Category: Masters

Masters survey 2023: What is your least favorite concession item? (Is there even such a thing?)

There is a strong divide among players on both the pimento cheese and egg salad sandwiches.

We already asked Masters contestants past and present what they’d buy if they gave their caddie $20 to go to the concession stand so we know their favorites. But what one item would they not order?

We wanted to know that too, and we discovered that there is a strong divide among players on both the pimento cheese and egg salad sandwiches.

Widely considered two of the most popular sandwiches sold at the toonamint, it appears just as many players wouldn’t eat them unless they came with a Green Jacket.

Other discoveries: To no surprise, Gary Player has issues with white bread, but who knew he felt this opposed to it: “I wouldn’t serve it to my dog.”

Masters 2023 leaderboard: Get the latest news from Augusta

And who knew that Adam Scott doesn’t eat cheese or that Will Zalatoris wasn’t an egg guy?

We’ll try not to hold these character flaws against them. We’re more in the Tony Finau camp, who said, “They’re all pretty bomb. You can’t go wrong.”

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Augusta National to host celebrity video game challenge on eve of 2023 Masters Tournament week

Now on the tee: a celebrity video game challenge.

A year ago, it was the members of Dude Perfect using baseball bats and hockey sticks while they played Amen Corner for their popular YouTube channel subscribers.

Last week, a hip new commercial with a lot of young people having a good time was unveiled.

Now on the tee: a celebrity video game challenge.

Yes, the Green Jackets are working to appeal to the cool kids, and it seems to be working.

On Sunday, April 2, after the Drive, Chip and Putt and ahead of the first Monday practice round, Augusta National Golf Club will host the “Road to the Masters Invitational” in the club’s Press Building in front of a live audience. You can watch the official teaser for this event here.

The event will help hype the new EA Sports PGA Tour: Road to the Masters, which will be available on April 7.

The April 2 livestream will start at 6 p.m. ET and run for two hours and can be found in a variety of places:

  • Masters.com
  • @TheMasters on Twitter, YouTube and Facebook
  • @EA on Twitch
  • @EASPORTSPGATOUR on Twitter, Instagram and YouTube
  • @EASPORTS on Facebook
  • ESPN+ and the ESPN app

An edited version of the show will be televised at 7 p.m. EDT on ESPN2 on Wednesday, April 5, about 12 hours before the ceremonial first tee shots on the first hole ahead of the first round.

The participating celebrities have not been announced yet but in a news release, ANGC says: “A cross-section of participants from the worlds of sports, entertainment, gaming and social media will convene in Augusta National’s Press Building in front of a live audience to play EA Sports PGA Tour: Road to the Masters.”

Calling the action

What has been announced are the TV personalities who will be there to deliver commentary.

Golf Channel’s Rich Lerner will host with Amanda Renner of CBS Sports and Michael Collins and Marty Smith, both of ESPN, providing live analysis.

What’s the format?

There will be four teams of two who will play alternate shot for nine holes. Then, the top two teams will advance to Amen Corner for a three-hole, alternate-shot final round.

Invitation only

While streamed worldwide, the event is private and invitation-only. The audience will include Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Augusta and the First Tee of Augusta. Expected guests will also be the winners of the 2023 Drive, Chip and Putt National Finals, 2022 Asia-Pacific Amateur champion Harrison Crowe, 2023 Latin America Amateur champion Mateo Fernandez de Oliveira as well as competitors from the 2023 Augusta National Women’s Amateur.

Proceeds of the video game sales earned by Augusta National will be contributed to the Masters Tournament Foundation and support its work to grow interest in golf around the world.

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Masters survey 2023: More than two dozen pros, including Jack and Gary, were asked if they would have changed Augusta National’s 13th hole to make it longer

“The decision to go for the green in two should be a momentous one.”

After several years of rumors that the par-5 13th hole would be stretched like a rubber band to prevent players from blasting driver over the trees on the left and turning the par-5 into driver-wedge, Augusta National finally built a new back tee that will measure 545 yards in April, adding 35 yards to the iconic hole at the Masters Tournament.

The 13th ranks as one of the great risk-reward holes in golf. Going for it should be a “momentous decision,” in the words of Bobby Jones, who assisted Alister MacKenzie in its design. It originally measured 480 yards when the Masters debuted in 1934 and played to 510 yards for the 2022 Masters. But that distance is shorter than many par-4s in major championship golf these days.

Masters 2023 leaderboard: Get the latest news from Augusta

In recent years, powerful players such as Bubba Watson and Rory McIlroy have been able to blast balls over the trees that protect the dogleg-left hole, sometimes hitting it far enough around the corner to leave a short iron or even a wedge for the second shot to the green. The 13th played as the third-easiest hole on the course at the 2022 Masters, only more difficult than the two front-nine par-5s.

