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Since the first flicker of film, book adaptations have served as one of the driving forces of the movie industry. As early as 1896, nascent filmmakers were shooting individual scenes from books by Charles Dickens, George du Maurier and others. Thomas Edisons Edison Studios made a version of Frankenstein in 1910. Since that time, characters like Frankenstein, Dracula, and Sherlock Holmes have hit the screen dozens, even hundreds, of times. In recent decades, weve seen multiple takes on single books by Stephen King and no shortage of interpretations of Spider-Man and Batman. Yet among all of these towering characters of culture is an autobiographical family story about efficiency experts that keeps coming back. Thats Cheaper by the Dozen, and it just got remade again.

Frank Bunker Gilbreth liked figuring out the best way to do a job. Born in 1868, he lost his father young and opted to work instead of pursuing college. Finding his way into building trades, Gilbreth noticed how workers like individual bricklayers tended to approach the same job differently. For the next several years, he threw himself into learning every construction job he could and went to night school for mechanical drawing. He started inventing and patenting ways to make construction easier, like a scaffold to hold bricks. He also patented the Gilbreth waterproof cellar, an early attempt to prevent leaks in basements.

Gilbreth starting his own construction company and became a significant builder in the U.S., erecting everything from factories to dams. He trained laborers to do jobs the same way in a pursuit of making things more efficient. His one best way to do every job approach led to Gilbreth studying motions; he would try to break down manual labor into the most efficient series of motions that you could repeat to finish a task. Later, during World War I, Gilbreth served as a major, and he developed a rapid system for soldiers to disassemble and reassemble rifles. The basics of this method are still used in the modern military, as is Gilbreths notion that surgeons should have an assistant (he called them caddies) to hand them instruments during operations so that the surgeon could continue his focus on the patient.

Gilbreth married Lillian Evelyn Moller in 1904. They started having children in 1905; between 1905 and 1922, the Gilbreths had twelve kids. By 1912, Gilbreth chose to wind down his construction operations and focus full-time on being an efficiency expert. Lillian joined him in the vocation, and they studied work processes across a variety of fields. The Gilbreths published their first book, Bricklaying System, in 1909, but they initially kept Lillians name off; the couple figured that her lack of a PhD might make people doubt their expertise. Lillian did earn that PhD, and became a credited co-author with their fifth book.

The Gilbreths, faced with their large and growing family, decided to apply efficiency techniques at home. The couple workshopped ideas with the kids, figuring out the best way to get everyone fed, washed, dressed, and out of the house. Frank even tried to deduce the most efficient number of moves in took to wash your entire body in the bath. Frank died in 1924, but Lillian lived and worked until 1972. Turning away from the sexism she found in engineering, Lillian recentered on projects like home design. She invented and patented a number of things that we take for granted now, like light switches on the wall, shelves inside refrigerators (notably the egg keeper and butter tray), and the foot-pedal trashcan. Lillian also argued for counters to be of uniform height and for the rooms layout to make a kitchen triangle, facilitating the move from prep to stove to sink in the smallest number of steps. Lillian continued to write about labor, management, techniques to help amputees in the workplace, and more until she passed.

The Gilbreths story might have faded to only being well-known in the efficiency field if it hadnt been for two of their children. Frank, Jr. was editor of the school paper at the University of Michigan and fought in the Navy in World War II, earning a bronze star and two air medals. After the war, he went into the newspaper business. His sister Ernestine was already writing a book based on anecdotes and experiences that the large number of kids had living in an efficiency-obsessed household. Lillian recommended that Frank, Jr. take a look at it, and he and Ernestine completed it together.

Cheaper by the Dozen was a hit on arrival in 1948. It won the French International Humor Award and was quickly adapted into a film in 1950. The success led Ernestine and Frank, Jr. to write a sequel, Belles on Their Toes, that same year; in 1952, it also made it to the screen. The sibling authors shared all of their profits evenly with Lillian and the rest of their brothers and sisters, feeling it was only right since theyd adapted all of their lives. The pair continued separate literary careers after the first two books, while Cheaper and its sequel would continue to sell around the world.

