Tag: Masters 2023

Golf fans fled as trees fell at Augusta National while Masters play was suspended

Luckily, no one was hurt.

Round 2 at the Masters on Friday was shaping up for an exciting finish, but nature had other plans.

Play was suspended twice during the round as thunderstorms rolled through the southeastern United States, and the second delay came after strong winds knocked over a couple of giant trees around the course at Augusta National Golf Club, including one that fell across a tee box.

Masters Leaderboard: Live leaderboard, Schedule, Tee times

Luckily, no one was hurt according to both the ESPN and CBS broadcasts, but it was certainly a scary scene that will take some time to clear as staffers were spotted using saws to cut the trees into smaller pieces.

Here were the best photos from the course as we await the restart of play.

Update: The Masters later confirmed that there were no injuries due to the incident. It also announced that play would not continue on Friday.

Forget LIV vs. PGA; amateur Sam Bennett is the Masters’ main attraction

The Masters has a Cinderella story brewing

Heading into the first major tournament of the year, the talk around Augusta National was all about the 18 LIV Golf players in the field  attempting to keep up with the PGA Tour guys.

Could the golfers who took the big money from the Saudi-funded league to play fewer tournaments hang with the players who win all the big money on golf’s premier circuit?

It turns out the biggest story of the week is about a player who can’t win any money at all.

Amateur Sam Bennett has taken over the 2023 Masters. The fifth-year senior at Texas A&M is overshadowing every major talking point analysts expected this week.

Masters Leaderboard: Live leaderboard, Schedule, Tee times

Scottie Scheffler’s quest to repeat, Tiger Woods’ return to the course and Rory McIlroy’s attempt to complete a career grand slam have all become side plots after Bennett strung together back-to-back rounds of 68 on Thursday and Friday.

A 23-year-old walked off the 18th green at the most iconic golf course in the world and entered the clubhouse with a solo hold on second place at 8-under-par.

This is what the 2023 Masters is about now. That Bennett was able to accomplish this while paired with Scheffler — the No. 1 player in the world and reigning Masters champion — is all the more impressive.

“That’s where I want to be, to be able to hit those shots with the crowds and the pressure,” Bennett told reporters after his round on Thursday. “I loved it. Like I’ve said multiple times, I’m experienced. I feel like I’m ready for this stage. I haven’t played my best in college golf, but when the pressure is on, I tend to play pretty well.”

Evidently, that’s the case.

No amateur has ever won this tournament. Few have barely come close. Watching Bennett try to break through that barrier has become the most surprisingly enjoyable part of the week.

Bennett qualified for the Masters by earning the title of 2022 U.S. Amateur champion. That guaranteed him just one — possibly his only — chance at playing Augusta National during the second weekend in April.

If he finishes in the Top 12 this year, he’ll be invited back next year. If he somehow wins, he’ll be welcomed back every year for the rest of his life and undoubtedly be talked about for long after that.

This is an amateur who didn’t have a single victory on his resume before 2021. He’s now two rounds away from the biggest win of his life.

Brooks Koepka, a LIV Golf player, currently holds the lead at 12-under-par after two rounds and certainly is making things interesting as far as PGA versus LIV is concerned — especially after Rory McIlroy missed the cut at Augusta.

But we’ve seen Brooks win major tournaments before. We’ve seen what it’s like to watch him at the top of his game. That he’s playing elite golf again is a tremendous story. It’s just not the story this week.

Whatever happens this weekend, Bennett has made a tremendous impression on the sport and its most hallowed grounds. Not even LIV versus PGA can steal the spotlight as long as the amateur continues to excel — at least not until the rival leagues are forced to battle it out for Bennett’s pro career path.

Mics picked up Jon Rahm apparently dropping a huge F-bomb after a Masters miss

Hot mic!

Whether it’s Tiger Woods or, well, Jon Rahm years ago, we’ve heard some very loud F-bombs during golf majors.

This time? It may have been Rahm on Friday during Round 2 of the 2023 Masters. He hit a shot that nailed the green … but then it started rolling. And rolling. And rolling some more away from the hole.

You can hear the voice yell, “Stay! Stay … [EXPLETIVE]!” as cameras cut to a very unhappy Rahm.

Look, we’ve all had this happen to us. And as you’ll see below, the reaction to it was: This is extremely relatable, especially when playing in the biggest golf tournament:

Why Sam Bennett won’t take home any prize money when he finishes at the Masters

This stinks for Bennett but there’s a good reason.

You’ve probably learned a lot about Sam Bennett this week as the amateur tears up the field at the 2023 Masters.

You probably saw the tattoo on his arm with an inspiring quote from his late father: “Don’t wait to do something.”

And we told you his college coach at Texas A&M is his caddie and that he made the cut at the 2022 U.S. Open.

But, you may be asking: What if Bennett wins the whole thing? What happens then?

Masters Leaderboard: Live leaderboard, Schedule, Tee times

Specifically: What if a player with amateur status wins the top money?

There’s an answer, and it’s one that Bennett might not like to hear: He can’t win any money as the Augusta Chronicle noted: “Professional players that are cut from the field each receive $10,000, while amateur golfers receive no money prizes.”

But, hey: He would get the low amateur trophy. And if he won, he’d get a green jacket like everyone else. But until he turns pro, he couldn’t win money.

Golf fans are convinced Si Woo Kim was trolling Phil Mickelson, LIV Golfers with his Friday Masters outfit

This probably isn’t a troll, just a great shirt.

Is Si Woo Kim throwing shade at Phil Mickelson and LIV Golfers on Friday at Augusta National? Or is PGA golfer just staying true to his fashion sense at the 2023 Masters?

Golf fans seem convinced of the former, even if it’s way more likely the latter is true.

