At the conclusion of the Tour Championship, expect the next wave of LIV Golf announcements to come quickly.
Cameron Smith, who has long been rumored to be heading to the Saudi-backed, Greg Norman-led series, is among at least five other players who will tee it up at LIV Golf’s fourth event in Boston next week, according to reports from Sports Illustrated and Golf Channel. Smith declined to comment on his departure at the FedEx St. Jude Championship, and Niemann told Golf Channel on Friday he had yet to make up his mind.
Joining Smith and Niemann will be Marc Leishman, Cameron Tringale, Harold Varner III and Anirban Lahiri, according to the reports. Golf Channel reported Mito Pereira is also heading to LIV Golf, but SI said Pereira wasn’t going to play in next week’s event.
Smith, Niemann and Pereira are all automatic qualifiers at the Presidents Cup for the International Team, but if they were to join the breakaway series, they would all vacate their spots and be suspended from the PGA Tour.
The Presidents Cup is set for next month at Quail Hollow Club in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Both Smith and Niemann are playing in the Tour Championship at East Lake in Atlanta this weekend.
Rumors have circulated about Smith since his win at the 150th Open.
After his win at the 150th Open Championship, Cameron Smith was asked about the LIV Golf Series and if he plans on making the move to the Saudi-backed, Greg Norman-led breakaway circuit.
“I just won the British Open, and you’re asking about that?”
Well, rumors have continued to circulate around the 2022 Champion Golfer of the Year and we may now know for sure that he’s bag chasing.
Cameron Percy, an Australian golfer who just tied for eighth at the Wyndham Championship, did an interview with RSN Radio Australia and inferred Smith and fellow Aussie Marc Leishman are already gone.
🚨#NEW: Cam Smith & Marc Leishman are heading to LIV GOLF according to fellow Australian golfer Cam Percy, who finished T8 at the Wyndham. “Unfortunately, yeah they’re gone”, Percy said the deals are already done. (Via RSN Radio Australia)
Percy, however, said his source was not Smith or Leishman.
I was on the radio yesterday in Australia and l said it doesn’t look good for Leish and Cam going to LIV. My source is talking amongst other players. Not Cam and https://t.co/hlTdokweQO let me get back to my garden, it’s a mess.
If they do in fact make the move, it’ll be interesting to see if they wait until after the Presidents Cup. Smith is No. 1 in the International Team standings while Leishman is 16th.
Both players would be ineligible for the team event if they left after the FedEx Cup playoffs.
Get ready for three more players to join the LIV Golf Invitational Series.
On Tuesday afternoon, the Greg Norman-led, Saudi Arabia-funded upstart circuit announced the field for its upcoming third event at Trump National Golf Club Bedminster on July 29-31, but three spots were left to be filled “in the coming days.” Teams have yet to be finalized, as well.
Paul Casey, a former UNICEF ambassador who once spoke out against competing in Saudi Arabia, will make his debut in the 54-hole, no cut team and player competition that boasts $25 million in prize money due to its backing from the Public Investment Fund, the sovereign wealth fund of the Kingdom. Speculation has run rampant on who will be the next to make the move to LIV after British Open champion Cameron Smith’s non-denial when asked if he was joining the upstart series.
“I just won the British Open, and you’re asking about that,” said Smith. “I think that’s pretty not that good. I don’t know, mate. My team around me worries about all that stuff. I’m here to win golf tournaments.”
Others who have been linked to LIV include fellow Aussies Adam Scott and Marc Leishman, Hideki Matsuyama, Bubba Watson and European Ryder Cup captain Henrik Stenson.
Meet the confirmed field competing at LIV Golf Bedminster:
Plenty of big names just couldn’t handle the elements at TPC Potomac.
A rainy day on Friday at TPC Potomac at Avenel Farm made for tough scoring conditions and some big names didn’t have the right stuff.
Few struggled as mightily as Patrick Reed, the former Masters champion, who shot 79, his worst single-round score since March 2020.
