Tag: Masters 2023

Masters fans thought a ‘CW’ comment by Jim Nantz was a subtle jab at Brooks Koepka and LIV Golf

“And there he his, right on the CW”

Jim Nantz has been anchoring the Masters coverage for CBS since 1989. He certainly has a solid command of his vocabulary and descriptions of the game.

He’s also, very obviously, aware of the startup LIV Golf league funded by the Saudi government. It appears he’s equally aware of the struggles LIV has found in trying to secure a television broadcast deal — let alone draw in viewers.

Masters Leaderboard: Live leaderboard, Schedule, Tee times

LIV Golf is currently airing tournaments on The CW. So when LIV star and Masters leader Brooks Koepka landed one of his shots on the crosswalk at August National on Sunday, Nantz wasn’t able to help but give a seemingly very silly wink towards the whole saga.

5 times the Masters required a rare Monday finish

Looking back the five times weather forced the Masters to finish up on Monday

There are few things that irk the all-powerful members of Augusta National more than breaking with tradition. It’s why there are no phones allowed on the grounds, why the food prices remain unchanged and why the second weekend in April every year is reserved for the Masters.

The 2023 tournament will put one of Augusta’s favorite traditions to the test.

Masters Leaderboard: Live leaderboard, Schedule, Tee times

Due to an increasingly unfavorable weather forecast, the Masters might have to consider finishing up the final round of play on a Monday — that means no twilight ceremony to place the green jacket on the new champion outside Butler Cabin.

Rain — and a couple of fallen trees — delayed the end of the second round until early Saturday morning. The third round only made it about 10 minutes into the TV broadcast before the horn was sounded and play was halted for the day.

The top two players on the leader board, Brooks Koepka (13-under) and Jon Rahm (9-under), had only made it through six holes at that point.

So with nearly half of the third round still to play, plus another 18 holes in the final round, a Sunday finish is getting dicey. The Masters have completed 36 holes in one day on four occasions, but the last instance was in 2003. A lot has changed since then — especially when it comes to broadcast rights.

Which brings us back to the dreaded Monday finish. It’s only happened five times in the history of the tournament. Could this year’s Masters become the sixth?

2023 Masters: Brooks Koepka’s golf equipment at Augusta National

A complete list of the golf equipment Brooks Koepka is using at the 2023 Masters Tournament.

Here is a complete list of the golf equipment Brooks Koepka is using at the 2023 Masters Tournament:

DRIVER: Srixon ZX5 Mk II (9 degrees), with Mitsubishi Diamana White D+  70TX shaft

[afflinkbutton text=”Shop Brooks Koepka’s driver” link=”https://pga-tour-superstore.pxf.io/GmmmQk”]

FAIRWAY WOOD: TaylorMade M2 (17 degrees), with Mitsubishi Diamana White D+  70TX shaft

IRONS: Nike Vapor Fly Pro (3), with Fujikura Pro 95 shaft, Srixon ZX7 Mk II (4-9), with True Temper Dynamic Gold X100 shafts

[afflinkbutton text=”Shop Brooks Koepka’s irons” link=”https://pga-tour-superstore.pxf.io/XYYYra”]

WEDGES: Cleveland RTX ZipCore (46 degrees), with True Temper Dynamic Gold X100 shaft, RTX6 (52, 56, 60 degrees), with True Temper Dynamic Gold S400 shafts

[afflinkbutton text=”Shop Brooks Koepka’s wedges” link=”https://pga-tour-superstore.pxf.io/EKKKx4″]

PUTTER: Scotty Cameron T10 Select Newport 2 prototype

BALL: Srixon Z-Star Diamond

[afflinkbutton text=”Shop Brooks Koepka’s golf ball” link=”https://pga-tour-superstore.pxf.io/baaaqx”]

[pickup_prop id=”32993″]

We occasionally recommend interesting products, services, and gaming opportunities. If you make a purchase by clicking one of the links, we may earn an affiliate fee. Golfweek operates independently, though, and this doesn’t influence our coverage.

5 golfers who shockingly missed the cut at the 2023 Masters

The Masters remains as unpredictable as ever

We’re officially through two rounds of play at the 2023 Masters, which means a large portion of the field is already heading home.

The cut came into play on Friday afternoon and anyone who finished 3-over-par or better made it through to the weekend. Anyone with a worse score was sent packing.

Masters Leaderboard: Live leaderboard, Schedule, Tee times

A number of big names like Brooks Koepka (12-under) and Jon Rahm (10-under) remain at the top of the leaderboard, but there were some big surprises among those who didn’t make the cut.

