Hello, friends, and welcome to a special Masters edition of the Win Column.
Start times. The local angles. A little photography talk. We’re ready to tee you up for today’s action.
- But first, a trivia question: How many times did the legendary Bobby Jones win the Masters?
Keep on scrolling for the answer — and lots more goodies along the way.
FROM A PHOTOGRAPHER’S PERSPECTIVE
I know how to write things (ostensibly).
But how do you cover something like the Masters … as a photographer? How do you do justice to a course that beautiful, a field that proud? And how do you do it without the benefit of a cellphone?
I made the AJC’s Jason Getz, a lens-wielding veteran of 11 Masters, tell me.
A few takeaways:
1️⃣ It’s definitely a before-dawn to after-dark affair.
2️⃣ No cellphones allowed, so the photo team uses radios with headsets(!) to communicate.
“The best strategy is to plan the day out by moving from the front holes, letting the leaders come through, skipping a hole or two and then waiting for the leaders to come through again,” Jason told me.
The low-tech affair has its perks, though.
“Not having your phone really eliminates any distraction, and you’re able to enjoy the moment and focus on the job at hand.”
3️⃣ Jason shot 4,000 photos during Monday’s practice rounds. It’s a lot more on actual tournament days.
Hard to track steps without technology, but he’s figuring something like 15,000 a day.
4️⃣ There are other challenges. Photographers aren’t allowed inside the ropes … meaning that, more often than not, they’re fighting for a view just like everyone else.
Take Sunday on the 18th green: You’re either lucky enough that the tournament assigns you one of the few photo positions — or, Jason said, you’re “allowed to place a chair out early in the morning on Sunday with the rest of the patrons to try and get a position on the rope line.”
A lot of work, no doubt. But worth it.
“It’s really a labor of love, as this tournament is so unique. The course is amazing and with the lack of cellphones, patrons and staff are genuinely friendly. It’s a good time. People are there to watch amazing golf, have a good time and disconnect from modern society.”
📸 Make sure to check out our full conversation with Jason for more insight — and to find out how he got that Tiger Woods shot in 2019.
HOW TO FOLLOW ALONG (AND WATCH)
OK, back to the nuts and bolts.
The AJC Masters crew is seven deep, including Mr. Getz, and fellow photojournalists Hyosub Shin and Michael Schwarz. In terms of words, we’ve got senior sports editor Rod Beard (@ajcRodBeard); Athens bureau chief Fletcher Page (@FletcherPage); do-it-all stars Gabe Burns (@GabeBurnsAJC) and Jack Leo (@theleoreport); and wily vet Stan Awtrey.
They’re posting live updates — and make sure to bookmark this page so you don’t miss a story.
On the TV side of things …
📺 Thursday and Friday: Amazon Prime 1-3 p.m.; ESPN 3-7:30 p.m.
📺 Saturday and Sunday: Paramount+ noon-2 p.m.; CBS 2-7 p.m.
You can also watch certain groups pass through Amen Corner and other marquee holes on the Masters website.
FAVORITES AND FIRST-TIME HOPEFULS
The favorites: Exact odds vary depending on where you look, but Scottie Scheffler is the biggest betting favorite, recent struggles and all.
LIV golfer Bryson DeChambeau, Jon Rahm, defending champ Rory McIlroy and Xander Schauffele round out the top five.
- Not that they’d be favorites … but it’s the first time since 1994 that neither Tiger Woods nor Phil Mickelson is there.
Ready to break through? All told, 22 golfers make their Masters debuts this week — including several currently ranked in the top 50.
In terms of folks who’ve been around the block, we’ve identified five likely candidates to claim their first green jacket.
(How ya feel about East Lake winner Tommy Fleetwood?)
The conditions: Dry, firm and fast.
Deeply enjoyable read: We asked players what they would do if they were plain old patrons. Their answers did not disappoint.
“How much for beers now these days? Can’t be more than $5,” one said. “Yeah, probably trying to take advantage of that price and have a lot of beers.”
TIME TO HIT THE TEES
McIlroy hits the first tee at 10:31 a.m. — with Cameron Young and 18-year-old amateur Mason Howell, a Georgia kid, in tow. (More on Howell momentarily.)
A few other groups of note are included below, but make sure to check out the full list here.
- 10:07 a.m.: DeChambeau, Matt Fitzpatrick, Schauffele
- 10:19 a.m.: Hideki Matsuyama, Collin Morikawa, Russell Henley
- 1:08 p.m.: Rahm, Chris Gotterup, Ludvig Åberg
- 1:20 p.m.: Jordan Spieth, Justin Rose, Brooks Koepka
- 1:44 p.m.: Scheffler, Robert MacIntyre, Gary Woodland
Personal prognostication: That Rahm-Gotterup-Åberg grouping could be a banger.
THE LOCAL ANGLE(S)
When Howell was born, Fred Couples was already 48 years old — managing back issues and a lighter schedule, about 16 years after his lone Masters victory.
They’ll hit the course this week as the tournament’s youngest and oldest players, respectively
Howell, the teen phenom and U.S. Amateur champ from Thomasville’s Brookwood School, is teeing up a month before he graduates.
From high school.
Alongside McIlroy, no less.
- “You can overthink it; you can work yourself up,” Howell said this week. “But at the end of the day, everybody is on the first tee starting at the same score.”
If he pulls off the unthinkable, Howell would become the first amateur to win the Masters. He’d also be the first native Georgian to get a green jacket since Columbus’ Larry Mize in 1987. (If you’re wondering: Former Georgia Bulldog Bubba Watson is from Florida.)
More likely Peach State champions in this week’s field include Henley, Brian Harman and Harris English — Howell’s mentor.
Mize recently weighed in on it all.
FOOD’S IMPORTANT, TOO
Headed to the tourney?
- We’ve got gastronomical tips from a food critic.
- Your guide to checking all the important boxes.
- And a peek at five more slept-on spots to catch the action (just don’t tell anybody).
Watching at home?
- Lots of pimento cheese ideas here.
- And you know you want to make a signature Azalea cocktail or three.
ABOUT THAT TRIVIA QUESTION …
Be honest. How many of you knew the answer and scrolled down here trying to catch me being loud and wrong?
Bobby Jones, Augusta National architect and Masters impresario, never won the tournament he created. After retiring from golf in 1930, he rejoined the party for the inaugural edition in 1934 — and wound up tied for 13th (Horton Smith won).
Over 11 subsequent Masters appearances, Jones never improved on his finish. And he was … happy about it?
“I am also glad that this idea of invincibility in golf is shattered,” he told reporters after that first go. “The game of golf still dominates the player and there is no one even close to being a superman. I know I am not.”
QUOTE OF THE WEEK (1934 EDITION)
There is already a demand for this tournament. The professionals enjoy playing with Bobby Jones. They enjoyed beating him here. ... When automobiles from 38 states and three foreign nations drive through the clubhouse it may safely be said that the interest is more than mild.
Thanks for reading to the very bottom of the Win Column. Questions, comments, ideas? Contact me at tyler.estep@ajc.com.
Until next time.
About the Author
Tyler Estep hosts the AJC Win Column, Atlanta's new weekly destination for all things sports. He also shepherds the Sports Daily and Braves Report newsletters to your inbox.