The film adaption was a positively reviewed success. Clifton Webb and Myrna Loy turned out noted performances as Frank, Sr. and Lillian. The film ends with Frank, Sr.s passing, and explains that Lillian would go on to be a leader in efficiency. Loy returned for Belles on Their Toes, as did many of the young actors playing the kids. The film doubled its budget, but wasnt a major hit. The first film ran frequently on various cable and syndication packages in the years afterward, and is presently available to watch on Prime Video and other outlets.

In the 60s through the 90s, the Wow, thats a lot of kids genre yielded the Gilbreths place to the real-life Beardsleys and the fictional Bradys. The Beardsleys were a blended family that inspired the film and TV series Yours, Mine, and Ours. Though not a direct adaptation, the blended family concept influenced the creation of The Brady Bunch; the show has never really gone away with spin-offs, an adult drama version, hit film adaptations, and, yes, even a renovation reality show continuing to this day. (Well save the variety show for TVs Worst: Variety Show Edition somewhere down the line.) The Gilbreths tale did emerge as a stage play in 1992 by Christopher Sergel; Sergel then turned the play into a stage musical.

Cheaper by the Dozen (2003) trailer (Uploaded to YouTube by Trailer World)

However, in 2003, the Gilbreth story came back to the screen with a twist in a new Cheaper by the Dozen. Directed by Shawn Levy (who has gone on to fame for directing the Night at the Museum series, producing the Oscar-nominated Arrival and Netflix hit Stranger Things, and collaborating with Ryan Reynolds on movies like Free Guy, The Adam Project, and the upcoming Deadpool 3), this version stars Steve Martin and Bonnie Hunt. The family has been renamed the Bakers (heh; Bakers dozen), although Hunts Kate has Gilbreth as her maiden name. In this take, Tom (Martin) is a football coach, and Kate is the author and efficiency expert. The movie was a big hit for 20th Century Fox, pulling in just under $200 million. A sequel (Cheaper by the Dozen 2) followed in 2005 to decent box office, but savage reviews.

Cheaper by the Dozen (2022) trailer (Uploaded to YouTube by Walt Disney Studios)

After Disney completed its acquisition of Fox in 2019, then-CEO Bob Iger noted that a new version of Cheaper by the Dozen would be happening sooner rather than later, and that it would be targeted for the studios streaming service, Disney+. The film arrived on March 18 with a new series of twists. Gone is any real connection to the Gilbreth story; the family name, Baker, comes from the 2003 version. The film focuses largely on the concept of multi-ethnic blended families, with parents Paul (Zach Braff) and Zoey (Gabrielle Union) overseeing a family that includes kids from their previous marriages, their own two sets of twins, an adopted son, and Pauls nephew. Its a modern story about the kids social challenges and how Paul, Zoey, and their exes manage time and attention for their kids.

While there is little connection to the original story in the new film other than a brand name, it does lead one to ask the question: why do audiences seem to like shows about huge families? Thats obviously become a reality show staple, and other long-running series like Parenthood (also inspired by a Steve Martin film) have dealt with wide-ranging family issues. Maybe these kinds of stories are comforting when viewers see all the challenges the parents have to go through (one could imagine someone saying, Look at them! We only have four, and thats crazy enough!). While the versions of the films and their concerns are different, there is one common thread: From the original to the new one, the suggestion to the audience is, simply, you can get through this. If this family can get a dozen kids up and fed and off to school, maybe it gives hope to the people just trying to get two out of the door. Whatever the case, its likely that we havent seen the last of the Gilbreths, or the Bakers, or whomever the next dozen turns out to be.

