Tag: Masters 2024

Scottie Scheffler’s putting coach has hilarious Masters response to social media troll

A picture is worth a thousand words (and 280 characters).

One of the biggest storylines entering this PGA Tour season was Scottie Scheffler’s putting woes.

The world No. 1 had struggled with the flatstick and after last year’s Tour Championship at East Lake talked with his agent, Blake Smith, about seeing a putting coach on the plane ride home. Scheffler has seen PGA Master Professional and putting coach Phil Kenyon work with different types of players over the years and he appreciated his approach.

“As I watched Phil, I could tell that he was open-minded, and that’s the type of people I like to work with,” Scheffler said Sunday after he won his second Masters in three years. “And we kind of hit the ground running in the fall. I can’t speak highly enough of the decision that (swing coach Randy Smith) also made to be open-minded, not take an ego to it, sit there, watch us work, watch Phil do his thing.”

“Phil is also a guy that doesn’t have a big ego. He just wants what’s best for his players,” Scheffler added. “I’m really, really fortunate to have those two guys as part of my team.”

He might not have a big ego but we now know Kenyon keeps receipts. Back in March, a social media troll said “Phil Kenyon is destroying Scottie” in response to a photo of the two working together at the Arnold Palmer Invitational. Scheffler went on to win that tournament and then the Players Championship before a T-2 at the Texas Children’s Houston Open and his recent Masters triumph. A month later, Kenyon got the last laugh.

They say a picture is worth a thousand words. In Kenyon’s case, it’s also better than 280 characters.

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Photos: Masters 2024 honorary starters Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player, Tom Watson

Three legends of the game have officially started the 2024 Masters

AUGUSTA, Ga. — It was pushed back a couple of hours but Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player and Tom Watson took to the first tee at Augusta National Golf Club to be the honorary starters once again ahead of the 2024 Masters Tournament.

It’s a time-honored tradition at Augusta National, with the three legends of the game taking to the first tee to officially start the tournament each year. Due to some inclement overnight and early morning weather, the threesome were on the tee box at 10:10 a.m., with Gary Player getting the honors. Jack Nicklaus, a six-time Masters Green Jacket winner, going second, with Tom Watson, the newest addition to the starters bringing up the rear.

MASTERS: Live updates | Thursday tee times | TV, streaming

Take a look at some photos from the 2024 ceremonial tee shot at the Masters Tournament.

Photos: Masters 2024 Thursday first round at Augusta National Golf Club

Check out some of the best photos from the first round of the 2024 Masters.

AUGUSTA, Ga. — Overnight rain put a damper, but only ever so slightly, on the first round of the 2024 Masters Tournament.

The first round, originally set for 8 a.m., saw tee times slide back to 10:30 a.m. ET at Augusta National Golf Club on Thursday.

The honorary starters ceremony, in which Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player and Tom Watson, all hit the ceremonial first tee shot at 10:10 a.m., officially starting the tournament for 2024.

That pushed defending champion Jon Rahm’s start time back to 1 p.m. ET.

MASTERS: Live updates | Thursday tee times | TV, streaming

Check out some of the best photos from the first round of the 2024 Masters.

Here are the new 2024 Masters tee times for Thursday after the rain delay

Here are the new tee times for Thursday at the Masters 2024.

The Masters 2024 will get underway a little later than usual thanks to some rain, but fear not! The new tee times are here and they’re not too bad.

Here’s the full list (all times Eastern):

10:10 am: Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus and Tom Watson will tee off  as honorary starters

