Hello friends, and happy Friday from Augusta National. We had a very eventful day here, so I’m going to get right into it.
Fred Couples’ jab at Greg Norman
Something that I love about Fred Couples is that he’s really not afraid to get into the mix on Twitter. It’s very unexpected for a 64-year-old to be in the business of clapping back at others online, so I really appreciate that Couples gets a little petty on the internet every once in a while. Also, he’s not really a polarizing figure in the game, so there’s always an element of surprise when I see something slightly snarky on my timeline.
Okay, let’s go back to the beginning. Norman’s son, Greg Jr., said that his dad had to buy a ticket to attend the Masters this week. A quick Google search indicates that Norman is worth about $400 million and daily badges are going for around $2,200. Pocket change! It’s definitely not a financial issue, so I’m guessing this is more based on principle (please note that Norman said he wasn’t invited to Augusta National in 2023).
I’m not really sure why Norman was surprised by this. The PGA Tour and Augusta National are pals. In normal-people terms, LIV Golf is almost like the ex-boyfriend of the PGA Tour. Would you invite your pal’s ex-boyfriend to your birthday party? Hopefully not.
Anyway, Couples took the opportunity to extend a (backhanded?) invitation to the Shark after he claimed he couldn’t get a ticket.
Couples is pointing out something interesting. I’ve heard that Masters competitors get 15 tickets for friends and family, so it is interesting that none of them were able to secure a ticket for their commissioner. If such a thing happens in 2025, I’m sure Couples can hook him up.
Update: Norman Jr. clapped back in the middle of my writing here.
I just looked up the Skills Challenge and folks, here’s some info on it.
I have to respect Norman junior for going that far back. It feels somewhat similar to bringing up the time you got a better grade than your elementary school than a friend of yours who who ended up attending an Ivy League school.
Tiger makes the cut
Tiger Woods has set yet another record! The 82-time PGA Tour champion now owns the solo record for the most consecutive cuts made at the Masters.
Let’s put this into perspective, shall we? Seventeen of the players in this week’s Masters field weren’t even alive when Tiger missed his one cut at the Masters, in 1996. And yet he’s still out here making the weekend.
I also looked into the pop culture trends from 1996 to see what was going on the only time Tiger had to pack it up on Friday at the Masters. Some fun facts include:
- Hotmail had just been invented
- “Independence Day” was the highest-grossing movie
- “Macarena” was the song of the year
- Troy Aikman led the Cowboys to a Super Bowl win
Imagine the “Macarena” coming on the radio as you drive out of Augusta National after shooting back-to-back 75s to miss the cut at the Masters? What a nightmare.
Caitlin Clark the Masters fan
Something to know about me is that I have become a big Caitlin Clark fan. A bandwagon fan? Probably. But I had an absolute blast watching her play basketball this year, and I know she’s a golf fan, so I make sure to check in on her social media every so often. I couldn’t help but wonder if she’s been following the Masters this week, and I was very pleased to learn that she has.
Before I show you the content she’s liked on Twitter, please take a moment to appreciate her swing.
The first post she liked was about Fred Ridley mentioning her in his press conference on Wednesday, after being asked about women’s golf coverage, the LPGA Tour and the Augusta National Women’s Amateur, compared to women’s college basketball coverage, and why a player like Caitlin Clark seems to move the needle.
Here’s what Ridley had to say about Clark:
“It’s just the way she plays, the way Caitlin plays the game, her passion, her energy, it just — it really just captures the imagination of the fans. So, you know, we hope that more people will come along like that, and certainly we hope that people will come along in golf. You know, I do think that it illustrates, though, one very interesting thing is that, for the time being anyway, Caitlin Clark is an amateur. She’s a collegiate player. And so we think that the young women who play here in the Augusta National Women’s Amateur have that same capability. There’s something about, even with all the change in rules and NIL and transfer portal, but amateur athletes just have an appealing characteristic to me. And particularly the young ones.”
Go Clark! If the chairman of Augusta National is using you as an example, you’re definitely doing something right.
Clark is clearly aware of everything happening at the Masters this week, “liking” the various golf tweets included below. As Scottie Scheffler has vowed to withdraw if his wife, Meredith, goes into labor at any point this week, it is becoming clear that may be the only thing that can keep him from winning another green jacket. Props to Kyle Porter for the very creative (and probably very true) Tweet.
Wholesome alert! Caitlin Clark “liked” this photo of Jack and Barbara Nicklaus from the ceremonial first tee shots on Thursday morning.
And finally, Clark “liked” this tweet about Bryson being Bryson on Friday. It’s good to know she’s aware of the golf content king and his antics.
Clark, if you’re reading this: Please share who your favorite players are. Also, you are welcome to join me on the Scoop at any time.
Max Homa’s journal
Max Homa gave an incredible (and incredibly thoughtful!) press conference after his second round on Friday.
He had a lot of great things to say about teeing it up with Tiger, but I was most intrigued by his journaling. Here’s what the 36-hole co-leader had to say about the habit.
“I wrote something in my journal yesterday that said however good I am is however good I am, I don’t need to try to be better than I am, and just see where that takes me. Maybe it’s winning this and maybe it’s not, and I’m okay with that. I know what I put into this game, trying to get every ounce back doesn’t really work, and I’ve tried that part.”
I really appreciate how Homa has become less attached to the outcome and more focused on the journey.
“I always write things I’m grateful for in there to start,” he said. “It’s something that keeps you kind of grounded. I put mental goals in for the day. If I’m at a tournament, obviously golf mental goals for that specific day. Other times I’ll go into practice, maybe things just to be aware of. Write little sayings here and there. I think it’s one thing to think it. When you write it down, I think it becomes a bit more tangible. So just trying to be more strict with myself on that.”
Perhaps I should start journaling. In the spirit of Homa leading, I’ll perform this exercise right here for you all. I’m grateful for the pulled pork barbecue sandwich, the Georgia peach ice cream sandwich, and the delicious bacon at Augusta National. (Can you tell I haven’t had dinner yet?) My mental goals for tomorrow include not getting overwhelmed in the merchandise center and staying patient if my sister shows less interest in the golf than I’d like.
