Category: Masters

Report: Masters final round TV could switch from CBS to ABC

According to a report by Sports Business Journal, a scenario exists where CBS would hand the Masters broadcast over to ABC.

Imagine, if you will: It’s Sunday afternoon. Tiger Woods is tied for the lead at the Masters. There are two holes left. It’s closing in on 3 p.m. ET, the end of the scheduled broadcast window for longtime TV partner CBS, which has some NFL games to get to.

What happens next?

According to a report by Sports Business Journal, should such a scenario arise due to weather delays or a playoff, CBS may hand the Masters broadcast over to ABC.

Sounds wild but discussions like this among the TV broadcast partners must be had, because you just never know.

ESPN is the Masters other TV partner and has the rights to the first two rounds. ESPN and ABC are part of the Disney family. ABC does not have any conflicts Sunday afternoon because it’s not part of the NFL’s TV contracts.

MASTERS: Second-round tee times | Leaderboard | How to watch

But as SBJ assistant editor David Rumsey tweeted, such a CBS-to-ABC switch could happen.

SBJ’s report also says 4 p.m. is the real deadline to flip over to the NFL games. The final round is set to go till 3 and CBS and the Masters built in a one-hour cushion before the late-game kickoffs.

[vertical-gallery id=778074351]

[lawrence-related id=778075255,778075282,778075286]

Louis Oosthuizen’s approaches pay off in Masters-opening round of 68

Soft putting surfaces made it easier to hit greens in regulation in the first round of the Masters. Louis Oosthuizen took advantage.

Soft putting surfaces made it easier to hit greens in regulation in the first round of the Masters Tournament. Louis Oosthuizen certainly took advantage of those conditions to post 4-under 68.

He’s three shots behind clubhouse leader Paul Casey, in a tie for fourth place.

Oosthuizen hit 16 greens in regulation. Of the 48 players who finished their weather-delayed round on Thursday, only Kevin Na hit more. He hit all 18 but still shot 73.

“It’s probably as easy as it’s going to play today,” Oosthuizen said. “I hit 4irons to the greens where it plugged, I hit 7wood into a green and it plugged. I don’t think we’ll ever get an opportunity to go at pins like that.”

The week’s rain has so far slowed down the greens, which presented a problem, once Oosthuizen was on them. He needed 31 putts.

“Very different to what we’re used to playing,” he said. “It was tricky on the greens because you know what it used to do and all of a sudden you’ve got to hit it a lot firmer, and think it was a little tricky putting on the greens.”

MASTERS: Second-round tee times | Leaderboard | How to watch

Oosthuizen was in a pairing that included pre-tournament favorite Bryson DeChambeau and world No. 2 Jon Rahm. Oosthuizen, who is ranked 19th in the world, beat Rahm by a shot and the sixth-ranked DeChambeau by two.

The trio combined for one eagle (by Rahm) and 14 birdies, five by Oosthuizen. Their play would have been appreciated by the gallery – if there had been one.

“We hit great shots considering there was no one cheering us on,” Oosthuizen said. “That was the weirdest thing. You know, we got used to it through the practice rounds, different lines off tees where you could actually see a little more, especially when you’re standing – -like if you’re on the 8th tee box now, you’ve got to wait for the guys on 17 to putt, and normally there’s never a problem because you’ve got that grandstand there. But yeah, it’s different. We all miss the patrons here.”

Oosthuizen started his round on No. 10 and shot 3-under-par 33 on that side, with birdies on 11, 15 and 18. He shot 1-under 35 on the front nine with birdies on Nos. 1 and 8 and a bogey on No. 6.

[jwplayer wlHxgh42-vgFm21H3]

[lawrence-related id=778075429,778075364,778075396]

After opening 67 at the Masters, Xander Schauffele looks to figure in to another major

After a sizzling start, Xander Schauffele’s opening round in the 2020 Masters sputtered in the middle. He’s still in the conversation.

After a sizzling start, Xander Schauffele’s opening round in the 2020 Masters sputtered in the middle. On a day when conditions allowed low scoring at Augusta National, last year’s runner-up knew he could ill afford to fall too far behind.

His late charge to a 5-under-par 67 began in Amen Corner following a perfect drive on the 505-yard, par-4 11th that left him 184 yards to a hole location tucked behind the pond in the back left portion of the green. On a typical Masters day, that’s a dangerous flag to attack but greens softened by morning rain gave Schauffele the confidence to take dead aim and fire. His approach finished slightly left of the cup, six feet away and he drained the putt, the first of four birdies in his final eight holes.