10:30 am: Erik van Rooyen, Jake Knapp

10:42 am: Jose Maria Olazabal, Taylor Moore, Santiago de la Fuente

11:54 am: Danny Willett, Austin Eckroat, Stephan Jaeger

11:06 am: Charl Schwartzel, Luke List, Christo Lamprecht

11:18 am: Gary Woodland, Thorbjorn Olesen, Bryson DeChambeau

11:30 am: Zach Johnson, Corey Conners, Jasper Stubbs

11:42 am: Sergio Garcia, Chris Kirk, Ryan Fox

11:54 am: Lucas Glover, Byeong Hun An, Harris English

12:06 am: Phil Mickelson, Sepp Straka, Tony Finau

12:18 am: Nick Taylor, Joaquin Niemann, Russell Henley

12:36 am: Patrick Cantlay, Min Woo Lee, Rickie Fowler

12:48 am: Hideki Matsuyama, Will Zalatoris, Justin Thomas

1:00 pm: Jon Rahm, Matt Fitzpatrick, Nick Dunlap

1:12 pm: Scottie Scheffler, Rory McIlroy, Xander Schauffele

1:24 pm: Wyndham Clark, Viktor Hovland, Cameron Smith

1:36 pm: Lee Hodges, Adrian Meronk, Grayson Murray

1:48 pm: Camilo Villegas, Denny McCarthy, Cameron Davis

2:00 pm: Mike Weir, Ryo Hisatsune, Neal Shipley

2:12 pm: Vijay Singh, Si Woo Kim, Emiliano Grillo

2:24 pm: Fred Couples, Adam Hadwin, Stewart Hagestad

2:42 pm: Justin Rose, Eric Cole, Peter Malnati

2:54 pm: Akshay Bhatia, J.T. Poston, Shane Lowry

3:06 pm: Bubba Watson, Nicolai Hojgaard, Adam Schenk

3:18 pm: Patrick Reed, Sungjae Im, Kurt Kitayama

3:30 pm: Keegan Bradley, Matthieu Pavon, Tyrrell Hatton

3:42 pm: Adam Scott, Sam Burns, Cameron Young

3:54 pm: Tiger Woods, Jason Day, Max Homa

4:06 pm: Brian Harman, Brooks Koepka, Tom Kim

4:18 pm: Jordan Spieth, Ludvig Aberg, Sahith Theegala

4:30 pm: Dustin Johnson, Collin Morikawa, Tommy Fleetwood

Tony Finau adds a second driver for 2024 Masters at Augusta National

Finau realized that unless very unusual conditions arise, he was not going to hit his 3-wood off the ground.

Phil Mickelson won his second green jacket at the 2006 Masters while carrying two drivers in his bag, and it appears that big-hitting Tony Finau is planning to try to capture his first major this week at Augusta National using the same strategy.

According to Kenton Oates, a PGA Tour rep for Ping, Finau is planning to use two Ping G430 LST drivers during the 2024 Masters because, after developing his course strategy, he realized that unless very unusual conditions arise, he was not going to hit his 3-wood off the ground. Perhaps if the anticipated rain on Thursday significantly softened the turf on the par-5 eighth hole, or if the wind blew into Finau on the second shot on that hole, maybe a 3-wood would be in order, but aside from that, he was not going to need the club.

Ping G430 LST driver
Ping G430 LST driver. (David Dusek/Golfweek)

With that in mind, Ping built Finau a second G430 LST driver, built to his 3-wood specifications. Finau’s standard driver is a 9-degree G430 LST, but it has an actual loft of 7.75 degrees and is fitted with a 45.25-inch Mitsubishi Diamana GT 70TX shaft. The stated loft of the 3-wood-replacement-driver is 10.5 degrees, but with the adjustable hosel set to the small minus position, Kenton Oates, a PGA Tour rep for Ping estimates the head has about 8.9 degrees of loft. Ping gave the short driver to him last week in Texas.  Finau brought the shorter driver to Augusta with the rest of his gear this week.

MASTERS: Live updates | Thursday tee times | TV, streaming

“It’s probably going to give him a carry distance of about 290 yards and then roll out to about 300,” Oates said. “It’s still going to go really far. Tony was getting ball speeds with his gamer driver in the high 180s and ball speeds with the little one in the low 180s on the range this week.”

According to Oates, the increased loft and shorter shaft allow Finau to shut the face more aggressively and produce the draw-style flight. That shot shape could be very handy on the newly lengthened second hole, as well as the seventh, 10th, 13th, 14th and 17th holes, which all encourage a right-to-left shot.

Past the Masters, Oates explained, Finau and other pros may start to consider carrying two drivers more frequently because if they don’t need to play a 3-wood off the turf to reach par 5s, elite golfers could find having a draw driver and a fade driver to be an advantage worth exploring.

Photos: Masters 2024 Par 3 Contest at Augusta National

Famously, no one has ever won the Par 3 Contest and then gone on to win the Masters in the same week.

AUGUSTA, Ga. — A Masters tradition since 1960, the Par 3 Contest takes centerstage Wednesday at Augusta National Golf Club.

Played on a nine-hole, par 27, 1,090-yard course, the contest is a family affair, with players mostly using wives, girlfriends, sons and daughters as their caddies.

Famously, no one has ever won the Par 3 Contest and then gone on to win the Masters in the same week.

Sam Snead on the first-ever contest on a course originally designed by George Cobb and club co-founder Clifford Roberts in 1958.

“I agree completely that the construction of this golf course will be an important contribution to the beauty of the place. The Par 3 would give us a pretty complete golfing layout.” — Bobby Jones, in a letter to Clifford Roberts regarding architect George W. Cobb’s plan for the Par 3 course

There have been 107 holes-in-one in the event’s history, including a record nine in 2016. There were five aces last year.

Par 3 Contest: Live updates from Augusta National

Check out some photos of the 2024 Par 3 Contest:

Masters: TaylorMade’s ‘Season Opener’ collection pays homage to Augusta National and Georgia

Check out TaylorMade’s limited-edition gear for the 2024 Masters.

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For decades, golf equipment brands have made special bags, headcovers and accessories for staff players to use in major championships to serve two purposes. First, at the most prestigious events, the cool gear makes it easier for companies to showcase how many players use their equipment. Second, if they are creative and appealing enough, the limited-edition items can also be sold to fans online.