He wasn’t the only former major champion hitting the road on Friday. Among the cut casualties, who failed to shoot even-par 140 or better for 36 holes, were three former U.S. Open champion and a pair of British Open winners.
Also heading home: Masters champ Charl Schwartzel and PGA Championship winner Jason Dufner.
On today’s episode of “Professional Golfers, They’re Just Like Us!” we welcome Marc Leishman to the mix.
On today’s episode of “Professional Golfers, They’re Just Like Us!” we welcome Marc Leishman to the mix.
Coming off a string of four consecutive birdies, the six-time winner on the PGA Tour then found himself in a greenside bunker on the par-3 16th at TPC Potomac at Avenel Farm during Thursday’s first round of the 2022 Wells Fargo Championship. Leishman didn’t have much green to work with for his third shot, and he made matters worse after a mishit from the sand that found the water and nearly took out one of his playing partners, Corey Conners.
I wonder if the Aussies have another word for shank?
Leishman took a drop from the bunker and proceeded to get up-and-down for a triple-bogey six, but had a short memory and bounced back with a birdie on the 18th to make the turn at 1 under.
I don’t care what you say – golf is a very dangerous game! Danger is lurking around every corner on every course and you could get hurt at any moment!
Ok, I’m having a little fun there because normally golf isn’t a very dangerous game at all, at least physically. Though if you’ve played then you know it can do a lot of damage to you mentally.
Well, in Thursday’s first round of the Wells Fargo Championship at TPC Potomac, PGA Tour veteran Marc Leishman almost took out his playing partner, Corey Conners, with a terrible shank from a greenside bunker.
The second replay in this video below shows Connors’ quick feet.
Rory McIlroy is among just three players in this week’s field ranked inside the top 20 in the OWGR.
For some of the game’s biggest names, the Wells Fargo Championship served as a springboard for their careers. Rory McIlroy, Rickie Fowler, and Max Homa — who are all in the field this week — earned their first career wins at this event.
However, the regular venue is not being used this week.
Quail Hollow Country Club, the regular host track, will be staging the Presidents Cup later this year so the game’s best players are headed to TPC Potomac at Avenel Farm this time around.
McIlroy, a three-time winner of the WFC, enters the week as the defending champion and betting favorite at +750. He’s among just three players in this week’s field ranked inside the top 20 in the Official World Golf Ranking — McIlroy, seventh, Tony Finau, 18th, and Abraham Ancer, 20th.
Golf course
TPC Potomac at Avenel Farm | Par 70 | 7,160 yards
Key statistics
Driving accuracy
Strokes Gained: Approach
Strokes Gained: Off the Tee
Data Golf Information
Course Fit (compares golf courses based on the degree to which different golfer attributes — such as driving distance — to predict who performs well at each course – DataGolf): 1. TPC River Highlands, 2. Sedgefield Country Club, 3. East Lake Golf Club
Percent chance to win (based on course history, fit, trending, etc.): 1. Rory McIlroy (5.7 percent), 2. Corey Conners (4.6 percent), 3. Matthew Fitzpatrick (4.1 percent)
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“I thought that would be a one-and-done thing. It’s like telling a good joke. You don’t want to tell it too many times.”
NEW ORLEANS — It’s going to be tough to top last year for the Australians.
Cameron Smith and Marc Leishman conquered the field and Pete Dye’s TPC Louisiana course in 2021, taking down the South African pair of Louis Oosthuizen and Charl Swartzel in extra holes to win the team title.
The win marked Smith’s second victory in New Orleans, as he and Jonas Blixt took home the hardware in 2017. That was the first season the Zurich Classic became a team event.
The pair’s good luck charm? Leishman’s mullet wig that he rocked before teeing off on Saturday.
“I still have it. It’s not here with me,” Leishman said in the team’s Wednesday news conference. “I thought that would be a one-and-done thing. It’s like telling a good joke. You don’t want to tell it too many times.”