“It’s one of those things. The greens are really soft, so there isn’t a whole lot to be scared of. I had a really good drive, pretty good stock 7-iron for me,” Schauffele said. “I tried to aim out just a little bit to the right and hit a little draw. So I was able to sort of capitalize on a good number and a good shot and kind of got the round back on track.”

Masters: How to stream, watch on TV | Tiger’s history at Augusta

Not many majors have passed without Schauffele’s name on the leaderboard in recent years. He’s landed in the top six in the last four U.S. Opens, and was the runner-up at the 2018 Open Championship and, of course, last year’s Masters, finishing one shot behind Tiger Woods.

He wasted little time returning to a familiar place Thursday. Starting on No. 1, accurate irons and pitches led to birdies on the first three holes. He made a 9-footer at 1, a 3-footer at 2 and a 2-footer at 3.

“I got off to a nice start. It seems like a lot of people are getting off to a nice start with the greens being a little softer. Then kind of dealt with what everyone else dealt with, had a mud ball there (on No. 5),” he said.

On No. 7, his approach shot into the soft green nestled near the back fringe rather than rolling down to the flatter part in the middle.

“I three‑putted from a spot that I don’t think I’ve ever practiced from because the ball will never stay where it did,” he said. “So I kind of fought the same battle everyone else did. Fortunately, I was able to adjust kind of quickly.”

Schauffele crushed a drive around the corner at 13, hit his 165-yard approach on the green and two-putted for birdie. He birdied 14 with three strong shots and closed the round by rolling in a downhill 36-footer with a left-to-right break on 18.

It was a seven-birdie effort for Schauffele, who led the field with 25 birdies last year. If past performance is any indicator, expect the 27-year-old Southern Californian to remain there until this Masters has been completed.

[jwplayer 9LNsqLaz-vgFm21H3]

[lawrence-related id=778075364,778075396,778075395]

Paul Casey leads assault on par in the first round of the Masters; Tiger Woods lurking

Much time has passed since the 2019 Masters. The world waited a bit longer because of weather, but ultimately, Thursday was a good show.

AUGUSTA, Ga. – After waiting 578 days since the 2019 Masters concluded, the excruciatingly long interval continued as the silence of this year’s patron-less tournament was shattered by thunder and pounding rain on Thursday when suspension of play had a tee time on the first day of the first Masters in November.

Once the storms cleared, however, a host of players – including one Tiger Woods – more than made the wait worthwhile for the spectators all over the world eager to watch the annual rite of spring that was moved to the fall because of the COVID-19 global pandemic.

After Mother Nature politely allowed Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player to hit the honorary tee shots Thursday morning to inaugurate the 84th edition of the Masters, torrential outbursts from above delayed play just shy of three hours. But then an eruption of red numbers started filling up the famous white scoreboards at Augusta National, providing an instant fall classic, if you will.

Chasing his first major, Paul Casey took up residence atop the leaderboard with a bogey-free, 7-under-par 65, two shots clear of Webb Simpson and Xander Schauffele, who finished in a tie for second last year.

MASTERS: Leaderboard | How to watch

“I did the right things when I needed to, and to be honest, you rarely walk off this golf course going, it could have been two or three better, but it kind of felt that way,” said Casey, who made five birdies and eagled the par-5 second. “I don’t want to be greedy. I’m very, very happy with my 65.”

Also in the mix at 68 was 2018 Masters champion Patrick Reed, 2010 British Open champion Louis Oosthuizen, Lee Westwood and Hideki Matsuyama.

Oh, and Woods, the defending champion, five-time Masters winner and 15-time major victor who birdied three of his first seven holes.

“I did everything well,” said Woods, who also is in line to win a record 83rd PGA Tour title. “I drove it well, hit my irons well, putted well. The only real bad shot I hit today was I think 8. I had a perfect number with a 60-degree sand wedge and I hit it on the wrong shelf. Other than that, I just did everything well.

“The only thing I could say is that I wish I could have made a couple more putts. I missed everything on the high side. Putts just aren’t moving, so it’s just different with as slow as they are and then with the weather delay, the amount of rain they’ve had. The golf course is going to change a lot.”

In all, 27 of the 48 players who finished play broke par.