Featured image: Walt Disney Pictures; 20th Century Studios; 20th Century Studios; All images Fair use

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The Curious Immortality of Cheaper by the Dozen - The Saturday Evening Post

There arent many pet owners on the planet who wouldnt wish that their animal buddy would live forever, but no amount of bargaining with a higher power, TikTok followers, or money will make it so. But in one of the more bizarre details in Netflixs latest wild true-crime docuseriesBad Vegan from Tiger Kingproducer and Fyredirector Chris Smith, former New York City raw vegan restaurateur Sarma Melngailis, nicknamed the vegan Bernie Madoff, becomes convinced that her beloved rescue pitbull Leon would be immortal if she kept siphoning money from her savings and restaurant earnings to her con-artist husband Shane Fox, real name Anthony Strangis, in order to please a shadowy deity. Its even something that Netflix itself has latched onto as marketing for the series, creating a website and Instagram for a fictional New Age-y company Perpetual Pup promising a revolutionary, non-scientific, patent-pending process rooted in trust and love in the Universe that will keep your pets from deaths door.

In phone calls throughout the four-part docuseries, Strangiswho Melgnailis met via Twitter as mutuals with Alec Baldwin, who frequented her trendy spot Pure Food and Wine around 2010rants about evil forces in the world and a mysterious body he consults in California called the family who issue tests to the righteous in the form of wire transfers to keep the demons at bay, and if Melngailis passed the financial hurdles to the tune of several million dollars, the family would make all of her dreams come true, including keeping Leon alive forever. Of course, that didnt happen: Strangis took Melngailis and Leon on the lam, as Pure Food and Wine employees were striking demanding their wages, for 10 months until being traced to a hotel in the kitchsy resort town of Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, near Dollywood, through a Dominos pizza delivery. Both were both arrested and charged with theft and tax evasion totaling nearly $2 million.

The story of Melngailis downfallfrom the owner of a high-end raw vegan restaurant, famous for its zucchini lasagna, and juice bar One Lucky Duck to serving a five-month sentence in Rikersis zany and troubling, largely because of the manipulation Strangis leveraged into wire transfers that he, surprise, sunk into casinos and not as offerings to the family to keep Leon alive and her businesses successful. In Bad Vegan, information about the ambiguously Christian entity that Strangis allegedly subscribed to is frustratingly vague, considering how batty and insistent his claims were. Was Strangis part of a real cult?

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The History of the McRib

The short answer is no, probably not. The longer answer involves lots of speculation and educated guessing based on Bad Vegans characterization of Strangis as a compulsive liar and narcissist who could charm his way into anything he wanted. It seems most likely that Strangis made up his own dogma influenced by very real cults of the 60s and 70s: The Family, which still exists today as a Christian missionary group The Family International, and The Source Family. Maybe youve heard of the former, in which Joaquin Phoenix and Rose McGowan spent their childhoods. In 2019, Netflix released a five-part docuseries called The Family that shed light on the doomsday cult founded by David Berg outside of Los Angeles that believed in the coming of an anti-Christ and authoritarian one world government that would be taken down by the second coming, encouraged disturbing evangelism called flirty fishing that used sex as a conversion tactic and criminal sexual acts with minors on its commune, and its political influence in the U.S. government.

The Source Family, on the other hand, has a more interesting connection to Strangis version of the family, chiefly via The Source, its vegan restaurant on the Sunset Strip established in 1969 that served dishes called the Aware Salad and Magic Mushroom and where The Source Familys in-house band, Ya Ho Wha 13, recorded nearly 60 albums. Celebrities like John Lennon, Marlon Brando, and Warren Beatty ate there and it was featured as a goof in Annie Hall, where Woody Allen orders alfalfa sprouts and mashed yeast. Though the group of counterculture Aquarians (literally, members legally changed their last name to Aquarian) were more benign with their activities, believing in clean eating and meditation, they were no doubt a cult. If you wanted to eat at The Source, you were expected to be wearing white. At the center of it all was its founder donning a long white beard, a guy named Jim Baker, who changed his name to Father Yod, with a backstory that seems impossible. (An ex-Marine, jiu-jitsu master, possible murder, perhaps bank robber turned spiritualist? Cmon.) This is all explored in the 2012 documentary The Source Family.