Here are five shockers who will have to wait at least another year before playing at Augusta National again.

[lawrence-related id=2040428]

Justin Thomas saved his pal Tiger Woods by dropping a shot at the Masters and moving the cut line back

That’s what friends are for

Justin Thomas should be getting a nice care package from his good friend Tiger Woods in the near future. A box of fine wine, a yacht or maybe even his own private island.

It’s all on the table after Thomas saved Woods from missing the cut at the 2023 Masters — and instead helped Tiger tie the all-time record for consecutive cuts made with 23 at the famed tournament.

Masters Leaderboard: Live leaderboard, Schedule, Tee times

Woods was in serious danger of missing the cut at Augusta for the first time in his pro career on Saturday thanks to a bogey-bogey finish through 36 holes. After the second round of play was suspended on Friday afternoon due to weather —and trees falling on the course — Woods resumed play on soggy morning at 2-over-par and right on the cut line.

He finished the round with a 73 (3-over-par) despite an opportunity to save his tournament on No. 18. Woods just needed to make par or better on the par-4 hole to guarantee a spot inside the cut line.

Instead his tee shot went into the pine straws, his second was a lay up just short of the green and his third shot left him with a putt from 50 feet that he missed by two feet. The crowd roared behind him as he cleaned up for bogey, fearing this could be the last time they saw Woods at the event.

Tiger began his week at Augusta National with a very realistic look at his health and abilities and couldn’t help but note this could be his last time out at the Masters.

Then Justin Thomas came to the rescue.

The only hope Woods had left of making the cut was if Thomas or Sungjae Im dropped a shot behind him to finish at 3-over or worse and move the cut line back.

Considering the close friendship between Woods and Thomas, golf fans were hoping JT would do his pal a solid by bogeying one of his final holes.

Thomas obliged — much to his own demise. First, his tee shot at No. 17 went way left. Then he missed a 10-foot par putt by two feet. The bogey dropped the cut line back to 3-over and put Tiger back in play for the weekend.

But Thomas then bogeyed No. 18 to finish 4-over-par and miss the cut himself. It was a cruel twist of fate for two of the games most well-known pros. Golf fans went through all the emotions trying to process what just happened.

Woods last missed the cut at Augusta as an amateur in 1996. He came back the following year to win by 12 strokes, becoming the youngest player ever to win a green jacket (21 years old) and set a record for the largest margin of victory at the tournament.

What are the playoff rules in golf for the Masters?

The Masters has gone to a playoff 17 times in 86 tournaments.

The tournament committee at Augusta National doesn’t mess around when it comes to a playoff at the Masters.

After playing a final round on Sunday, any golfers tied for the lead will head back to the tee box at No. 18 and play the hole in a sudden death showdown. The lowest score on the hole wins the tournament, the green jacket and the respect that comes with it.

Masters Leaderboard: Live leaderboard, Schedule, Tee times

If players are still tied after replaying No. 18, the sudden death moves to No. 10 with the two holes alternating until a winner emerges.

Only 17 of the previous 86 Masters tournaments have featured a playoff. Sergio García’s victory over Justin Rose in 2017 was the latest instance.

Before that there was quite a run on playoff finishes at Augusta:

  • 2013: Adam Scott def. Angel Cabrera
  • 2012: Bubba Watson def. Louis Oosthuizen
  • 2009: Angel Cabrera def. Kenny Perry and Chad Campbell

Tiger Woods won a playoff against Chris DiMarco in 2005 and Nick Faldo famously won back-to-back green jackets via playoff in 1989 and 1990.

Masters 2023 weather forecast update: Saturday has rain in the forecast

Looks like rain at Augusta for a lot of Saturday.

To quote Caddyshack, as we get set for Moving Day at the 2023 Masters, I don’t think the heavy stuff is going to come down for quite a while.

Round 2 on Friday at Augusta was suspended due to storms and wind knocked down trees. So what’s in store for Saturday?

It’s not great. Per Accuweather, it’ll be “chilly with periods of rain, some heavy, and a thunderstorm; a soaking wet day for golf can lead to delays.”

By around 11 a.m. ET, there’s an 85 percent chance of rain and by the afternoon, more wet stuff with a 75 percent chance by around 3 p.m.

Masters Leaderboard: Live leaderboard, schedule, tee times

Despite the high-tech drainage system at Augusta, we might be in for a day of weather delays. We’ll see.

14 new Masters-themed golf shoes that dropped in time for Augusta

Stay up to date with all the new golf shoes that dropped just in time for the year’s first major.