Among the 44 players who did not finish, world No. 3 Justin Thomas was at 5 under (through 10 holes).

“I’m playing well,” Thomas said. “It’s not like I’m playing bad or anything. But it’s not like I was sticking it really close or anything like that. I made a bad bogey on 7 with a gap wedge, had another chance on 9. But I played 10 holes. I’ve got a lot of golf left. Just go home and get some rest. It’s a long day tomorrow.”

At 4 under were 2013 Masters champion Adam Scott (10 holes), Matthew Wolff (11) and Dylan Frittelli (nine holes). World No. 1 Dustin Johnson was 3 under through nine holes.

Of the 44 players who were unable to finish, 23 were under par. Play is scheduled to resume at 7:30 a.m. ET Friday. If there are no delays, the second round is scheduled to be begin at 9:35 a.m.

[vertical-gallery id=778075043]

“It’s probably as easy as it’s going to play,” Oosthuizen said after finishing his round. “I hit 4‑irons to the greens where it plugged, I hit 7‑wood into a green and it plugged. I don’t think we’ll ever get an opportunity to go at pins like that.

“Very different to what we’re used to playing.”

Players haven’t gotten used to the lack of volume, either, since the PGA Tour resumed play in June after a 13-week break due to COVID-19. Only recently have a limited number of fans been allowed to attend tournaments. For the most part, the players have missed the applause and roars and been challenged to create intensity and momentum. Especially this week, as roars will not be ripping through the Georgia Pines.

“It feels like you’re out here preparing for a Masters, not really playing in a Masters,” Kevin Kisner said after a 71.

But Casey is feeling it here at Augusta National.

“I was vocal earlier in the year about not enjoying golf in a pandemic,” he said. “I’m acutely aware I’m in a very fortuitous position. I still get to be a professional golfer and play championship golf, but I didn’t know how the fan-less experience would be. And so far, I’ve not enjoyed it, and I’ve lacked energy.

“The Masters, though, it still has a buzz to it. There’s an energy and a little bit of a vibe. Yes, it’s clearly a lot less than what we are used to, but there’s something about this place. As soon as I stepped foot on property on Monday, I’ve never been so happy to pass a COVID-19 test in my life.”

His scorecard provided further proof.

[jwplayer 9LNsqLaz-vgFm21H3]

[lawrence-related id=778075396,778075395,778075337,778075282]

Mike Weir, Canada’s only Masters champion, looking to make more magic at Augusta

In 2003, Weir emerged victorious at Augusta National, becoming the first (and so far, only) Canadian to win a Masters title.

AUGUSTA, Ga. — Seventeen years ago, Mike Weir made history. This weekend, he’s trying to do it again.

In 2003, Weir emerged victorious at Augusta National, becoming the first (and so far, only) Canadian to win a Masters title. It wasn’t easy for the Sarnia, Ontario native that year, as he finished 72 holes tied with American Len Mattiace at 7-under 281. Weir subsequently defeated Mattiace in a playoff.

Weir owns a total of eight PGA Tour wins in a career on the big circuit that dates back to 1998. Three of those wins, including his Masters triumph, came in a playoff. The 50-year old has represented Canada on five Presidents Cup squads. He has played nine times on the PGA Tour Champions in 2020 and had two top-5 finishes.

MASTERS: Thursday tee times | TV, streaming info | Leaderboard

If Weir is going to capture his second Masters title, he’ll have to overcome an ultra-deep field that includes World No. 1 Dustin Johnson, icons Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson, and a battery of other stars including Bryson DeChambeau, Rory McIlroy, Brooks Koepka, Jon Rahm and Collin Morikawa.

The Canadian got off to a decent start, carding three birdies (including back-to-back on Nos. 6 and 7) against just one bogey through the first 16 holes. However, a second bogey on the par-4 17th dropped him to an opening round 71, just one under par.

As we all know, “decent” is not going to cut it at Augusta National, and Weir finds himself T-34.

“I would say it was a good round,” Weir said. “I didn’t really capitalize on a lot of things.  I missed a really short putt on 2, had some good looks and didn’t quite get them in.  But all in all, it was a nice solid start to the tournament.”

Weir did recognize that his short game needs improvement, especially his putting. He had 31 putts on the day and hopes to get that number down to the mid-20s. He also noticed the conspicuous lack of fans and patrons.