Masters Leaderboard: Live leaderboard, Schedule, Tee times

Kim, who has been known to break out polos and sweaters with the PGA Tour logo emblazoned all over them did just that on Friday. But considering he was paired up with LIV Golf’s Phil Mickelson, golf fans think he might’ve been trying to troll his playing partner.

Under the terms of LIV contracts, players on the Saudi-backed circuit must wear LIV apparel at any tournament they enter. That holds true for the Masters. We saw Jason Kokrak break out a funky LIV shirt on Thursday among a handful of others.

Mickelson himself is wearing a shirt and hat with the logo of his LIV Golf team while Kim is wearing, well, this:

[lawrence-related id=2039537]

5 things to know about 2023 Masters amateur Sam Bennett

The fifth-year senior at Texas A&M tied a Masters record on Thursday

What do Jordan Spieth, Dustin Johnson, Tiger Woods and Patrick Reed have in common on Friday? The former Masters champions are all chasing an amateur named Sam Bennett around Augusta National.

The senior at Texas A&M became a household name among golf fans after a stunning round of 68 put him at 4-under par and safely inside the Top-10 on the leaderboard while tying a record for the lowest front nine by an amateur at the Masters (32).

Masters Leaderboard: Live leaderboard, Schedule, Tee times

While he’s just 23 years old, Bennett has plenty of accolades on his resume already. If and when the Madisonville, Texas native turns pro, fans could be hearing his name a lot more often.

So who is Sam Bennett? Here are five things to know about the golfer trying to become the first amateur to win the Masters.

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Why Augusta member Michael McDermott is playing with Mike Weir at the Masters

Here’s why the Masters “marker” has been called in to play on Friday.

Welcome to FTW Explains, a guide to catching up on and better understanding stuff going on in the world. Did you hear the name Michael McDermott at the 2023 Masters and wondering who the “marker” is? No worries. We’re here to help.

It was an eventful first round for Mike Weir at the 2023 Masters.

He was part of a twosome with Kevin Na, who struggled and eventually withdrew, leaving Weir to play the rest of his round solo, which must have been pretty cool.

That won’t be the case in Round 2, because he’ll be playing with someone named Michael McDermott, whose score won’t count. Why? Let’s explain:

Brooks Koepka’s possible Masters caddie rule violation that wasn’t one, explained

What happened here? We explain it all for you.

Welcome to FTW Explains, a guide to catching up on and better understanding stuff going on in the world. Did you hear about a possible Masters 2023 rule violation involving Brooks Koepka and a caddie in the first round? And you’re confused about it? No worries. We’re here to help.

Among the names at the top of the Masters leaderboard after Round 1 in Augusta in 2023 was Brooks Koepka, the four-time major winner who left the PGA Tour for LIV Golf.

Masters Leaderboard: Live leaderboard, schedule, tee times

But there was some controversy after his round thanks to a video that circulated. Was there a reason to give him a penalty that would have knocked him out of the names of first-round leaders tied for first?

Let’s dive in:

Here’s how LIV Golfers performed on Thursday at the 2023 Masters

Some great, some bad, some even worse

Dustin Johnson defected from the PGA Tour to join the Saudi-backed LIV Golf circuit in order to play less and earn more.

Well, it turns out that isn’t exactly the best recipe for getting in shape to play at major event like the Masters. Aside from Brooks Koepka —who is tied for the lead with Jon Rahm and Viktor Hovland at 7-under par — the 18 LIV Golf players who teed it up at Augusta National on Thursday found themselves in trouble early. Eleven of the 18 finished even par or worse.

Masters Leaderboard: Live leaderboard, schedule, tee times

Only two LIV Golf players are currently inside the Top-20, though another four are just one stroke back of that threshold.

Familiar names like Bryson DeChambeau and Sergio García will have to hope the weather holds up and they can shoot low scores on Friday or risk missing the cut.

Here’s how the LIV field fared on Day 1:

  • T1. Brooks Koepka — 7-under (65)
  • T17. Cameron Smith —2-under (70)
  • T26. Patrick Reed — 1-under (71)
  • T26. Joaquin Niemann — 1-under (71)
  • T26. Phil Mickelson — 1-under (71)
  • T26. Dustin Johnson — 1-under (71)
  • T37. Talor Gooch — E (72)
  • T37. Abraham Ancer — E (72)
  • T37. Harold Varner III — E (72)
  • T45. Jason Kokrak — 1-over (73)
  • T54. Bryson DeChambeau — 2-over (74)
  • T54. Charl Schwartzel — 2-over (74)
  • T54. Thomas Pieters — 2-over (74)
  • T54. Sergio Garcia — 2-over (74)
  • T54. Mito Peirera — 2-over (74)
  • T73. Louis Oosthuizen — 3-over (75)
  • T78. Bubba Watson — 5-over (77)
  • WD. Kevin Na — WD (played nine holes, 4-over par)

More Masters:

4 best shots from Tiger Woods first round at the 2023 Masters

A strong back nine saved the round on Thursday for Woods

Tiger Woods’ return to Augusta National for the 2023 Masters featured a lot of what fans are used to from the golf icon — both good and bad.

First, the bad: Woods struggled mightily on the front nine, lipping putts out of the cup on multiple occasions and turning pristine drives into bogey finishes.

The good news, however, is that he finished just 2-over par on the day with a round of 74, sinking two late birdies to find his groove. Only a bogey on No. 18 should really leave Woods feeling sour after the first round.

While Woods did win the 2005 Masters after shooting 74 in the first round, there’s just no question he’s a much different player these days. But even still Woods can still dial up the types of shots that remind everyone why he’s a legend.

On Thursday he had at least four of those worth watching again.

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