Augusta National Golf Club, you might recall, has a unique set of rules in place. Not only for its club members and their guests and patrons during the Masters, but also for pro golfers competing in the first major of the season.
Masters rookie Talor Gooch apparently forgot, or wasn’t aware, or one of them.
According to David Westin of The Augusta Chronicle, Gooch was putting on a practice green for about 15 minutes on Saturday before he was approached by co-head pro J.J. Weaver. The issue? Gooch was — gasp! — wearing shorts.
Shorts are a no-no at Augusta National, and that includes members, their guests and Masters competitors (patrons this week, you are approved to wear them). It wasn’t until recently when the PGA Tour started allowing players to wear shorts for practice rounds, but they are still not allowed for any tournament rounds.
According to the report, Gooch eventually got his hands on some black rain pants and fixed the issue, then continued his practice.
Gooch, 30, won the RSM Classic in November to secure his first Masters invite. He’s currently +12500 to win.