“Yeah, it kind of feels like a round with your friends,” Weir admitted. “It does. You still have the tournament — you know it’s a tournament and you have the tournament energy, but it’s a completely different feel. Hopefully in April they’ll be able to get back. But it’s still nice playing with two great guys, and they battled and hung in there well.”

Weir played alongside Englishman Matt Wallace and Spaniard Rafael Cabrera Bello. Wallace had the most successful Thursday of the trio, as he is T-13 at 3-under 69. Meanwhile, Bello finds himself behind the eight ball at 1-over 73 and T-64.

Weir knows what he needs to do to battle up the leaderboard come Friday.

“I have to continue to hit fairways, and on the long holes I’ve got to try to get to the center of the green and try to find a way to make par.

“And then when I’ve got a wedge in my hand on the par‑5s and 3 and things like that, I have to be very aggressive with those shots and try to make birdie on those holes.”

[jwplayer 9LNsqLaz-vgFm21H3]

[lawrence-related id=778075255,778075282,778075286]

Bryson DeChambeau’s big-bombing plan goes awry in opening round of the Masters

Much was made of Bryson DeChambeau’s prodigious length entering the Masters. But his plan went south early on Thursday at Augusta National.

AUGUSTA, Ga. – In Bryson DeChambeau’s world, Augusta National plays to a par of 67, not 72.

By his math? DeChambeau fired a score of 3-over, and given some of his adventures on Thursday, he played as if he shot over par.

In reality, thanks to birdies on his two final holes, the scorecard actually added up to a 2-under 70 for the reigning U.S. Open champion, which left him middle of the pack on a day of low scoring.

DeChambeau led the field with an average drive of 334.6 yards, but he was often crooked, pulling drives into the tree at Nos. 11 and 14. His day best could be summarized by his travails at No. 13, the 510-yard par-5 that he bragged he could reach in two with a flip wedge, possibly by driving into the 14th fairway.

Only problem? After three opening pars starting on the back nine, his tee shot at 13 landed in the Georgia pines and the ball settled in the pine straw with a tree in front of him limiting his options to the green.

“I just didn’t draw it around the corner enough, and I got greedy,” DeChambeau said.

He tried to punch a low iron and his one-arm finish told the story – he tugged it into the azaleas left of the green, exclaiming “Gosh, it came out dead left.” Indeed it did, and he hit a provisional in case he couldn’t find it but he pushed that shot to the right into Rae’s Creek. Fortunately, his caddie found his first ball in the bushes, but DeChambeau had to take a penalty for an unplayable, dropped, duffed his pitch and made double bogey.

MASTERS: Thursday tee times | TV, streaming info | Leaderboard

“This golf course, as much as I’m trying to attack it, it can bite back,” he said. “It’s still Augusta National, and it’s the Masters. It’s an amazing test of golf no matter what way you play it.”

DeChambeau bounced back with a 2-putt birdie at No. 15 and canned an 18-foot left-to-right curling birdie putt at No. 16.

At 15, he displayed his prodigious power. Louis Oosthuizen, who shot the low score in DeChambeau’s grouping with a 68, cracked that he and DeChambeau both hit 7 into 15, only Oosthuizen’s was a 7-wood and DeChambeau’s a 7-iron.

He also blasted a 352-yard drive at No. 2 that CBS’s Nick Faldo called a “never-before-seen line” and needed just an 8-iron to reach the 575-yard hole. Jon Rahm, the third member of DeChambeau’s group, was most impressed by his tee shot on No. 8.

“He seemed to toe it and I hit mine good and he was still way ahead of me. So, there was a couple of them that were reality checks,” Rahm said. “On 18 he was questioning if he could carry the bunkers, and me and Louis were not even near hitting to the bunkers. It’s a different golf course, but I think today proves that no matter how far you hit it, you still need to make the putts. He got a 2‑under‑par round because he also got a lot of up‑and‑downs and scrambling done. I think his short game is being drastically elevated right now.”

Further echoing Rahm’s sentiment that distance may be overrated was the round of Larry Mize, the 1987 Masters champion, who averaged 247 yards off the tee and at age 62 tied DeChambeau with a 70.

DeChambeau made birdies on the two par 5s on the front nine, and nearly drove the 350-yard par-4 third, but missed his short birdie putt. He fanned his tee shot right at No. 7, which led to a bogey before rattling off two birdies coming in.