The 87th Masters Tournament is officially underway.

Just a weekend separates one man from donning a green jacket, giving his closet a boost for life. While you may not be able to add the coveted green jacket to your wardrobe, you may be able to upgrade your shoe game with some of the best shoes released this week in honor of the year’s first major.

We’ve brought together some of the best shoe drops from brands like Adidas, Nike, FootJoy and more as they all celebrate the start of the major season.

Whether you like spikes or molded spikes, sneaker silhouettes or more classical looks, we’ve got you covered.

For more Masters shoes, check out seven of our favorite golf shoes worn during Thursday’s opening round.

If you’re in the market for more than just shoes, check out our lists of Masters-themed apparel and accessories.

Masters 2023 leaderboard: Get the latest news from Augusta

Brooks Koepka says joining LIV Golf would’ve been a ‘tougher decision’ if he were healthy last year

Brooks Koepka is healthy and dominating. He didn’t know if that would ever be the case again.

Amid mounting legal losses, floundering TV ratings and a team structure no fan really seems to care about, LIV Golf should have had a celebratory moment at Augusta National on Friday

Brooks Koepka, who looked positively broken in 2022 before defecting from the PGA Tour to LIV is now healthy and dominating to the tune of 12-under-par through two rounds. He holds first place at the Masters by himself and has a three-stroke lead on the rest of the field.

Masters Leaderboard: Live leaderboard, Schedule, Tee times

This was the moment that should’ve made the Saudi-backed league look a bit more legitimate. Instead, Koepka spoke honestly about where his game is and inadvertently made clear that LIV Golf is a step down from the PGA Tour.

“Honestly, yeah, probably,” Koepka said when asked if joining LIV would’ve been more challenging if he were this healthy last year. “If I’m being completely honest. I think it would have been.”

Anyone who watched the Netflix docu-series Full Swing knows Koepka was in a dark place last season. His struggle to find consistency in his game, and keep his body from aching, led to one of the more brutally honest looks into the mind of a pro golfer at a crossroads.

“I’ve had these question marks for like the last year and a half,” Koepka, a four-time major winner, told Netflix. “Am I going to be the same golfer? Am I ever going to be the same? And I still don’t know where I’m at. I’ll be honest with you, I can’t compete with these guys week-in and week-out.”

The search for an answer led Koepka to accept a reported $150 million signing bonus to join LIV Golf and abandon the PGA Tour. After an offseason of surgery and rehab, rumors of Koepka regretting his decision to join LIV began to pop up — most notably in February from golf writer and author Alan Shipnuck, who’s as wired into the drama between LIV and the PGA as any journalist:

“I’m hearing a lot of rumblings that Brooks Koepka has buyer’s remorse. He took the money when his brittle body was still being put back together, and in private he has confided to folks he wasn’t sure if he would ever get fully healthy again. But now Koepka is feeling frisky and supposedly rethinking his career choice. The guy has one of the biggest egos in golf, and as the PGA Tour creates ever-increasing buzz with its elevated events and even the state-sanctioned TGL, Koepka has to feel like he’s on the outside looking in.”

Koepka’s comments on the record won’t do much to dispel those notions, either.

On Friday he spoke about getting the chance to play against some of the world’s best golfers again and it’s clear he misses these outings.

“It’s just competitively where you miss playing against them,” Koepka said. “Because you want Rory [McIlroy] to play his best and Scottie [Scheffler] to play his best and Jon [Rahm] to play his best and go toe-to-toe with them. I do miss that, and that’s one thing that I do miss, and that’s what I think makes these majors so cool.”

Koepka has a four-year deal with LIV Golf and it doesn’t appear there’s any easy way out. LIV reportedly requires players to repay up to four times their initial signing bonus to break their contracts. Which means Koepka would be on the hook for up to $600 million. And he’s still suspended indefinitely on the PGA Tour along with the other pros who defected.

All of this should make LIV officials a bit queasy. Koepka is excelling on the sport’s biggest stage and instead of using it to prove that they do play “real golf” on the LIV circuit, he’s admitting he misses the guys he used to play with.

Koepka may very well end up winning the Masters this year, but the way he’s talking about his new home seemingly won’t entice many others to follow him there.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=2306]

According to fine print on Masters badges, Augusta National isn’t liable for ‘all risk and danger arising from attendance’

Augusta National isn’t open to damages in the case of a tree falling, per small text. And that’s not the only blurb patrons need to read.

AUGUSTA, Ga. — A trio of trees came crashing to the ground at Augusta National Golf Club on Friday during the second round at the 2023 Masters.

