at the par-4 7th on Sunday seems to prove.

It's still unknown whether Smith can turn this week's performance into sustained success on the PGA Tour, but it's safe to bet he will be a staple on leaderboards at Augusta National for the foreseeable future.

Bernhard over Bryson

We've watched his professionally-made videos about the quest for 215 mile-per-hour ball speed. We've heard him talk about how the par-72 Augusta is actually a par 67 due to his incredible length. And now we've seen the golf ball-bashing, protein shake-chugging phenomenon that is 27-year-old Bryson DeChambeau finish one stroke behind 63-year-old Bernhard Langer at the National.

Langer, who already won the event twice - both before DeChambeau was born in September 1993 - became the oldest man to make the cut at the course, shooting 68 and 73 in the opening two rounds, respectively. He would eventually finish at 3-under for the championship. DeChambeau once again produced some remarkable theater on the course, this time for an adventurous double-bogey 7 on the 13th on Thursday and an equally dramatic triple-bogey 7 on the 3rd on Friday. The U.S. Open champion's all-out, all-the-time approach may eventually succeed at Augusta, but for this year at least, chalk one up for the old-school style.

Tiger will always be relevant at Augusta

This might be weird to say after we've just watched him make the highest score of his PGA Tour career with a septuple-bogey 10 on No. 12, but Tiger Woods remains a key figure at Augusta National. The five-time champion rebounded from that disaster to birdie five of his last six holes. Woods would have finished -8 for the tournament and inside the top 15 without that 10 on the board. That's Tiger's best finish on the PGA Tour since January's tie for 9th at the Farmers Insurance Open. As Woods gets older his ability to compete on Tour will likely dwindle, but that won't be the case at Augusta. Bernhard Langer became the oldest ever to make the cut at the event in this year's playing at 63 years old, and Woods showed enough this week to make it clear he will be relevant here for years to come.