“I got a little, I guess you could say tight. I wasn’t comfortable with my golf swing,” said DeChambeau before he headed to the practice range to sort out his swing. “I tried to take on some risk today. It didn’t work out as well as I thought it would have, but at the end of the day I’m proud of myself the way I handled myself and finished off. Birdieing 8 and 9 was a testament to my focus level, and wanting to contend here.”

[jwplayer 9LNsqLaz-vgFm21H3]

[lawrence-related id=778075255,778075179,778075190]

Webb Simpson was feeling the par 5s at Augusta National, and it produced one of his best Masters rounds yet

Webb Simpson’s Augusta National learning curve took hold when he gave the golf course more respect. That thinking has him near the lead.

In most cases, Augusta National mastery must be learned. Webb Simpson, 35, seems to be making strides in that department.

Nineteen months ago at the 2019 Masters, Simpson logged a third-round 8-under 64 at Augusta National, a number that’s only one shot off the lowest score ever recorded in the Masters – a 63 initially posted by Nick Price in 1986 and later matched by Greg Norman in 1996.

Simpson returned this year with an opening 5-under 67 that left him flirting with the top of the leaderboard. He trailed only Paul Casey, who had 7-under 65, midway through the first round.

Patience opens the door for the kind of learning curve that allows a man to shoot such numbers at Augusta National. Simpson, a seven-time winner on Tour, said it was a matter of respecting the golf course. He has played the Masters every year since his debut in 2012, and those starts were dotted with bogeys, short-sided approach shots and failing to play to the proper side of the green.

MASTERS: Leaderboard | How to watch

“I got to the point where I got tired of barely making the cut or missing the cut by one,” Simpson said. He missed three cuts in eight previous starts. Before a T-5 in 2019, he had never cracked the top 20.

Simpson’s day was a long one. He arrived at the golf course at 5 a.m. and went out in the second group off No. 10 tee on Thursday morning, only to be called in shortly thereafter because of weather. The first round was called at 7:35 a.m. and delayed more than two hours.

When the round resumed at 10:22 a.m., Simpson continued to make his way around the back nine and was 2 under by the time he reached the first tee because of birdies at Nos. 13 and 15.

A birdie at No. 1 and an eagle at No. 2 bumped him up the leaderboard. Simpson closed out the front nine with seven pars to land at 67.

“I feel like I’m a pretty conservative golfer as it is, but I didn’t feel like I was giving some of these greens and approach shots enough credit for how severe the short side can be,” Simpson said of his changed mindset. “So we just shifted a little bit of our focus to kind of being ultra safe and know that there’s four par 5s, I’m going to have birdie opportunities. And when I did that, I started shooting better scores, making more birdies.”

[vertical-gallery id=778075043]

Simpson played those par 5s in 4 under on Thursday. He calls No. 13 his favorite hole in the world. That hole, and also No. 2, move to the left.

“I see that really, really well off the tee,” he said.

Simpson called it a “bizarre” day around Augusta with no patrons. He felt it particularly when he started the day on the 10th tee – where players normally must drive the ball through a shoot of people. He felt it too when playing competitor Marc Leishman eagled the 13th, though it produced no roar.

No one cheered when Simpson chipped in on the first hole for his birdie and no noise echoed out after the eagle on No. 2.

“But we were just talking out there,” Simpson said. “It’s so nice, we’re so thankful to be here. You know, it’s not the normal Masters that we’re used to, but still way better than not having one.”

[jwplayer GU5T9SOo-vgFm21H3]

[lawrence-related id=778075179,778075069,777974144]

Masters: Bryson DeChambeau struggles out of gate, makes double on one of the easiest holes

Bryson DeChambeau made a mess of what was the easiest hole in the Masters last year.

In Thursday’s rain-delayed first round of the Masters, Bryson DeChambeau made a mess of what was the easiest hole at Augusta National Golf Club last year.

After blasting his driver 324 yards through the right side of the fairway on the 510-yard, par-5 13th, the reigning U.S. Open winner faced a 194-yard shot off pine straw, through two pine trees and over the tributary that feeds Rae’s Creek. He was faced with laying up or trying a dicey shot over the water hazard.

The hole is known as a great risk-reward challenge, playing short as a modern par 5. But players face a slew of obstacles – trees, bushes, pine straw, rough and water, to name a few – and DeChambeau found all of those on his fourth hole of the day.