Despite the successful trip a year ago, Leishman admitted to not always feeling comfy on this track.
“To be honest, it’s not that comfortable of a course for me, especially when it’s soft,” he said. “So I was happy to see the forecast.”
Winds are expected to hold in the mid-teens to low 20s all week long, perfect conditions for two players comfortable in gusty weather.
For Smith, this week is an opportunity to put a tough stretch of golf behind him. During the final round of the Masters, his tee shot on the diabolical par-3 12th found the water, and his chances of winning drowned. Then, just five days later, he was headed back home to Jacksonville after missing the cut at the RBC Heritage.
“It’s been good, mate. I’ve done everything I could reflecting on it,” Smith said when asked about how he’s putting Augusta behind him. “I wouldn’t have changed anything, just a bad swing at the wrong time. That’s just how golf is sometimes.”
For most of us, that’s how golf is all the time.
As the 2022 Players champion moves on, he took a moment to reflect on what made last year so special.
“I think it’s going to be hard to top last year just because we were all staying together and we had such a good week off the course as well,” Smith said about staying with Leishman and their caddies last year. “But in saying that, we were here to win a golf tournament the whole time, and that kind of took a backseat on the weekend and really knuckled down and played some good golf. So hopefully we can do more of the same this year.”
Marc Leishman and teammate Cameron Smith hold the trophy after winning the 2021 Zurich Classic at TPC Louisiana. (Photo: Gerald Herbert/Associated Press)
It’s easy to have a good week off the course when you’re in New Orleans, as the city oozes character, history, and tradition — one of those being indulging in a few adult beverages. However, the Aussies kept it light on their way to victory.
“We weren’t going on benders or anything like that. We’d have a few beers with dinner every night, and we did Friday and Saturday night as well,” Leishman said of their 2021 social calendar. “I think early in the week you can do a little bit more just because you don’t know what situation you’re going to be in. It’s not like we were getting drunk every night.”
But if this week ends in a similar fashion to last year, that drink bill might include more than just a few beers.
The Masters lights up the golf world every April, its spiritual setting warming hearts around the globe. Among the awakening are the players who take to the architectural gem framed by an explosion of colors. To the man, they love to talk about the unparalleled tournament between the Georgia Pines at Augusta National Golf Club.
The gathering every spring is matchless, from the Augusta National Women’s Amateur and the Drive, Chip and Putt competition through the ceremony at Butler Cabin.
Ahead of the 86th Masters, Golfweek conducted its annual survey, this year getting takes on many things Masters from 25 players, nine of whom have won a green jacket, 12 major champions in all.
Among those who have not won the Masters, who is most likely to win a green jacket?
“Probably Rory. He’s playing really well, and the course fits his eye and he’s one of the best players in the world.” – Abraham Ancer
“Bryson DeChambeau has the game the way he hits it. If he gets his driver in play, on some of those holes, it’s a distinct advantage.” – Ryan Palmer
“Let’s go Brooks Koepka. His game fits the course well, he’s long off the tee, able to kind of work it both ways, and has won majors.” – Matt Kuchar
“Rory McIlroy. He’ll figure it out eventually.” – Matt Fitzpatrick
“Justin Rose. He has been close, and he has one arm in the jacket.” – Justin Rose
“There are quite a few candidates. But I believe that today, not because he’s Spanish, but I believe that Jon Rahm has the game to achieve it. The reason why is, one, his short game is very good. Chipping and putting are something that you really need at Augusta. And with his combination of strength, consistency and the short game required to be able to win the Masters, he can do it. But he’s one of them; five, six players can win their first one.” – Two-time Masters champion Jose Maria Olazabal
“Jon Rahm. Pretty self-explanatory. Great short game, great iron player, great driver. Great player. And Cameron Smith is going to win it one day.” – Marc Leishman