Neither of these cults subscribed to the idea of Earthen immortality, but its easy to see how Strangis could make that leap in order to convince a woman who has blogged thousands of words about adopting her pet. Though Leon hasnt achieved immortality, he is still aliveMelngailis posts about his exploits on Instagram @oneluckyrescuedog.

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Leanne Butkovic is a senior entertainment editor at Thrillist.

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Is the 'Bad Vegan' Dog Immortality Cult Real? - Thrillist

The never-ending pursuit of biological longevity has seen people jump some ridiculous hoops to maintain or at the very least, maintain the appearance of a healthy mind and body. While cosmetic treatments and fad diets may offer temporary solutions to the anti-aging battle, five parts of the world known as Blue Zones have ostensibly unlocked the secrets to a long and healthy life.

For context, Blue Zones are the unique geographic regions where youll find the oldest life expectancies, the highest concentrations of centenarians (people over 100 years of age), as well as the lowest rates of chronic diseases. The term was originally coined by American author Dan Buettner, who studied these areas with his team at National Geographic. During their research, Buettner placed a blue circle around each locale on a map hence Blue Zones.

Weve outlined some of the key dietary and lifestyle characteristics specific to the Blue Zones that make each of them part of this exclusive club below.

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This small Greek island typifies the traditional Mediterranean lifestyle. For many generations, Ikarias mountainous landscape has forced locals to be in prime physical condition simply by moving around the island. Exercise is seamlessly integrated into their daily lives, from tending to livestock, gardening, walking along the glorious paths, to doing their own backyard work and renovations. No Airtasker here, thats for sure.

Ikarians live humble and modest lives prioritising strong relationships between family and friends. The locals are also proud Greek Orthodox Christians with a total of 58 parishes spread across the tiny island. Their strong social and religious ties have created a sense of meaning and purpose that is conditioned into both the current and future generations. A siesta is also on the daily to-do list, having proven to reduce the risk of heart disease by up to 35%.

The Ikarian diet is a variation of the Mediterranean diet involving the consumption of potatoes, full-fat dairy products, and coffee (Greek-style, of course). The strictly whole food diet is rich in olive oil which provides a source of healthy fats. Fruits, vegetables, beans, legumes, and whole grains are all essential for fibre. Ikarains maintain a low consumption of meat, coupled with moderate red wine consumption.

Dairy products derived from goats are favoured to those from cows since its a lactose-free way to get some potassium, in addition to containing tryptophan (a stress-relieving hormone). As an island, Ikaria loves its seafood with sardines, salmon, herring, and trout being amongst those most frequently consumed. Herbal teas ranging from wild rosemary to sage are commonly enjoyed by Ikarians as theyre high in antioxidants which maintain low blood pressure.

In Ikaria, one in three people make it to 90 and the island is almost completely free from dementia. Their clean Aegean air, lush mountains, whole food diet, and balanced lifestyle have essentially culminated into a Mediterranean utopia.

Officially home to the worlds oldest men, Sardinia is a small Italian island situated south of Corse and north of Tunisia. The Ogliastra region within the island is a cluster of villages that has almost ten times more centenarians per capita than the US.

The Sardinian locals have strong family values which (apparently) contributes to lower rates of stress, depression, and suicide. Grandparents are not just part of the family but are active members of the communities with solid relational ties between the youth and the elderly.

Its also common to frequently socialise with friends, the region known for its sardonic humour. Laughter reduces stress and, over time, lowers the risk of cardiovascular disease. Many locals are shepherds or farmers who engage in physical labour, consistently walking in excess of eight kilometres a day, proving all the exercise required to live past a century.

Another variation of the Mediterranean diet, the Sardo-Mediterranean diet is heavily associated with the prevention of chronic diseases. Under this regime, Sardinian locals eat high amounts of olive oil, fish, and dairy products. Processed foods are not consumed and nutrients are instead obtained from various fruits, vegetables, legumes, grains, nuts, and herbs alike.