In 2017, Augusta National purchased a swath of land from Augusta Country Club, land that was actually part of a hole on the neighboriMastng course. Augusta Country Club was forced to reroute its layout to accommodate the land sale. In his 2022 news conference, Augusta National Chairman Fred Ridley said there was no timetable to use the land for a new tee but also hinted that changes to 13 could be coming.

“There’s a great quote from Bobby Jones dealing specifically with the 13th hole, which has been lengthened over time, and he said that the decision to go for the green in two should be a momentous one,” Ridley said. “And I would have to say that our observations of these great players hitting middle and even short irons into that hole is not a momentous decision.”

He added: “From our perspective, we will always do what’s necessary to maintain the integrity of our golf course.”

We asked more than two dozen pros – including past Masters champions, major winners, former World No. 1s and a World Golf Hall of Famer – if you were in charge, would you have changed the 13th hole?

New Balance releases Masters themed Limited Edition 997 golf shoe

Feel like you’re stepping onto Augusta National with the new limited-edition golf shoes from New Balance.

Themed colorways for the majors and the Players Championship have been a trend of late. Plenty of footwear companies have jumped into the mix, including Nike’s themed Air Max 90s and FootJoy’s Players collaboration with designer Jon Buscemi.

No such colorways turn heads like those designed for The Masters.

New Balance recently released their Masters themed Limited Edition 997 Golf shoe which gives a nod to the season’s first major.

[afflinkbutton text=”NB Masters Limited Edition golf shoe – $119.99″ link=”https://pga-tour-superstore.pxf.io/5gaB13″]

A white midsole and upper is splashed with green leather accents on the toe cap, tongue and collar while the New Balance logo is trimmed in Augusta National yellow. The outsole is green and yellow with a ridge for stability that, if stared at for long enough, looks like a nod to Rae’s Creek.

Made for players, the 997 Golf colorway reminds us more of the iconic coveralls that caddies wear at ANGC.

DonThe 997 Golf features a waterproof microfiber leather upper to help you stay dry and fresh during your round. An Abzorb midsole (10mm) gives premium responsiveness and lightweight cushioning step after step while the Ndurance rubber outsole is designed to move naturally with your foot.

The spiked shoe also features Fast Twist 3.0 Pulsar® replaceable cleats, a CUSH+ insole for added comfort and weigh in at an astonishingly light 11.4 ounces.

While you may never be able to play Augusta National, these shoes will have your feet saying Amen (Corner).

[afflinkbutton text=”NB Masters Limited Edition golf shoe – $119.99″ link=”https://pga-tour-superstore.pxf.io/5gaB13″]

[afflinkbutton text=”More Masters themed gear at PGA TOUR Superstore” link=”https://pga-tour-superstore.pxf.io/AW0YBN”]

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The newly released Masters promo from Augusta National is different, yet refreshing

ANGC nailed it.

It’s that time of year. Folks in the northern part of the country are coming out of their winter hibernation while the southern population is starting to feel temperatures rise.

In the golf world, that means one thing: the Masters is almost here.

The year’s first major at Augusta National Golf Club in Georgia is scheduled for April 6-9.

As we get closer, TV ads have taken over broadcasts giving golf fans something to look forward to. However, you know it’s getting close once official Masters social media channels begin posting.

On Friday, the Masters released its first promo of the season, and it’s different from anything it has ever made.

Instead of highlights from past years — although this promo still has a few of those — ANGC used young actors enjoying the golf, eating good food and just having a great time.

The best touch? The throwback clothes every character is wearing, the perfect mix of old and new school.

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Masters survey 2023: What would Max Homa, Billy Ho, Willy Z and other pros serve at the Champions Dinner?

Chicken parm. Steak and potato. Fajitas. South African Braai. Those are just a few of the suggestions.

Tuesday’s Champions Dinner at the Masters is golf’s most exclusive gathering. Debuted in 1952 by Ben Hogan, it is hosted annually by the defending champion who has the honor of setting the menu and also graciously picks up the bill.

Over the years, it’s become standard procedure to serve a favorite delicacy from the winner’s homeland. Past champions have selected everything from wiener schnitzel (Bernhard Langer, 1986) to haggis, a Scottish specialty made of minced sheep organs (Sandy Lyle 1989) to chicken panang curry (Vijay Singh in 2001) and Moreton Bay Bugs (lobster) from Australia (Adam Scott 2014). Even Jordan Spieth, in 2016, went with Texas barbecue.