“Probably the top of the list right now who’s playing some decent golf is Rory McIlroy. Collin Morikawa probably will.” – Jason Day
“You have to go deep into stats and see how people perform on sloping courses and undulating greens. I’d like to throw my name into that hat. It’s a second-shot golf course. You add Jon Rahm and Collin Morikawa.” – Xander Schauffele
“There’s a lot of people that you can call out. Gosh, I mean, as a sports as a sports fan, I want McIlroy to win one, right? There are just things that you want to happen not only as a sports fan, but now as a friend, as well. I’d love to be there when he wins.” – Two-time Masters champion Bubba Watson
“I would say the course to an extent seems tailormade for Bryson DeChambeau, as far as where he can carry it, his ball flight, right to left, so the course should be the easiest tee to green for him than anyone else, so that’s why I would say that.” – 2015 Masters champion Jordan Spieth
Bryson DeChambeau of the United States reacts to his putt on the 14th green during the first day of the World Golf Championships-Dell Technologies Match Play at Austin Country Club on March 23, 2022 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
“It’s hard to bet against Jon Rahm or Patrick Cantlay. Both so consistent, both great putters, great ball strikers. One of those two guys I think will be right in the mix.” – 2003 Masters champion Mike Weir
“Rory. I can’t believe we’re standing here right now and the only major championship he hasn’t won is the Masters. No doubt that the pressure continues to build for him, but he’s going to do one year. His game is tailor made for Augusta.” – Graeme McDowell
“It’s tough to not pick Collin Morikawa. Or Jon Rahm. I know that’s a cop-out answer since they’re No. 1 and No. 2 in the world, but both of those guys could win, and it wouldn’t shock me.” – Will Zalatoris
“Cam Smith. He’s got an unbelievable short game. And he putts it really well. He’s a really good iron player as well. Really good distance control. We think of guys that have won the Masters and they’ve been guys who are really good iron players, or at least have good control of their distances and guys that have imagination in short game, and they putt well. He checks the boxes off.” – Billy Horschel
“That’s brutal. There are a lot of guys. I say Xander Schauffele. He can work it both ways. Drives it great. Just always in the mix of majors.” – Kevin Kisner
“I mean, I’d love to, but I think Rory McIlroy is on the cusp of winning and that’s the only major he hasn’t won. Winning the Masters has to be one of his top goals and he’s got to be gunning for it. And honestly, his game sets up perfect for that course. So I think it’s just a matter of time. I don’t know if he’s putting too much pressure on himself to win that one, but it’s gonna happen.” – Harris English
What is your first vivid memory of the Masters?
“I have many memories, but the one that stands out is Tiger chipping in on No. 16. That crazy chip-in.” – Abraham Ancer
“Watching Tiger. I remember he was on the right side of 7 once and he played a massive high slice and it spun back to like tap-in range.” – Matt Fitzpatrick
“I was always allowed to stay up late even though it was a school night in England. And I think it was on the BBC back in the day. And they had this theme music that I remember. And watching Nick Faldo back in the day.” – Justin Rose
“I’ve watched the Masters forever, but my best memory is when I first went to the Masters in 2009. I was able to go to the practice rounds and watched the pros go at it. It was pretty sweet.” – 2018 Masters champion Patrick Reed
“It was watching Tiger chip in on 16. You can’t forget that.” – Xander Schauffele
“It wasn’t my first memory, but I was an amateur playing alongside Tiger Woods in 1998. When I got introduced I was so nervous I barely got the ball to stay on the tee. My hands were shaking so much. I’ll never forget that.” – Matt Kuchar
“Thinking back it would be Tiger’s chip-in against Chris DiMarco in ’05. I’m sure I watched plenty of Masters before that, but that’s the memory that sticks out.” – 2015 Masters champion Jordan Spieth
“It obviously wasn’t my first memory but finishing second the first year I played was special. That was probably the biggest one for me. I’ll never forget that week.” – Jason Day
“My dad took me in ’05 and the first shot I ever saw was Tiger putting on seven. It was a 30-footer with about 8-feet of break, and he made it and I’m like, ‘OK, I know this guy’s good, but he’s not God.’” – Will Zalatoris