With low meat consumption, a low-protein diet is commonly consumed amongst the Sardinian population who have extremely minimal rates of diabetes and cancer. One or two glasses a day (and almost always more) of red wine is also welcomed with open arms.

The largest island in Japans subtropical archipelago, Okinawa is officially home to the worlds oldest women. Once known as the land of immortals, this Japanese prefecture boasts incredibly low rates of cancer, dementia, and heart disease per capita. Potentially the most compelling factor behind the majority of citizens living to 100 and beyond is the Okinawans focus on ikigai.

Ikigai is a Japanese word that encapsulates a deep sense of meaning and life purpose. There is not a single uniform purpose that everyone follows, but rather it is unique to each individual. A clear sense of roles and responsibilities that lead to enhanced psychological well-being means that Okinawans have an extremely low rate of depression.

This is furthered by their emphasis on moai or social networks, which provide emotional and financial support in times of need. In some villages, there are buckets where members of the local community can donate. The funds are then graciously given to families or individuals who are struggling in desperate times of need.

The Okinawan lifestyle is also upheld by a passion for gardening and walking, serving as a source of low-intensity exercise. Tai chi, a meditative martial art form, also increases blood flow and enhanced joint stability. Spending frequent time outside also allows for Okinawans to consistently soak up vitamin D leading to positive impacts on immune function, bone, muscle, and heart health.

The Okinawan diet comprises mostly of foods rich in soy, such as miso soup and tofu. It is almost exclusively a plant-based diet that focuses on staples like leafy greens, sweet potato, and low GI grains in other words, the ones that wont spike your blood sugar levels. Animal-based products such as meat and dairy are only consumed occasionally.

Okinawans have also been known to follow a rule they call the hara hachi bu. In Western culture, this is known as the 80% rule, which essentially dictates you eat only until youre 80% full and nothing more. This avoids a caloric surplus and subsequently reduces the risk of weight gain and chronic diseases.

Situated in the Guanacaste province of Costa Rica, this 130-kilometre peninsula has a mortality rate 20% lower than the rest of the country. Successful centenarians from Nicoya live in close association with their plan de vida or reason to live. It provides elders with a strong sense of purpose within their communities who also feel an innate need to contribute to something bigger than themselves.

Nicoyans are extremely social people with frequent visits from neighbours matched by a great appreciation for life and laughter. Elder members of the community often live with their families, emphasising the importance of the family unit and values. Locals also engage in regular exercise, often achieved through physical labour, closely related to consistent sun exposure and vitamin D.

When compared to the diets of the other Blue Zones, the Nicoyan diet has a higher animal-based food consumption, including chicken, eggs, and cheeses. They have a low intake of healthy fats and high intakes of foods rich in fibre, such as fruits, vegetables and legumes, grains, as well as low GI foods.

Nicoyans drink a lot of coffee, juice, and guaro (a Costa Rican alcoholic beverage). The diet avoids milk as well as both processed and frozen foods.

Undoubtedly the biggest outlier out of all the Blue Zones, Loma Linda is a small city just south of San Bernadino in California that has the highest concentration of Seventh-day Adventists in the United States. The Seventh-day Adventist church is an Adventist Protestant Christian domination.

Possibly the most unique element of this way of life is the 24-hour sabbath taking place every Saturday. During this day, the focus of Adventists is exclusively on family and God, serving to provide perspective, clarity, and stress relief. Daily walks are a popular form of regular exercise and Adventists commonly spend the majority of their time with other Adventists. They find spending time with like-minded individuals in tight-knit communities to be extremely beneficial to their mental well-being.

Volunteering through the church is also very common, creating a strong sense of togetherness and inclusivity. Adventists dont drink alcohol or smoke.

People in the Seventh-day Adventist community typically follow a vegan diet. This consists of fruits, vegetables, legumes, and grains. Olive oil and nuts are also good sources of fat. Its also customary for Adventists to eat early, light dinners. This is believed to avoid large caloric consumption during inactive stages of the day. This may be linked to lower BMI and better sleep.