This week at Augusta National Golf Club, TaylorMade staff players will be using “Season Opener” bags, headcovers and accessories designed especially for the Masters, and fans can pick up the gear on TaylorMade’s website.

The Staff Bag ($599.99) is covered in symbols, some of which are subtle, like the three gold flags with a halo near the handle that pay homage to Amen Corner (the 11th, 12th and 13th holes), while others like the azalea-patterned TaylorMade logo are easy to understand. The lining of the pockets are covered in a peach pattern.

The headcovers for drivers, fairway woods and hybrids ($99.99) and both blade-style and mallet putters ($119.99) also have peach linings.

TaylorMade also designed special-edition TP5 and TP5x Pix balls for the 2024 Masters ($59.99) that are covered in peaches instead of the orange and black diamond pattern found on the standard 2024 version of the Pix balls. According to TaylorMade, Tommy Fleetwood, who uses a TP5x Pix in competition, plans to use the Season Opener edition during this season’s Masters.

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Masters: 3 things you didn’t know about equipment at Augusta National

You know about the green jacket, the back-nine charges and the pimento cheese, but did you know these things about equipment at the Masters?



Whether you are lucky enough to have a badge and plan to attend this year’s Masters Tournament in person or will be watching the action at Augusta National Golf Club from home, you already know plenty of details about the season’s first major because it is the only one that returns to the same venue every year. Green jackets, pimento cheese sandwiches, epic collapses, back-nine charges and the hole locations on Sundays – they all combine to make the Masters unique.

But there are a few things related to golf equipment that most patrons and Masters fans are unaware of, but that also make the tournament special.

No Equipment Vans on Site

At week-to-week PGA Tour events and the other three major championships, golf equipment makers like Titleist, Ping, TaylorMade, Callaway, Cobra and Cleveland/Srixon park large trucks near the practice area because technicians, fitters and other reps work closely with the players on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays as they prepare for the tournament. The vans arrive on Sunday afternoon and leave as a group shortly in the early afternoon on Wednesday to start the drive to the next event.

Equipment at the Masters
At the Masters, PGA Tour reps have to park trailers across the street and walk back and forth to service players. (Google Earth)

However, there are no equipment vans on-site at the Masters Tournament. The trucks park in a large lot across the street at the corner of Washington Road and Azalea Drive. The technicians and PGA Tour reps who are credentialed to work at the Masters Tournament need to cross Washington Road and then go through a special gate to gain access to the grounds, then they walk either around or through the caddie building before arriving at the practice range.

Like the patrons, the PGA Tour reps and company workers are not allowed to bring their cell phones into Augusta National, so communication can be challenging and there is a lot of walking back and forth between the practice area and the trucks.

Masters Practice Area
PGA Tour reps and technicians work with players in the practice area but do not linger on the range, keeping it much more open. (David Dusek/Golfweek)

Also, fitters and technicians need to be brought to the practice area by a player or requested by a player. Loitering around the range or near the practice green is not done. If business discussions need to happen, those conversations typically happen either under the massive oak tree behind the clubhouse or in a quiet place away from the practice area.

No Demos

Like the rest of us, when pros start missing putts and get frustrated, they can be tempted to look for a new putter to turn things around, and at nearly all PGA Tour events, companies leave large bags filled with demo clubs, prototypes and other putters for competitors to try. However, at the Masters Tournament, that doesn’t happen.

Odyssey putters at the practice area
An assortment of Odyssey putters available for golfers to try at Riviera Country Club during the Genesis Invitational. (David Dusek/Golfweek)

There are two practice greens at Augusta National for competitors to use. There is a large one next to the driving range in the practice area, and a second putting green behind the clubhouse and just a few steps away from the first tee. Players make use of both practice greens throughout the week, but the only golf bags you will see are those being used by the players. There are no demo bags or areas with gear left for players to try at the Masters.

Unique Wedge Prep

The greens at the Augusta National Golf Club are famous for being fast and for having massive slopes and undulations. There are also tightly mowed areas where players need to chip and pitch the ball, and those factors combine to put a premium on wedge play and generating spin, so you might think that competitors use brand-new wedges at the Masters Tournament. They don’t.

Justin Thomas Masters Wedge
In 2019, Justin Thomas had his jacket size stamped into his Titleist wedges. (David Dusek/Golfweek)

During the Florida Swing in March, PGA Tour reps who are responsible for wedges often chat with players who are already in the field at the Masters about what clubs they will want to use at Augusta National. Based on those conversations, the technicians will then either give the players what they want at a tournament or send the clubs directly to the player’s home. Next, the players will “break in” the wedges by either using them in one or two practice sessions or non-competition rounds. The goal is for the player to feel how the soles work through the turf and how the bounce feels, and to gain trust in the wedges’ performance. Once that is established, the golfers will set the broken-in wedges aside and save them for the Masters.

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