Masters survey 2024 – Syndication Server

Masters Survey 2024: Keegan Bradley on the ‘secret bathrooms,’ Justin Thomas dreams of the Champions locker room & Zach Johnson’s Butler Cabin humble brag among pros favorite building or room at Augusta National

Keegan Bradley’s answer to the question of his favorite building or room at Augusta National might be the best answer of this year’s entire Golfweek Masters Survey. “This is going to sound strange but there are these secret bathrooms on the course,” …

Keegan Bradley’s answer to the question of his favorite building or room at Augusta National might be the best answer of this year’s entire Golfweek Masters Survey.

“This is going to sound strange but there are these secret bathrooms on the course,” he said. “There’s one behind 11 tee and one as you are walking down 13 to the left. It’s a nice moment to get out of the scene for a second, take a breath, it’s very calming. I like to do that.”

Strange, indeed. Forget for a moment that he picked a place that technically may be neither a building or a room, but who knew the club had “secret bathrooms.”

The rest of the answers are a bit more what you’d suspect, although more votes for the caddie building than expected. The locker room got its share of votes, including from Kevin Streelman, who liked to grab a coffee and sit on the balcony overlooking the famed Tree and first tee. “It’s pure,” Steve Stricker said of the locker room. But count Tony Finau and Justin Thomas among the pros who long for the day that they can get the first-class upgrade to the prestige of the Champions locker room, of which Padraig Harrington said, “there’s only one room to be at Augusta National and I’ve never been there.” Gary Player, a three-time Masters champion, has and he confirmed it’s everything it’s cracked up to be, saying it has “an ambiance like no other.”

Although the Black Knight gets topped for best humble brag by Zach Johnson, who proclaimed, his favorite spot at Augusta National is Butler Cabin. “Ideally on Sunday night,” said the 2007 Masters champ, “is pretty good.” That answer is tough to beat.

The locker room is the coolest place.

The caddie building is tough to beat. A lot of different characters down there, a little more relaxed and the food is really good there.

Right now, it’s the locker room. Hopefully someday it will be the champions locker room.

Any room that’s got President Eisenhower or Bobby Jones in it. Though the Champions Locker Room has an ambiance like no other.

The clubhouse is cool. Player dining is nice and quiet.

I love the lockerroom. It’s our safe place, get out of the chaos, room on the side that we can eat in and looks over No. 1 tee and see everybody out there.

I don’t even use the locker room. I just walk across the street from my bus.

The Champions Locker room but I haven’t earned the right to be there yet.

This is going to sound strange but there are these secret bathrooms on the course. There’s one behind 11 tee and one as you are walking down 13 to the left. It’s a nice moment to get out of the scene for a second, take a breath, it’s very calming. I like to do that.

The locker room is pretty special. Seeing Jack and Gary and Tiger walking around. It’s a place of solitude. There’s a little back area with a balcony and a few seats and I grab a coffee and you’re looking down at the tree and the first tee.

Family dining.

The caddie house. It feels like Augusta but comfortable, low key and relaxed. Guys in their jumpsuits. Every player feels like they can take a reprieve when they step inside the caddie house.

I wish it was the Champion’s Locker. There’s only one room to be at Augusta National and I’ve never been there.

I imagine if I had won there it would the Champions locker room. But I do love the locker room for the rest of us. It’s pure.

Not yet but it’s going to be the Champions locker room when I get there.

The phone room in player dining in the locker room. We are able to bring our phones in but if you need to make a call you go in this room. There have been times, especially if there is a rain delay, when there is a line to go in that room.

Butler Cabin, ideally on Sunday night is pretty good. The Tuesday dinner up above is the best.

Masters Survey 2024: Padraig Harrington, Gary Player, Collin Morikawa among pros sharing their funniest ticket stories

A ticket to the Masters is one of the most coveted tickets in all of sports. Few know better than Masters contestants, who are given eight badges for their family and are allowed to buy up to four more. That’s when the fun begins – trying to divvy …

That’s when the fun begins — trying to divvy them up for the week to family and friends. Zach Johnson carries around a spread sheet in his wallet so he can keep track of it. Will Zalatoris is another Excel spreadsheet guy to manage his ticket requests. Brian Harman has his wife handle it.

“I told her at the beginning I’m trying to win this tournament, you’re in charge,” he said.

We asked pros to name their funniest Masters ticket story and from Paddy to Gary to Collin and beyond, they didn’t disappoint.

My wife handles all that. I told her at the beginning I’m trying to win this tournament, you’re in charge so I always tell anyone who asks to text her.

Last year I had two friends come in on Thursday night. I completely forgot to leave their tickets at Will Call. I was teeing off in five minutes and took one last look at my phone. The tickets were still in my bedroom in a backpack. I gave them the code to our rental, they had to drive there, find them and I didn’t see them until the 15^th hole.

My church minister from South African, who was touring America, asked me for a ticket. I made the mistake of giving him my own badge. When he came to the gates, the security guards grabbed him to question how he obtained Gary Player’s badge. Fortunately, the chairman at the time, Bill Lane from Texas who was the ultimate gentleman, took care of the matter.

I don’t know if it is funny but it’s a cool one. I get picked up from Palm Springs by a really nice volunteer one year and we get to talking and he says it’s his dream to go to Augusta and take his son. I said, “I’ve got some tickets for this year.” The way he looked at me was everything. We stayed in contact and I got him tickets for Monday and Tuesday practice rounds.

I always say turn up and we will find you a ticket. It’s difficult to promise someone a ticket but someone who makes the effort to come from Ireland, I always found a way to get them in.