Although each of the five Blue Zones have very little in common geographically, their populations share several common characteristics highly pivotal to their collective longevity. While some of these factors are more prevalent in certain Blue Zones than others, they provide a balanced framework that can help you achieve an overall healthier mind and body.

Its important to remember that theres no single food or lifestyle trait which will automatically gift you immortality. The key is to ensure you maintain a healthy balance of social engagement with diet and exercise. Consistent stimulation of mind and body coupled with a strong sense of self and spiritual purpose is where the magic happens.

If youd like to learn more about Blue Zones, check out The Blue Zones by Dan Buettner here.

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Blue Zones: These 5 Locations Hold The Secrets To "Immortality" - Boss Hunting

There has been almost no question that this is where St. John Vianney was going to end the 2021-22 season when the Lancers kicked off their season back on Dec. 17.

The path to the Tournament of Champions final has taken St. John Vianney through some of the top teams in the state. Another team was added to that list on Friday when the No. 1 Lancers got past No. 8 Sparta 75-54 in the T of C semifinals at RWJ Barnabas Health Arena in Toms River.

SJV (31-1) will face a familiar opponent in No. 4 Rutgers Prep in the championship game on Sunday in the final T of C contest.

Rutgers Prep defeated No. 2 Manasquan earlier on Friday, setting up a highly-anticipated rematch between the two teams. The Lancers won the first matchup 87-48 on Feb. 13.

St. John Vianney is one win away from immortality.

The Lancers could stake their claim as arguably the best team in New Jersey girls basketball history, given the in-state and national schedule theyve played. It would also be the schools eighth T of C championship, and first since 2016, if they can get past Rutgers Prep at Jersey Mikes Arena at Rutgers.

Weve been hearing about it a lot on the internet. I dont think weve really said it ourselves, but I definitely think that we have a pretty good chance as going down as that, said Zoe Brooks, who scored a game-high 27 points against Sparta. Theres been a lot of good teams with Diamond Miller (at Franklin) and Michelle Sidor (at Saddle River Day), but I definitely think we can be up there with them.

To get to Sunday, the Lancers had to get through a hobbled Sparta (27-4) team ready for its biggest test of the season.

It didnt take long for SJVs press to cause Sparta problems. The Lancers press was unrelenting, giving Sparta center Alexa Acker issues when she got the ball near center court. It led to turnovers, which turned into easy baskets for the Lancers.

SJV led 22-10 after the first quarter on the way to its latest wire-to-wire win. The win is the 10th over a team ranked in the NJ.com Top 20 at one point this season. Add in wins over five nationally-ranked teams when the Lancers have played them in Christ the King (N.Y.), DME Academy (F.L.), Lake Highland Prep (F.L.), St. Thomas Aquinas (F.L.) and the first Rutgers Prep meeting, and its easy to see why SJV is in the conversation as the best girls basketball team in New Jersey history.

The only loss came to Sidwell Friends (D.C.), the No. 1 team in the country.

A huge reason for the Lancers success is how deep they are, with the backcourt of Brooks and Madison St. Rose leading the way, and with coach Dawn Karpell pushing the right buttons and making the right calls.

Brooks and St. Rose were again outstanding against Sparta, with two combining for a highlight-reel pass in the second quarter when St. Rose, who was near midcourt, threaded the needle through a Sparta defender to hit Brooks in stride for an easy layup.

Honestly, I feel like my team played their hardest throughout the whole entire season, St. Rose said. Every team that came in the way, we got together, we played together, and weve stepped up to the competition.

Zoe Brooks (35) of St. John Vianney tries to score against Alexa Acker (24) of Sparta during the NJSIAA Tournament of Champions girls basketball semifinal between St. John Vianney and Sparta at RWJ Barnabas Health Arena at Toms River North High School in Toms River, NJ on Friday, March 18, 2022. Scott Faytok | For NJ Advance Media

Brooks had four assists, three rebounds and four steals to her 27 points, St. Rose added 21 points, six rebounds, six assists and three steals. Bre Delaney scored nine points off the bench and gave starter Ashley OConnor a breather as she guarded Sparta point guard Ally Sweeney.

