It’s pretty well-documented how impossible it can be to get a ticket to the Masters, let alone qualify for the event. So you can imagine how bizarre and serene Thursday at Augusta National was for Mike Weir.
The 2003 Masters champion was paired up in a twosome with LIV Golf’s Kevin Na for the first round but that only lasted for nine holes.
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A disastrous start for Na — one of 18 LIV players in the field — turned into an unfathomable finish as he was forced to withdraw due to illness at the turn with a 4-over par 40 on his card. With no other playing partner in his group, that meant Weir had to play on by himself for a solo back nine. Which sounds…really awesome, actually.
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This is possibly the coolest way you could ever experience Augusta National. Check it out:
With the Kevin Na WD, Mike Weir out here enjoying a solo round pic.twitter.com/hABOrNGvRk
— scott 🆓 (@HardingerSj) April 6, 2023
With Kevin Na's WD, Mike Weir is now playing the back nine at Augusta National as a single pic.twitter.com/cgxHeur6Q8
— Dylan Dethier (@dylan_dethier) April 6, 2023
It might’ve taken Weir a moment to get used to playing at a different pace. He bogeyed holes Nos. 10 and 11 before settling back in for a par at No. 12.
This is very likely a one-time deal for Weir, who will almost assuredly get placed into one of the remaining twosome pairings for the second round of play on Friday.
At least he’ll have a wild story to tell his partners the rest of the week — and retell at every Masters Champions dinner from now until the end of time.