One year, I hit it straight through the 14^th fairway and I’m in the crowd. This guy who I’d given a ticket to has broken free from the ring of people standing by my ball and is beside my caddie asking him what I have left? He got so excited. One of my other ticketed friends leaned over the crowd and grabbed him by the collar to bring him back in. I had one guy completely lose their mind in the excitement and another who was well aware to bring him back down to earth.

One time I had a couple tickets that came available and I offered them to a buddy of mine who is a professional wakeboarder in Orlando. He dropped everything and rented a car and drove up. It was a reality check and made me appreciate how special it is either to play in it or to go and watch it.

Our friends showed up from many states away and they brought their newborn baby. They were asked for a ticket for the baby. No forgiveness.

Not a funny one, but I keep a spreadsheet because I have one friend coming in Monday-Tuesday and another for Tuesday-Wednesday. I need it to keep track of everything.

I have over-committed and had members save me. I’m a little OCD. We are given eight, I buy the max of four. I make a spreadsheet and I keep it in my wallet.

2024 Masters Survey: From Tiger Woods to Phil Mickelson to Bernhard Langer, who did players ask for a practice round and what did they learn about Augusta National?

Nick Price recalls joining up with 73-year-old Sam Snead – and being outdriven twice. Gary Woodland changed his strategy off the tee at Augusta National’s 18th thanks to a tip from fellow Kansas guy Tom Watson. Matt Kuchar always practices on …

Nick Price recalls joining up with 73-year-old Sam Snead — and being outdriven twice. Gary Woodland changed his strategy off the tee at Augusta National’s 18th thanks to a tip from fellow Kansas guy Tom Watson. Matt Kuchar always practices on Wednesday before the Par-3 Contest thanks to advice from Phil Mickelson, who alerted him to the different way the grass is cut each day.

From Mickelson to Tiger Woods to Bernhard Langer — yes, Bernie, of all the possible Green Jacket guys popped up most — winners of the Masters have been opening their notebooks and dishing from their years of experience during practice rounds to the next generation.

One of the cool things to note each year is which legends of the game get asked by rookies and amateur champs if they can join them for a practice round or sometimes simply fortuitously slip into a game. Here’s who some of the pros have called on to lend a hand in efforts to learn the famed Alister MacKenzie layout and some of the tips passed down along the way.

Vijay Singh and Lucas Glover.

Zach Johnson. He has such a good short game and just the way he uses the hills to his advantage when he gets out of position is interesting.

My first year I was too shy to ask anyone, but I played with Bubba Watson. He played with such freedom.

Most of the advice I received and took came from my late wife, Vivienne. She was a talented golfer herself and knew the swing well.

Tom Watson, Kansas guy. I asked him for a practice round and he just helped me with places where to miss it and pointed out where he got in trouble. I cut a perfect driver on 18 and he’s like, “No, Nicklaus hit 3-wood, you need to hit 3-wood.” I hit 3-wood all week and I played the hole in 2 under. I was like, yeah, this guy knows what he’s talking about.

I love playing with Bernhard Langer. He has this persona of being stern and robotic but he’s awesome to play with and very helpful. We got lucky to join up with him last year and I loved playing with him. He knows the place like the back of his hand. I’ll definitely reach out to him because he’s super engaging and one of the nicest guys I’ve ever been around.

I never really asked anyone, but I played some with Jordan Spieth. Everyone knows where to go but he had an actual plan for each pin.

Jeff Knox (a member and frequent marker during the tournament). My first multiple Masters playing those rounds with him was extremely helpful.

Phil Mickelson. He has this scrapbook where he writes down notes. He showed me that certain putts go the opposite direction and when the pin on 2 is on the back left, lay it up short right. That was really helpful.

Phil and Freddie. They were great. They showed me the crazy breaks around the short game area. Bernhard Langer went out of his way to share his knowledge.

Davis Love and Fred Couples. I didn’t ask too many questions. I didn’t want to annoy them but I watched the shots they practiced and what they paid attention to.

Bernhard Langer. He keeps lots of notes like myself.

Phil Mickelson. The differences in chipping and putting around the greens. He taught me to go out Wednesday because there’s areas that get cut differently on Tuesday than Wednesday and Wednesday from Thursday. Certain areas that you putt from and others you chip from and was awesome to have Phil’s level of input.

I played nine holes with Sam Snead in 1985, and it was the most entertaining nine holes I ever had. He was 73 at the time and outdrove me on two holes.

Bernhard Langer.

Phil Mickelson. The amount of knowledge he has around there is crazy. He’s got it all written down in a notebook.

I went around with Tiger a few times. He showed me how the ball tends to go on the greens. Same with Freddie. We played a few times. I picked their brains knowing they’ve always played well there.

I played with Vijay Singh and Ernie Els a couple of times before I played in my first one. The funny thing was they had contradictory opinions on several occasions of which way the greens broke.

I played with Bernhard Langer in 2019 when I was an amateur. Watching him go about his business was pretty cool.

I haven’t played with many of the vets in practice rounds but I did play with Bernhard Langer in my first Masters. Seeing him operate with (caddie) Terry and knowing some of the breaks in the greens were very impressive. He would play shots off a hill that I wasn’t even considering. Watching a guy who’s played there for 40 years shoot 73 and I shot 71, his score was way more impressive than mine.

As a rookie, they paired me with Mark O’Meara. I felt like I outplayed him by 10 shots and I didn’t sniff the cut. He beat me by five shots. He knew where to miss it and how to putt the greens and I didn’t. That was the best experience I could ever have. After that, I talked to Mo a bunch. I also benefited from talking to Ben Crenshaw and playing practice rounds with Tiger.