Fortunately, no injuries have been reported, as patrons were lucky enough to hear the crack and scatter before the three massive trunks fell to the ground.

But even if a patron were to be injured, the club attempts to absolve itself from any liability, thanks to the small print on the back of the badges all attendees must wear. It’s not dissimilar to wording often on the back of tickets for other events, but the language on the badges makes it clear, Augusta National does not assume liability.

As per the badge:

The 2023 Masters Golf Tournament Credentials Agreement (“Agreement”) is available at Tickets.Masters.com/ Agreement and is incorporated herein by reference as if fully stated. By accepting a badge, ticket or credential (collectively, “Ticket”) to the Masters Golf Tournament or practice rounds (the “Tournament”), the purchaser, holder(s) and user(s) of a Ticket (collectively “Holder”) agree to be bound by each of the terms and conditions on this Ticket, and in the Agreement, whether or not restated herein. In the event of any discrepancy between the terms on this Ticket and those in the Agreement, the Agreement shall control. …

By entering onto the grounds of ANI, Holder agrees to assume all risk and danger arising from attendance, including risks associated with COVID-19. Holder releases and holds harmless ANI, its affiliates, directors, officers, employees, volunteers, agents and all Tournament officials and participants, from any claims of liability, including claims based on their alleged negligence, arising from the Agreement or Holder’s attendance at the Tournament, all as set forth in the Agreement.

So is Augusta National open to damages in the case of a tree falling? That depends. Injured plaintiffs can bring a claim against a golf course based on negligence or product liability, but in this case, a random set of trees falling to the ground in inclement weather likely wouldn’t constitute negligence. The course is known as one of the most immaculate in the world.

If, however, play was to resume after such an incident, and another tree was to fall on a patron, that could change the liability issue.

And that’s not the only blurb patrons in attendance need to understand. Also, electronic devices are famously prohibited.

The Ticket is a limited license, which may be revoked by ANI at any time with or without cause at the discretion of ANI. All ANI and Tournament policies, signs, verbal instructions of Tournament officials, and traditional customs of etiquette, proper attire, decorum and behavior must be observed at all times. Protests of all types are forbidden. Tournament policies are available at Masters.com, may be posted at entrances to the Tournament, and are incorporated herein by reference. …

ELECTRONIC DEVICES (INCLUDING PHONES, LAPTOPS, TABLETS, AND BEEPERS) ARE PROHIBITED ON THE GROUNDS AT ALL TIMES. ANY DEVICE BEING USED TO RECORD AND/OR TRANSMIT VOICE, VIDEO, OR DATA IS STRICTLY PROHIBITED. CAMERAS ARE STRICTLY PROHIBITED ON TOURNAMENT DAYS. …

ANI, and such third parties it may authorize, are granted permission to use, without compensation, videotape, film, photographs or other images or likenesses of Holder. G. Images of Augusta National® Golf Club or the Masters Tournament®, or data obtained with cameras, videos, and/or audio devices or other means, cannot be used for broadcast, publication or any commercial purposes under any circumstances.

Those who don’t comply with the rules at the famed golf club are not welcome again.

For security and safety purposes, Holder consents to the reasonable inspection of Holder’s person and property, including electronic scanning, before entering and while on the grounds. Refusal of such an inspection or possession of prohibited items will result in Holder’s exclusion/removal from the grounds and the permanent loss of the Tickets. I. All disputes between any Holder and ANI must be resolved pursuant to the dispute resolution procedure set forth in the Agreement. FAILURE TO OBSERVE ANY OF THE TERMS OF THE AGREEMENT OR ANY TOURNAMENT POLICIES MAY RESULT IN THE HOLDER’S REMOVAL OR EXCLUSION FROM THE TOURNAMENT AND THE PERMANENT LOSS OF TICKETS.

The small type concludes with a quote from Robert Tyre “Bobby” Jones, Jr., the President in Perpetuity at Augusta National Golf Club:

“In golf, customs of etiquette and decorum are just as important as rules governing play. It is appropriate for spectators to applaud successful strokes in proportion to difficulty but excessive demonstrations by a player or his partisans are not proper because of the possible effect upon other competitors. Most distressing to those who love the game of golf is the applauding or cheering of misplays or misfortunes of a player. Such occurrences have been rare at the Masters but we must eliminate them entirely if our patrons are to continue to merit their reputation as the most knowledgeable and considerate in the world.”

[mm-video type=playlist id=01es6rjnsp3c84zkm6 player_id=01evcfxp4q8949fs1e image=]