In 1998, at his first of five dinners, Tiger Woods served cheeseburgers and chicken sandwiches, fries and milkshakes. More recently, he’s gone a little more upscale with a sushi appetizer and chicken and steak fajitas. At long last, Scottie Scheffler announced his menu to be served on April 4, and he didn’t disappoint.

We asked more than two dozen players what they’d serve if they won the Masters and got to host the Champions Dinner as well as a handful of past champions what they’d do if they got to host it again.

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Masters: Scottie Scheffler’s Champions Dinner menu has been released and it’s fantastic

This thing is heat.

Scottie Scheffler is the No. 1 player in the Official World Golf Ranking. He’s fresh off a five-shot win at the Players Championship. And in a few weeks, he’ll return to Augusta National Golf Club as the reigning Masters champion.

Life is pretty good for the Texan.

On Wednesday, the Masters tweeted out the menu for Scheffler’s Champions Dinner, and let me tell you, he’s bringing the heat.

Cheeseburger sliders, shrimp, ribeye, redfish and a whole lot more.

And the dessert? Who doesn’t love a delicious skillet cookie with a side of milk and ice cream?

Check out the full menu for Scheffler’s dinner below:

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Masters survey 2023: Pimento cheese, anyone? Contestants past and present answer the question: You have $20 for concessions. What do you buy?

What’s your order?

You’re at Augusta National Golf Club for the Masters Tournament.

You give your caddie a $20 bill to go to a concession stand.

What’s your order?

That’s the question we proposed to more than two dozen pros — from Jordan Spieth to Gary Player — who have been there, done that and tasted the pimento cheese, egg salad and ice cream sandwiches and have strong opinions on how they’d spend their dough.

Many noted they’d probably have some change, but who knew Max Homa didn’t eat eggs or that Collin Morikawa uses Masters drink cups at his house. And there are some very mixed opinions on Pimento cheese. Check out their answers…and keep the change.

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Masters survey 2023: What are the personal Masters traditions of Jack, Jordan, JT, Collin and other pros?

Here’s a list of traditions unlike any other for more than two dozen pros.

No matter whether you’re a contestant or a fan, everyone seems to have their own Masters tradition.

It could be as simple as playing the Par-3 contest or skipping it across the pond at 16. But part of what makes the Masters so special to so many of us is it is the same course every year and we know it like the back of our hand and we count the days until the week of the Masters in April so that we can enjoy all the things that make the Masters matter to us. To each his own, right? Here’s a list of traditions unlike any other for more than two dozen pros.

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Eureka Earth shares ‘majestic’ aerial image of Augusta National’s revamped Par 3 Course

With the Masters less than two months away, Augusta National’s renovated Par 3 Course appears ready to shine.

It’s only 51 days until the Masters, and all the work Augusta National Golf Club has done since Scottie Scheffler donned a green jacket in 2022 is coming even more sharply into focus, thanks to the latest aerial photography by Eureka Earth posted to Twitter.

And it’s not just the main 18-hole course, where the 13th tee box has been moved some 35 yards deeper into the pines on the legendary par 5. Augusta National’s Par 3 course has seen even more dramatic renovations in recent months. The club has not shared details on the changes, but previous reporting and images appear to show a new routing for at least the first several holes of the Par 3 Course.

The Augusta Chronicle reported in July that the club had filed documents with the Georgia city’s Planning and Development Department outlining plans for two new cabins, with cabin being a relative term. One of the cabins was listed in engineering drawings as being a 6,284-square-foot structure, with the other measuring 5,556 square feet. Both border the Par 3 Course.

The Chronicle reported the cabins’ locations would change the Par 3 Course’s first four holes, according to the plans. The new No. 1, instead of playing northward, appears on a city-filed map to point northeast toward the pond, with the new No. 1 green placed on or near the old No. 4 tee. The new No. 2, instead of playing west-to-east, points northwest. The new No. 3, instead of playing southward, faces southeast back toward the pond. The new No. 4 tee, on the opposite side of the No. 3 green, seems to be placed to allow fewer shots to travel over open water to reach the green. The fifth hole would appear relatively unchanged, according to maps.

The Chronicle also reported that other plans filed separately with the city show a new concessions and restroom facility between the main course’s eighth and 18th holes. Aerial images from Eureka Earth have corroborated the Chronicle’s reporting.

As for the rest of the Par 3 Course? When the whole Par 3 Course was basically dug up in June, it wasn’t clear what all the club had in mind. The club has since remained mum on details, as is customary. But come April 5, when the world tunes in to watch the annual Par 3 Contest with families dressed in white caddie bibs as their players try for crystal hardware, the rest of the world will get a first televised look at a very different nine-hole layout.

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