Tiger’s mid-life rebrand, two weeks in Augusta | Rogers Report

Hello friends and welcome to today’s edition of the Rogers Report! It’s just my second of 14 days here in Augusta, Georgia, and I already have so much to fill you all in on. I spent all day on Sunday packing up in Boston, woke up at 4:30 a.m. on Monday for an early flight to Atlanta and then absolutely booked it to make my connecting flight to Augusta three terminals away. Spoiler alert: I made it, and was very excited to see the following Masters activation at the Augusta Regional Airport.

What a perfect way to get people even more excited for the Augusta National Women’s Amateur and Masters just moments after landing! And shout-out to whoever decided to put the bird noises in there for extra effect. Your impact does not go unnoticed.

I promise that only two of the suitcases in the above photo are mine. I’m here covering the Augusta National Women’s Amateur with my coworkers Emma Devine and Zephyr Melton, and more of our colleagues will join us for the Masters next week.

Before we get into all the things happening here in Augusta, there’s something we need to address.

Tiger’s social media 180

I know people talk all about “mid-life crises,” but that’s not a notion I subscribe to. Instead, I like to call the time of a person’s life where they hit 50 the “mid-life rebrand.” You know, when somebody’s nearing 50 and their life starts to look a little different either online, in real life or both. I’ve seen it with my own two eyes. My dad purchased a Jeep Wrangler in his mid-50s after years of driving a more serious, kid-friendly car. He’s been known to drive around town with the top down all summer long. He loves it. But enough about that. As he nears 50, let’s talk about Tiger’s mid-life rebrand.

Nine days ago the world stood still with the Tweet read around the world. Tiger Woods, who hasn’t posted a personal photo to any social platforms in ages, hard launched his girlfriend, Vanessa Trump, with the most interesting caption known to man.

The second photo is the most surprising image that’s ever come across my desk. I’ve never seen the 15-time major champion in this form before. Laying on a hammock? Looking totally, completely relaxed with Trump. The only slightly recognizable part of the image for me is that Sun Day Red logo, which I’m thankful for as it brought be back to earth while trying to digest what I was looking at.

Another sign of the mid-life rebrand came on April 1, when Tiger Woods posted an April Fools’ joke.

I would pay serious money to see how the good folks over at Augusta National reacted to this post, but if anyone can get away with using the Masters in jest, it’s Tiger. Luckily for all of the news outlets, Tiger waited just five minutes to quote tweet his original post and clarify that he was in fact kidding. He’s shown more personality online in the last 10 days than he has in the last 10 years which is a trend I hope is here to stay.

As I think about it, this mid-life rebrand actually began back in January when Tiger showed up and showed out at TGL.

Folks, we might be in the golden age of off-course Tiger Woods content and I’m all here for it. He’s enjoying himself, having fun and keeping us on our toes. Tiger, if you’re reading this: never stop posting. I’ll be here to support you every step of the way with a Retweet or like, while simultaneously giving privacy to all those close to your heart.

A genius marketing move

Good news, friends who plan to sit on the couch for hours on end all Masters weekend: You won’t need to leave your house to enjoy the knock-off version of the ravioli Scottie Scheffler is serving at his Champions Dinner!

The World No. 1 added “Papa Scheff’s Meatball & Ravioli Bites” to his menu this year, and I can’t help but wonder if this was a nod to the fact that he cut his hand on Christmas day making the exact same thing. Either way, you can (safely, please!) enjoy some free ravioli over Masters weekend thanks to DoorDash. The common man’s Champions Dinner probably won’t hit as well as the official one, but then again, Chef Boyardee is really, really good.

Well done, DoorDash.

Augusta National Women’s Amateur

My coworkers Emma Devine, Zephyr Melton and I arrived at Champions Retreat on Tuesday morning to get a lay of the land ahead of the first tournament round on Wednesday. It was a perfect 67 degrees outside, so as soon as we set our things down in the media center, we headed out to walk the course, catch up with a few players and hit the merchandise shop.

And of course, it wouldn’t be a trip to Augusta, Georgia, without taking a photo of the famous menu that they have at the Augusta National Women’s Amateur and the Masters. I am happy to report (to the surprise of almost no one), that the prices remain extremely affordable. Now only if Boston apartments could follow suit.

I particularly love how you can purchase Advil and Aleve on site for just 75 cents. This is great news for all patrons over 30.

I’ve also decided to make little vlogs of each day here in Augusta so you can follow along for a more behind-the-scenes look at a GOLF.com work trip.

Between that and the Seen & Heard videos we have coming your way, you’ll get your fair share of GOLF video content over the next two weeks.

The Scoop

I got a chance to sit down with Rachel Heck, Lottie Woad, Megha Ganne and Kiara Romero over some Georgia Peach ice cream sandwiches (yes, those ones!) ahead of the Augusta National Women’s Amateur this week. This is by far the most laid-back and light-hearted interview I’ve ever done. We chatted all things Augusta, amateur golf, 21st birthdays and more. Not only are these women some of the best players in the world, they’re also some of the kindest, most welcoming and most interesting people I’ve met.

I’m so excited for you all to watch the episode later this week, but in the meantime, I encourage you to check out GOLF’s new feature on 2nd Lieutenant Rachel Heck, who is making her return to golf this week in Augusta.