From the pine straw and trees, DeChambeau went with the risky shot for his approach, but he pull-hooked his attempt with a mid-iron, sending the ball well left of the green and into a non-flowering magnolia bush.

DeChambeau, whose prodigious length gains have stolen much of the attention in the lead-up to this year’s Masters, was forced to play a provisional ball. He block-cut that one into the water short right of the green.

Fortunately, he was able to find his first ball in the bushes, allowing him to abandon the provisional ball in the creek.

[vertical-gallery id=778067171]

DeChambeau then took an unplayable lie from the bushes, meaning he was hitting his fourth shot from the rough left of the green. He duffed that shot after appearing to strike the bushes on the backswing of his pitch.

He then pitched onto the green with his fifth shot to within 12 feet of the hole. He missed that putt left, with the ball never on line, and tapped in for a double bogey.

That left DeChambeau at 2 over par through his first four holes. After starting on No. 10, he had struggled a bit but managed to make three pars before the double at 13.

[vertical-gallery id=778074351]

Larry Mize: Lure of Augusta National, Masters only gets stronger each year

Larry Mize: “When I won the 1987 Masters, I had no idea how much it would mean to me later in life.”

Every year once the calendar turns, Augusta National is in the back of my mind.

When I won the 1987 Masters, I had no idea how much it would mean to me later in life.

I don’t know how anyone could have known. I did understand how special it was to receive the green jacket from Jack Nicklaus, the defending champion. He was my favorite player growing up, and I could not have scripted it any better Growing up in Augusta, simply playing in the Masters had been a dream of mine as long as I could remember.

Tickets were not as hard to come by in the 1960s, and I have wonderful memories of going to watch the tournament with my dad. Once I turned 13, I was fortunate enough to be able to work the scoreboard at No. 3 for a few years.

It was a fun time for a young teenager from Augusta. One of the perks of winning is the champion stays and dines with the members after the final round.

Larry Mize
Larry Mize, 1987 Masters champ, wears his Augusta National Golf Club Green Jacket as he leaves ceremonies on April 13, 1987, after winning the tournament. With him are his wife Bonnie and son David. File photo

My wife, Bonnie, went to the house and returned with a dress shirt. Once she came back, I put on my green jacket and we had dinner with the members. It was a wonderful night and a great end to an unbelievable week.

We didn’t leave the grounds until 11 p.m. Looking back to my amateur days, I was a good player but nothing really special at that time. I played in a few junior tournaments here and there.

At Georgia Tech I was an OK player but never an All-American, never won a tournament. After I turned pro and went to Q-School for the first time, I realized I wasn’t as good as I thought I was.

From the Augusta Chronicle: Larry Mize bio

That summer is when my work ethic changed. I turned a corner, and in the fall of 1981 I earned my PGA Tour card. Since those first years on Tour, many areas of the game have evolved. The equipment has really changed.

We were playing wooden drivers with steel shafts and a soft-covered ball. We had to approach the course differently.

Young players today have a different mentality on the course.

Growing up with the big-headed drivers with a larger sweet spot and a ball that goes farther, but still spins, allows them to swing much more aggressively and hit the ball a long way. It has changed the game. The introduction of the hybrid clubs has been wonderful, too. They are great clubs and much easier to hit when compared to hitting a 2- or 3-iron. At the same time, advances in physical fitness have changed the game.

These young players are stronger and more flexible. They’re hitting it farther not just because of equipment, but also because of the hard work they put in to increase their strength and flexibility.

TrackMan also has had a big influence. Before, we never knew exactly how much we were spinning the ball. We were just trying to visualize the shot and trust our eyes. When you work with a coach or by yourself nowadays, TrackMan really helps you get everything just right.

It tells you if the spin or launch angle is just a little off. You can also make sure you’re playing the correct driver and irons based on the numbers. I still think you need to trust your eyes, but having the TrackMan as a backup to make sure everything is exactly where you want it is part of the reason we’ve been seeing such low scores.

Augusta National is a hard course for me now, but it is a fun challenge.

I was 28 years old when I won the Masters, and at that time it was hard to understand the magnitude of it and how it would affect my career. I didn’t understand how special it was going to be now, at age 59. I love going back every year. It’s a very special place, and I appreciate it now more than ever. Having a hybrid or two in the bag these days doesn’t hurt, either. Gwk

This story originally appeared in the Jan. 29, 2018, issue of Golfweek.