“Tiger winning in ’97. I do remember the ’96 Masters and watching that and because I was a big Greg Norman fan, the whole unfortunate collapse and everything sucked. But Tiger winning, and how he won, stands out.” – Billy Horschel
“Greg Norman losing in 1996 because I was a Greg Norman fan. I was a kid and we went to my dad’s friend’s house to watch and they had just teed off when we left and by the time we got there his lead was gone and I was like, ‘Oh, boy, even the best can lose big leads in a hurry.’” – Kevin Kisner
“I don’t remember Jack in ’86 because I was only 6. I remember watching Nick Faldo win in a playoff in ’89 and that god awful sweater he was wearing. And I’ll never forget Freddie in ’92. That was so cool because you thought he was destined to win and then the shot on 12 when it didn’t roll into the water was unbelievable.” – Brandt Snedeker
“It was around the time when I was getting into golf and Tiger was dominating in 1997 and then later and how he was blitzing that course. I remember watching all those and getting goosebumps. I was at the Masters in 2004 when Phil won on 18. I was there on Sunday with a friend. So I watched him make the putt on 16 and we were left of the lake. The crowd went crazy. We watched him on 17. And then we watched him tee off 18. And we’re like, well, we’ll stay here on 18 tee because if he doesn’t make birdie, they’re coming back for a playoff. And then we heard the roar. That’s a pretty great memory.” – Harris English
“Normally, it’s a late tee time on Sunday. More so than the Champions Dinner. The late tee time just excites me.”
The Masters lights up the golf world every April, its spiritual setting warming hearts around the globe. Among the awakening are the players who take to the architectural gem framed by an explosion of colors. To the man, they love to talk about the unparalleled tournament between the Georgia Pines at Augusta National Golf Club.
The gathering every spring is matchless, from the Augusta National Women’s Amateur and the Drive, Chip and Putt competition through the ceremony at Butler Cabin.
Ahead of the 86th Masters, Golfweek conducted its annual survey, this year getting takes on many things Masters from 25 players, nine of whom have won a green jacket, 12 major champions in all.
Today’s questions:
What was the experience like driving down Magnolia Lane for the first time?
“I was at the University of Georgia, a freshman. We played Augusta National once a year. We didn’t have cellphones back then. We had disposable cameras. As soon as we turned onto Magnolia Lane, it was click, click, click, click.” – Two-time Masters champion Bubba Watson
“It was 1959. Probably about two weeks before the tournament. Drove down with my friend, Robin Obetz, who was my best man in my wedding the next year. I didn’t know what Magnolia Lane was. It was pretty impressive to start with. We were pretty overwhelmed by it. I didn’t know you couldn’t bring guests onto the property. But Alec Osborne (a member) took care of everything. It was seamless. I still get shivers thinking about that first time. It was a thrill then and it’s a thrill now. What amazes me about Magnolia Lane more than anything is that the trees look exactly the same to me now as they did back in 1959.” – Six-time Masters champion Jack Nicklaus
“It was the week before my first Masters last year and I remember I had some Mexican music going on down Magnolia Lane. It was pretty cool.” – Abraham Ancer
“It was incredible. Way exceeded expectation. It’s crazy. It like golf Disney World.” – Matt Fitzpatrick
“It was great. You’re not supposed to have your phone out. But we did. I still remember it. Driving down Magnolia Lane never disappoints.” – Jason Day
“It was ’85. I was 19. And I was really impressed. When you get to the gate, you see all of the magnolia trees and the clubhouse at the very end with a yellow flag around the roundabout. Really impressive. Still is today.” – Two-time Masters champion Jose Maria Olazabal
“It was crazy. It’s funny because it looks exactly like the pictures, which sounds stupid, but some things don’t live up to it and it did, and it was cool. It’s such an unassuming entrance. But it’s like, wow, this is Augusta National. You wait so long to do it. You almost overhype it, but you know, it was awesome.” – Max Homa
