With his 2023 victory, Jon Rahm joined a Spanish armada of Masters Tournament winners.

Before the start of the 87th Masters Tournament in 2023, Spanish golfer Jon Rahm was on everyone’s short list to win the green jacket. Being the pre-tournament favorite, however, does not automatically translate into victory. Yet, after 30 holes on a long day of golf, Rahm earned the second major title of his career on what would have been the 66th birthday of his hero and fellow Spaniard, two-time Masters champion Seve Ballesteros.

“This one was for Seve. He was up there helping, and help he did,” said Rahm, who met Ballesteros once.

Perhaps Ballesteros didn’t get the memo right away, though, because Rahm’s tournament could not have gotten off to a more inauspicious start when he four-putted the first hole for double bogey in round one. Instead of getting frustrated, however, Rahm took it in stride.

“I remembered Seve’s quote – I think it was here at the Masters, right? –  when he four-putted. I just kept thinking to myself, ‘Well, I miss, I miss, I miss, I make.’ Move on to the next. I carried a little bit of that negative energy into the tee shot on 2, hit it about ten yards farther than I usually do and moved on with my day,” said Rahm. “If you’re going to make a double bogey, might as well do it on the first hole of the tournament when you have plenty of holes to make it up.”

Even though he played in the worst of the tournament’s volatile weather and LIV golfer Brooks Koepka held the outright lead or a share of it for 54 holes plus five, things finally broke “four” Rahm in the end. Posting a final score of 12-under-par, he became the fourth Spaniard to claim a green jacket, captured his fourth win of the year, carded four birdies in his final round and won by four shots.

Koepka and another LIV golfer who knows his way around Augusta National Golf Club, then 52-year-old, three-time Masters champion Phil Mickelson, tied for second place at 8-under.

Calm Before the Storms

The practice rounds began with great promise for the 88 players in the field, which included 16 first-time players made up of seven amateurs and nine professionals.

One of the most-watched groups on Monday featured Tiger Woods, Fred Couples, Rory McIlroy and tournament newcomer Tom Kim of Korea.

“I love Tom Kim. We set this up at the Presidents Cup, and I think he was a little excited to play with Rory and Tiger,” said Couples.

As much as the foursome enjoyed each other’s company, they also connected with some special patrons. They hugged and high-fived last year’s Augusta National Women’s Amateur champion, Rose Zhang, behind the 12th tee. On the 18th green, they met one of the Drive Chip and Putt winners.

“She goes to the same grade school that Tiger went to, so we made her day,” Couples said.

While this group got along famously, questions had swirled in the weeks leading up to tournament about whether or not PGA Tour and LIV golfers could co-exist amicably at the major.

On Tuesday morning, however, McIlroy indicated that a truce between the warring tours had been declared when he said he and Koepka were playing a pre-planned practice round together that afternoon. Other PGA Tour and LIV golfers practiced together as well.

“I see some of these guys at home. … We sort of practice at the same place,” McIlroy said. “This week and this tournament is way bigger than any of that, I feel, and it’s just great that all of the best players in the world are together again for the first time in what seems to be quite a while.”

In his Wednesday morning press conference, Fred Ridley, Augusta National and Masters Tournament chairman, agreed as he described the atmosphere at the Champions Dinner, where PGA Tour and LIV players shared a table.

“The tone has been really good here this week. I’ve noticed the players are interacting. Last night at the Champions Dinner, I would not have known that anything was going on in the world of professional golf other than the norm,” he said.

Another norm returned to the Masters on Wednesday afternoon as well. After cancellation in 2020 and 2021 due to COVID-19 and a rain-shortened event in 2022, the Par 3 Contest was held in its entirety for the first time in four years.

Bogey-Free Golf

By Thursday, it was time to get down to the business of the tournament, and three players – Rahm, Koepka and Viktor Hovland of Norway – shot 65 to share the first round lead at 7-under par.

After Rahm double bogeyed No. 1, he hit every fairway and played the par 5s in 5-under with an eagle on the eighth hole and birdies on Nos. 2, 13 and 15. He also birdied the third, seventh, 16th and 18th holes.

“You don’t usually get a walk-off birdie over here,” said Rahm, who left the PGA Tour for LIV Golf in December.

Overall, he was pleased with his round, calling it one of the top three in his career at the majors.

“This has to be up there, including the first hole, to be honest, because it was a good tee shot and good second shot. Just a bit of an asterisk on the green,” said Rahm, who felt that, even though the “speed was off,” he had not struck any of the four putts poorly.

Koepka birdied the second, third, seventh, eighth, 12th, 15th, 17th and 18th holes. The only blemish to his round was a bogey on No. 13, which had been lengthened to 545 yards by moving back the Masters tees 35 yards.

