AUGUSTA - For the last 20 years Pittsburgh resident David Belasco has dutifully completed his lottery application for practice round tickets to the Masters. And for 20 years he received that same sad email telling him that he had not been selected.
A not-so-great tradition unlike any other.
So, this year Belasco naturally had the same doubts when he filled out his online form, said a little prayer and pressed the send button.
Only this time he got good news. He was in.
He only had to endure four presidential administrations, a worldwide pandemic and a dozen iterations of the iPhone, but he was in.
And on a glorious pre-eclipse Monday morning, Belasco and his three friends were all smiles as they took turns snapping pictures of themselves along the ropes of the first fairway.
“I can’t believe it,” Belasco said. “This is so great. The course is perfect, and you can take your camera in here on a practice round. Worth the wait.”
Belasco rounded up some old friends from the University of Maryland and they turned it into the ultimate buddy trip. Jason Katz, who lives in Philadelphia, had Masters experience, so he served as the sherpa for Belasco, Juan Vela and Mike Menard.
“We plan to see everything,” Belasco said. “And it would be pretty cool to see Tiger.”
The only disappointment: There were no more gnomes in the gift shop.
Another Pittsburgh guy standing 50 yards down the rope line had better luck. Christian Brockway had his name chosen in the lottery this year -- the first time he applied.
“People hate me, right?” he said. “I didn’t think I read the email right at first. I told her, ‘I think I won practice round tickets to the Masters.’”
Brockway and Kendall Cetrona arrived early, stood in line to purchase four bags full of souvenirs – including a hat for each of them.
“And I’m a huge pimento cheese fan, so I’m excited,” she said, holding the green cellophane sandwich wrapper close to her face.
Further down the first fairway, in the shadows of the big scoreboard, Brian Hubbard of Baltimore was able to play Santa after successfully winning the ticket lottery for the first time in 13 tries. Hubbard had been to the tournament before, but this time he could initiate his son Jacob Hubbard – who will be attend the nearby University of South Carolina in the fall -- and his senior high school classmate Carson Ordant, along with friend Todd Steinweg,
“I’ve been wanting to get here for 50 years,” said Steinweg, who lives in Annapolis, Maryland. “Probably since I was 13.”
Although a rookie, Ordant is familiar with Augusta National; he’s played it hundreds of times on a computer but never well enough to win a digital green jacket.
“I’ve only seen pictures of it,” Ordant said. “It’s unreal seeing it in person, seeing those pictures online and then seeing it in real life.”
First-timers Tara Morrison of Decatur and Floridian Nina Woodrow took their turns having a photo taken with their group in front of the big scoreboard. They got their tickets from friendly business associates who invited them to join the party.
“I’ve always wanted to come and see what this exclusive club and tournament is all about,” Morrison said. “I’ve lived in Atlanta my whole life and I’ve never been.”
Woodrow, whose husband is a PGA professional, said, “We are very excited to breathe it all in and really enjoy the day and the atmosphere, just put your cell phone away and be in the moment, be in the present.”
Scott and Renee Schenk were making their first Masters appearance thanks to winning the ultimate lottery. Their son Adam qualified for the tournament for the first time by finishing among the top 50 on the Official World Golf Ranking in 2023, when he had three top-25 finishes worldwide. He invited mom and dad to join him for the special occasion.
“We’ll be here all week – I hope,” Mr. Schenk said.
Credit: Jason Getz
Credit: Jason Getz