A view of the locked gates at the entrance of Magnolia Lane off Washington Road that leads to the clubhouse of Augusta National on March 30, 2020 in Augusta, Georgia. The Masters Tournament, the Augusta National Women’s Amateur and the Drive, Chip and Putt National Finals has been postponed due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
“It was surreal. It was much shorter than I expected it to be. I was expecting it to meander for some time. But what unravels on the other side of the clubhouse is incredible.” – Justin Rose
“It was in 1970. Driving down Magnolia Lane was, you know, it was all that was hyped up to me. It was beautiful. And it still is exciting to drive down Magnolia Lane. You go down that dark, shadowy lane. Those magnolia trees have grown so, so big that it’s dark going through there, but you see the clubhouse, that white clubhouse at the end, and it’s quite a sight.” – Two-time Masters champion Tom Watson
“I was able to take dad to play before the ’05 Masters and when we drove down Magnolia Lane together it was so special. I’ll never forget it. Then playing the golf course, taking the pictures on the bridges, everything about that day was great. Then I got to play with my hero, Fred Couples, in a practice round in my first Masters that year, so it was a pretty great year.” – Ryan Palmer
“I still get goosebumps thinking about it. I get goosebumps every time I make that turn off Washington Road. There’s a lot more security than there used to be when I when I first drove down there, but the drive is still the same and I feel like a kid all over again making that drive.” – Matt Kuchar
“It was very surreal. It felt like I was in a dreamland. I drove 1 or 2 mph and the guards were looking at me and they didn’t blink because they knew exactly what was happening.” – Xander Schauffele
“It was October of 2013 and I didn’t have my phone out. I was like, ‘I just want to soak this in.’ I had gone the year before as a spectator on the Monday and knew right away it was my favorite course. But that first time on Magnolia Lane was pretty special. We actually played Pine Valley earlier in the day. Pretty good day.” – 2015 Masters champion Jordan Spieth
“I was playing with the Wake Forest team, my junior year and like typical college kids, we were in the van. One of the guys in the van put in the Masters theme song and we drove down Magnolia Lane. It was the most college, most college guy thing ever, but it was awesome.” – Will Zalatoris
“It was a Saturday in 2014 before the Masters and it was just pretty cool. You sort of take it all in. I enjoy it more or appreciate it more now than I did then. Just for the fact that you know it’s just a special place and to be able to play there year in year out, to be on hollowed grounds and think about who’s played here and who’s driven down this road before, it’s pretty amazing.” – Billy Horschel
“Oh, wow. Very special. The funny thing is it’s no different, almost no different now. I guess it was more special that first time. But even now it is unbelievable and very special every time I drive down there.” – 1987 Masters champion Larry Mize
“Our college team got to go when I was at Vanderbilt. Just an unbelievable experience driving down Magnolia Lane, seeing the clubhouse through the little corridor and something just happens to you. It’s your first time and you really want to play well, and you start thinking about all the shots you want to hit and you kind of get stuck in the moment. I wanted to hit a great shot on 12, wanted to go for it on 13 and 15. It all starts on Magnolia Lane.” – Brandt Snedeker
“I was in high school, 2005 or 2006, and it was incredible. I’d been to a couple Masters before; that’s really the only tournament I’ve ever watched since I was 5 or 6. That’s kind of what got me into golf. And then I’m going down Magnolia Lane. It still gives you goosebumps even to this day, just the history of that place and the feeling you get that you’ve kind of made it.” – Harris English
“It was pretty special. It’s my favorite course in the world and it never gets old but driving in there for the first time I think you’re a bit taken aback by the security when you first pull in. And then you drive as slowly as you can.” – Graeme McDowell
“It was 1988. It was so cool and it’s still cool. It is something special. All the Magnolias, the azaleas. It gave me sort of some insight to what I wanted to do to my house.” – 1991 Masters champion Ian Woosnam
What is the one thing you look forward to the most about the Masters?
