Austin Eckroat, in Masters start number one a year ago, leaderboard-watched. He was close. Maybe he’d make the cut. Maybe he’d play the weekend.
But man, he really hoped he wouldn’t.
Wouldn’t?
Wouldn’t.
“I did not want to play Saturday,” Eckroat said.
But why?
He can explain. Wants to, actually, and we’ll get to that in a minute. Speaking Tuesday at his press conference ahead of this week’s Cognizant Classic, he said the Masters week was funny, though he wasn’t laughing. He’d been hopeful. But unresolved swing issues, he said, made him anxious, and a cocktail of those nerves mixed with first-timer jitters didn’t sit well. A lack of a pre-Masters week practice round also didn’t help. Neither did gusty conditions on Friday.
Then there was the yardage book.
“I don’t know if it’s a little bit of a hazing thing, but you don’t know anything until you get there, and the yardage book sucks,” Eckroat said, laughing. “There’s so many things that you have to figure out through experience.”
Put it all together, and he said he felt exposed. On his first Masters stroke, he hooked his ball left. On his first Masters hole, he double-bogeyed. On hole 18, he double-bogeyed. He shot a two-over 74. During round two at Augusta, he was three shots worse. He wanted out. He got his wish. He missed the cut. He was relieved.
“I was embarrassed, honestly, with everything that went on and played poorly,” Eckroat said. “It was a weird feeling. I had high expectations. I did not want to play Saturday. I was watching the cut line fall, and I was like, oh, gosh, I’m about to make this cut. Oh, my gosh, I’m going to shoot 80 tomorrow.”
At this point, let’s pause for a minute. Something bigger is happening, right? The revelation revealed something. You typically don’t hear such things, as the company line is usually something either ignorable or forgettable. Why’d you go 74, 77, then exit down Magnolia Lane? ‘It wasn’t my week.’
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But this was sincere. He was open, whether you agree with him wanting to leave, or disagree. We appreciate that. As Eckroat tries to find his place among a fleet of pros who can all drive, pitch and putt with aplomb, you’ll maybe remember the dude who let you have a peek inside the golf bag, so to say. There are benefits for everyone.
So what about this year at Augusta?
This season’s had a weird start, he said, and it’s hard to argue. He’s played six events. He’s missed four cuts. But recorded two top 15 finishes. “I’ve felt very confident at times,” Eckroat said, “and then I’ve felt like I have to rebuild my whole golf game at times. But golf is a funny sport.” But a victory last year at the Cognizant, which preceded a win last November at the World Wide Technology Championship, changed his approach.
Risks don’t seem as risky anymore, he said.
“I think probably outside the job security, the biggest thing for me was the ability to take risks earlier in the week at future events,” Eckroat said. “Especially my first year, I got off to a slow start, and making the cut was so important, getting those points, trying to retain my card for the following season, with the job security.
“But the biggest thing for me was I feel like on Friday afternoon if I’m near the lead, I can take on more risk. I don’t have to worry so much about making the cut. I can try to win this golf tournament rather than just finishing well. I think that’s something that’s kind of interesting on the PGA Tour is you’ve got one — if two guys are battling out for the win, maybe one of those guys that second place means everything to him, and the other guy, it’s win or bust. There’s nothing else.
“I feel like with having now two wins under my belt, if I’m coming down the stretch trying to battle for a win, in my opinion it’s win or bust now. I think that’s something that isn’t really that well-known as a spectator.”
All of which should help at the Masters in a few weeks.
Maybe he’ll make the cut. Maybe he’ll play the weekend.
Or maybe more.
“I really look forward,” Eckroat said, “to getting another chance at the beast.”