Sparta hung tough early, but could not overcome St. John Vianneys pressure. Junior Brynn McCurry started for the first time since the opening round of the postseason after nursing an ankle injury. She scored a team-high 24 points with six rebounds, five assists and four steals.

Acker added 11 points and eight rebounds, and Sweeney had nine points, four rebounds and three assists, battling through constant injuries shes sustained during the postseason run. The Spartans never stopped playing until the end, trying to claw away at the big deficit at the free-throw line and in the fourth quarter.

Ultimately, the Lancers depth was too much.

St. John Vianney is the most talented team Ive seen all season, coach Catherine Wille said. I saw them on film a million times, but when you get them live, its 10 times harder with Zoe Brooks and Madison St. Rose and all the other people. Its sub after sub after sub. I have the core five that are beaten, battled and bruised. I thought we did a good job of not giving up and thats what got us here.

Its been a dream season for us and I couldnt be more proud of them. Im just so excited that we had this opportunity in the last Tournament of Champions.

Even with the win, Karpell thought her team wasnt at their best against the Spartans, having uncharacteristic turnovers and sloppy play. She is aware her team will have to play better against Rutgers Prep on Sunday, especially after how they defeated the Argonauts in the first meeting.

Rutgers Prep will be motivated to spoil SJVs coronation.

Karpell will have her team ready to make even more history, setting up another chance to hang another banner inside their home gym with a team that has never gotten a chance to play in a T of C final.

I think our history is our history, and its super exciting, Karpell said. But for these kids, its their first time, and I think for them its a special opportunity because its their first time going to do it. Im super excited.

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You can reach Luis Torres at ltorres@njadvancemedia.com and you can follow him on Twitter @ByLuisTorres.

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No. 1 SJV gets past No. 8 Sparta, heads to TOC final with a win away from immortality - NJ.com

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Last years Masters was memorable for a number of reasons, including the moment Hideki Matsuyama became the first Japanese player to win the tournament. However, one of the tournaments most enduring images belonged to his caddie, Shota Hayafuji.

As is customary for the winning caddie, Hayafuji removed the flag from the18th after Matsuyamas winning putt. He then placed it back in the hole, faced the course, removed his hat and bowed. The image quickly spread across social media, ensuring its place in Masters immortality. In the aftermath, Hayafuji explained his reaction in an email interview with The Caddie Network, saying: My heart was full of gratitude, and it was the natural thing for me to bow and show respect to The Masters.

Now, as Matsuyama prepares to defend his title at Augusta National in two weeks, the 30-year-old has spoken about the moment that quickly imprinted itself in the memories of those watching. He said: I didnt see it in person, but I did see it on TV, and I thought it was something very special. Im glad that Shota did it. Its a sign of respect, not only to the Masters tournament but Augusta National. It was something that was good. I never really thought it would receive the attention that it has generated.

With The Masters rapidly approaching, Matsuyama is striving to return to fitness to defend his title. The 30-year-old hasnt played since the recurrence of a back injury at the Arnold Palmer Championship, but his recovery is going well: My recovery is moving forward. Each day it gets better. Probably at 80 percent right now. Planning to practice hard this week and Im intending to play in the Valero Texas Open as long as the pain keeps subsiding.

Matsuyama also had a few words for what The Masters means to him. He said: Going to the Masters is something very special for me and something Ive really been looking forward to, so Im going to do my very best to be as prepared as I can to defend my title there.

Matsuyama will be hoping to recreate the form that won him his first Major to date when he tees it up at Augusta National in two weeks. Whatever happens, though, it is hard to imagine anything proving more poignant and powerful than that image of a year ago.

Originally posted here:

'It Was Something Very Special' Matsuyama On Caddie's Augusta National Bow - Golf Monthly