“In many ways it is the start of the golfing season. It certainly is the start of the major championship season. Even though I don’t play anymore, it’s fun to be there. It’s fun to go to the Masters dinner. I’m done with the Par 3, but toward the end of my career, I used to play every year. But I just can’t play anymore. And then there is the honor of hitting the opening tee shot alongside Gary Player. Now, with the addition of our good friend, Tom Watson, that will be nice. I enjoy seeing everybody. It’s like a reunion.” – Six-time Masters champion Jack Nicklaus
Honorary starter Gary Player greets Jack Nicklaus at the 1st tee during the first round of The Masters. (Photo: Rob Schumacher-USA TODAY Sports)
“I just love the creativity you need to play that golf course. I love golf courses where you have many options around the greens.” – Abraham Ancer
“The atmosphere of the tournament., the roars, the buzz.” – Matt Fitzpatrick
“Ooh. There’s so much. Seeing all the locker room guys is great, they are always so grateful and happy to see us and we’re happy to see them. That vibe in the clubhouse I love.” – Justin Rose
“It’s hard to pick one. I’ll give you two. The Champions Dinner. I look forward to the stories from the past champions. And the Par-3 Contest with the little ones. I still have a picture to this day of being on the first tee and Mr. Player was in the group in front and he’s on the practice green doing magic tricks with (daughter) Windsor Wells. It doesn’t get any better than that.” – 2018 Masters champion Patrick Reed
“The opportunity to contend. Having a chance to win the green jacket on Sunday afternoon is as good a feeling as anything in golf.” – Marc Leishman
“I think it’s the fans. For some reason the fans are so knowledgeable and courteous. It feels like you have gone back in time. And those roars are something else.” – Matt Kuchar
“I think it’s just being on the golf course. I think it’s just walking those fairways. It’s my favorite course in the world. It’s very hard to have the perfect golf course, and to me, Augusta approaches perfection.” – Graeme McDowell
“The thrill of competition. Being in contention on Sunday, there’s just no other place like it with the roars and the crowds. The biggest challenge is how you are going to handle your emotions.” – Xander Schauffele
“Normally, it’s a late tee time on Sunday. More so than the Champions Dinner. The late tee time just excites me.” – 2015 Masters champion Jordan Spieth
“I get to play on Sunday’s because I’m a past champion. I remember my wife asked me after I won if I could bring a guest on Sunday. It was like a year away. Playing with my wife at Augusta National is very special. And who doesn’t look forward to putting on the green jacket when you go and sit at your locker.” – Two-time Masters champion Bubba Watson
“I think it’s just the buzz. I mean, there’s a million things that make it great. I mean, I’m sure some guys have probably even mentioned the food and going around Amen Corner and skipping balls on 16. But I think it’s just, when you get there and you hop out of the car in the player lot, the buzz just hits you. There’s nothing like it.” – Will Zalatoris
“There are so many things. But the Par 3 tournament is one big deal. Just the whole experience of being there is amazing. You can talk about the sandwiches, you can talk about skipping the ball at 16, you can talk about whatever. And seeing all the past champions. Everything’s cool.” – Kevin Na
Kevin Na’s daughter, Sophia Ria, is seen during the Par 3 Contest for the Masters at Augusta National Golf Club. (Augusta National/The Masters)
“Probably just seeing all the friends and family that I’ve grown up with. I did the experience from outside the ropes growing up there, and now being on the inside is special.” – Kevin Kisner
“I just really enjoy playing the course. The stretch from No. 12 through No. 16 is incredible every single time I play it. That’s my favorite stretch of any golf course. And there’s so much more. You get to know the locker room staff, the food’s incredible, the people are so nice. They’ll literally do anything for you. And it’s cool for me to have a lot of family and friends come in to town. It’s such a great week, I hope I get to play in 10, 15 more.” – Harris English