An incident also was called into question on the 15th hole when Koepka’s caddie seemed to give advice to the caddie of playing partner Gary Woodland in violation of the rules. Ultimately, however, no penalty was assessed.

“All involved were adamant that no advice was given or requested. Consequently, the committee determined that there was no breach of the rules,” James B. Hyder Jr., chairman of the Competition Committees, said in a statement.

Hovland had a bogey-free round, going out in 31 on the front nine with an eagle on the second hole and birdies on the sixth, eighth and ninth holes. He added birdies on Nos. 11 and 13 coming in.

For the second round, tee times were moved up by half an hour Friday because of rain in the forecast. While Koepka was scheduled to play early in the morning before weather became an issue, Rahm was in the next-to-last threesome to tee off in the afternoon.

With an eagle on No. 8 and birdies on the second, 13th and 15th holes, Koepka played the par 5s in 5-under to finish bogey-free with a 67 and a 36-hole total of 12-under.

A weather delay suspended play for about 20 minutes mid-afternoon. However, after three trees later came crashing down by the 17th tee (no one was injured), play was stopped for the day at 4:22 p.m.

Sitting at 9-under through the front nine, Rahm trailed Koepka by three strokes when second-round play was called. Shooting a pair of 68s, U.S. Amateur champion Sam Bennett held third place at 8-under.

A Cut Above

With temperatures in the high 40s on Saturday morning, 39 players finished their weather-delayed second round under cold, gray, drizzly skies.

Completing the back nine of his second round in the miserable conditions, Rahm birdied the 12th, 15th and 17th holes but bogeyed Nos. 16 and 18.

“Early this morning, it was very cold. We enjoyed a couple holes without any rain, but … those two holes at the end, 17 and 18, were two absolute monsters. Very happy to finish those even par,” said Rahm, who shot 69 to trail Koepka by two strokes.

Former Masters champions Larry Mize (1987) and Sandy Lyle (1988) had announced that they would be playing in their final tournament last year, but both of them finished Saturday on the wrong side of the cut line. However, two other past champions made history when they were among the 54 players to make the cut.

Making his 31st cut at the tournament with a score of 1-over, Couples, at age 63, became the oldest Masters competitor to qualify for the final two rounds.

Woods also made the cut at the Masters for the 23rd consecutive time, tying Couples and Gary Player for the longest streak in tournament history. Shooting 3-over through 36 holes to make the cut on the number, the five-time champion has never missed qualifying for the final two rounds as a professional.

However, Augusta National announced Sunday morning that Woods had withdrawn from the tournament due to injury after completing seven holes of his third round in the cold, soggy conditions.

For the third round, which got underway at 11:30 a.m. Saturday, players were grouped in threesomes and teed off of Nos. 1 and 10. However, with a dismal forecast that lived up to expectations, the prospect of finishing 54 holes by day’s end was slim.

Courtesy of the chilly temperatures and unrelenting rain, play finally was halted at 3:15 p.m. Not before water started puddling so heavily on the greens that grounds crew members had to squeegee the surfaces so players could putt, though.

The leaders were on the seventh green at the time, and Koepka was four shots clear of Rahm. However, with all of the holes left to play on Sunday, Rahm didn’t think either player would have an advantage.

“When you’re in the position we’re in, adrenaline kicks in and it doesn’t really matter,” he said.

As soon as the third round resumed Sunday morning, Koepka missed an 11-foot putt for par on the par-4 No. 7 and Rahm sank his 9-footer for birdie. In an instant, Koepka’s four-shot lead fell to two strokes.

With Koepka and Rahm shooting identical third-round scores of 73, Koepka sat at 11-under to maintain a two-shot 54-hole lead over Rahm.

The fourth round began at 12:30 p.m. with players teeing off in twosomes on the front and back nines, pitting Rahm and Koepka against each other head-to-head in the final pairing.

Rahm wasted no time asserting himself. Both players parred the first two holes, but the momentum shifted on the third and fourth holes. After Rahm went birdie-par on the two holes and Koepka shot par-bogey, the two men were tied. With a birdie on the par-3 No. 6 to go to 10-under, Rahm found himself alone at the top of the leaderboard – a spot he would not yield.

By the 15th hole, Rahm had stretched his lead to four shots. Koepka narrowed the lead to three strokes with a birdie on No. 16, but a bogey on the 17th hole dropped him four behind again.

Rahm shot 69 in the final round, carding one bogey on No. 9 and birdies on the third, eighth, 13th and 14th holes. Koepka shot 75.

“I led for three rounds, and just didn’t do it on the last day. That’s it. Plain and simple,” Koepka said.

Finishing birdie-birdie, Mickelson shot 65, the low round of the day, to charge up the leaderboard and grab a share of second place after starting the final round 10 shots off the lead.

Rahm finished the tournament with a par on No. 18, but not without making it interesting. Since he had started the tournament with a little drama on his first hole, why not bring some excitement, even though he had a four-shot lead, to the 72nd hole as well?