MASTERS: Thursday tee times | TV, streaming info | Leaderboard

[jwplayer ob0tWVR6-9JtFt04J]

It’s a strange but beautiful time to be a rookie at the Masters

The first ever November Masters poses an interesting challenge for some first-time players at Augusta National. For better or for worse.

AUGUSTA, Ga. – Abraham Ancer’s first impression of Augusta National has a familiar ring: “I’m in heaven, man.”

The butterflies first hit Max Homa as he approached the gates on Washington Road.

“Magnolia Lane to me, it looked a lot smaller than I thought it would,” said Homa on his “Get A Grip” podcast with Shane Bacon. “But once you break through the trees to the front that everyone’s seeing with the picture, the logo and then the clubhouse, that felt brighter and bigger. I hate to be like the cheesy guy but … there was more volume to it.  It just felt oddly satisfying to see. The building just seemed whiter; they pop more. It’s all the corny stuff you hear all the time.”

Homa didn’t want to sound corny, he said, but the cliches are all true. The 29-year-old UCLA grad told Rory McIlroy it felt like Disneyland. Homa admittedly stood in awe in the practice area watching Tiger Woods. Not because he hadn’t practiced alongside Woods before, but because he was next to Tiger Woods at Augusta National during the Masters.

MASTERS: Thursday tee times | TV, streaming info

“It was a million pinch-me moments in a day,” said Homa of his Monday debut.

There are 26 first-timers at the first-ever November Masters this week. Hopefully, no rookie will ever experience another week like it, given that there are no patrons and the Par 3 Contest was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. There’s no entourage either. Players are only allowed one designated coach and one guest. 2019 U.S. Amateur champ Andy Ogletree designated his dad as his coach (he’s not) and mom as his guest. He also brought grandma in for a special assignment.

“She’s the best cook I know,” said Ogletree. “We asked if she would come hang out, you know, just to give me a little more comfort back home at our house this week.”

Only three players in Masters history have won in their first attempt: Horton Smith (1934), Gene Sarazen (1935) and Fuzzy Zoeller (1979).

But no other Masters has been anything like this one.

Colin Morikawa comes into his first Masters already a major winner. His comfort factor level is high, which is makes it easier to show up to a new place, even a place like Augusta National, and adapt quickly. The empty course – no grandstands, no ropes, no galleries – Morikawa believes might work to his advantage.

“I think I got very lucky showing up to the Masters in November this year, having no fans, because I was able to step on to No. 1 this morning and just go out and play golf,” said PGA champ Morikawa on Monday. “I didn’t have to look at the fans line the fairways or see the grandstands, wherever they might be. I saw the course for what it is.

“I think that’s going to be really beneficial, not just for this year, but for years forward.  Yes, sight lines might change with grandstands, but to see it for what it is, very, very helpful.”

Matthew Wolff during a practice round prior to the 2020 Masters at Augusta National Golf Club. (Jamie Squire/Getty Images)

Matthew Wolff, like so many, grew up trying to make putts to win the Masters during contests with friends. His favorite memory watching the Masters came last year when Woods won on Wolff’s birthday, April 14. Wolff looks forward to a time when he can celebrate with his own special birthday round at Augusta.

This week’s Masters marks Wolff’s third major championship appearance after finishing runner-up to Bryson DeChambeau in September at the U.S. Open at Winged Foot. While Wolff’s aim is to treat this week like any other tournament, the history at Augusta National and the past champions on the grounds makes that task nearly impossible.

That being said, he does feel that a quiet Masters plays to his advantage.

“Coming down the stretch with a one-shot lead,” said Wolff, “it’s definitely, in my opinion, I think it’s a little more relaxing coming down without, you know, thousands and thousands of fans sitting behind the green watching your every shot.”

While waiting for the green to clear on the 11th hole Monday, Homa stood in awe at the scene laid out before him. At last, he was living out a childhood dream.

Once the green cleared, however, he gripped an 8-iron and went to work.

It was like that all day, Homa said on his podcast, this back and forth between are-you-kidding-me moments and the familiarity of routine. Homa turned professional at the same time as Justin Thomas, who is now playing in his fifth Masters. The wait might have helped Homa to soak it in even more.

“It just felt like a little bit more of an appreciation for just being here,” said Homa, “while also being insanely motivated to be here for every Masters forever. … This is nuts.”

[lawrence-related id=778074680,777831689,778074742,778074602]