After sending his tee shot into the rough on the left side of the fairway, he hit a provisional ball – right down the middle of the fairway – in case his original shot could not be found. His first ball was located, and Rahm saved par to claim victory. Once the putt dropped, he pumped his fists and covered his face with his hands.

“We all dream of things like this as players, and you try to visualize what it’s going to be like and what it’s going to feel like. And when I hit that third shot on the (18th) green, and I could tell it was close by the crowd’s reaction, just the wave of emotion of so many things just overtook me,” he said.

As Rahm walked off No. 18, one of the first people to greet him was two-time Masters champion Jose Maria Olazabal of Spain.

Historic and Humble

After the tournament, Rahm, who was pleased to have won on the 40th anniversary of Ballesteros’ second Masters title, said the history of the game is one of the reasons he plays golf. He also said the 2017 Masters victory of fellow Spaniard Sergio Garcia (who also won on Seve’s birthday) gave him “a lot of hope” that he could slip into a green jacket one day.

With all of the history that was made in the 2023 Masters, the new champion also was delighted to learn that he had posted one more record on his resume. By adding a victory at Augusta National to his 2021 U.S. Open title, Rahm became the first European to win the Masters and a U.S. Open.

“If there’s anything better than accomplishing something like this, it’s making history,” said Rahm. “Out of all the accomplishments and the many great players that have come before me, to be the first to do something like that, it’s a very humbling feeling.”

By Betsy Gilliland

Although golfers racked up holes-in-one on the revamped Par 3 Contest course last year, they still couldn’t conquer a long-standing curse.

The more things change, the more they stay the same. Yes, almost everyone knows that the winner of the Par 3 Contest has never won the Masters Tournament in the same year.

However, would a new layout on the nine-hole, par-27 course finally put that jinx to rest? Not a chance.

Bringing the Heat

On the sun-soaked afternoon, golfers still brought the heat to the Contest that is held the Wednesday before the tournament begins. Players typically have their children, grandchildren or significant others caddie for them, and they often let their caddies – or even a child from the gallery – putt for them on a hole or two. (This move also sidesteps that curse because a player’s score doesn’t count unless he hits every shot.)

Some of the golfers needed no such assistance from their caddies to get the ball in the hole last year, however. Four competitors accounted for five holes-in-one on the course where the first through the fifth holes had been rerouted before last year’s Contest.

One of those was Tom Hoge, who won the Par 3 with a score of 6-under.

“I made a few birdies early and then the hole-in-one on 8, so that was cool to see that go in. Just a fun day out here this afternoon with my wife caddying for me,” said Hoge. “They’ve got these pins set up for us in some nice spots where the balls will funnel back, so it’s fun to see those holes-in-one out here today.”

Wrapping up the Par 3 with back-to-back holes-in-one, Seamus Power of Ireland aced Nos. 8 and 9 with a sand wedge and some spin.

“Obviously, to get one was special, but to get the second one was a bit surreal. It was an absolute blast out there,” he said.

He said his shot on the eighth hole landed about 30 feet behind the pin and spun back.

“It was looking like it was going to be close, and it dropped in,” Power said. “And similar on 9. I slightly pulled it, and it kicked to the right and spun back in, so yeah, very lucky obviously.”

Playing Like Champions

Masters champions Scottie Scheffler and Bubba Watson also tallied holes-in-one to bring the total number of aces in the Par 3 to 107 since its inception in 1960.

With a ball that one-hopped into the hole on No. 4, Watson was the only player to ace one of the newly designed holes.

The first through the fifth holes had been rerouted to allow more golf holes to be adjacent to DeSoto Springs Pond. The pond and dam were reshaped and restored as well. In addition, the changes increased viewing options and capacity for the Contest that is popular with patrons and players alike.

Scheffler’s hole-in-one on No. 9 counted on the scorecard just like the other aces, but his required a bit of detective work to confirm.

He and playing partners Tom Kim and Sam Burns hit their tee shots in unison, and all three balls tracked toward the flagstick. After they landed, three balls sat on or near the front edge of the green. However, slow-motion replay by ESPN showed one of the shots disappear into the cup.

“That was pretty fun. We were trying to make one all day. That was just, I guess, the slam dunk at the end. Definitely very fun,” Scheffler said. “The guys were pretty focused watching their shots, and they didn’t quite see it go in. They just heard the noise, and I was like, ‘Yeah, that went in. That was mine.’”

With his hole-in-one, he also joined Mike Weir and Tom Watson as the only defending champions to score an ace in the Par 3.

As for Hoge, he missed the cut in the 87th Masters. But, as the winner of the Par 3 Contest, he’ll always have the crystal pedestal bowl that goes to the victor and bragging rights about a triumph at Augusta National Golf Club.

By Betsy Gilliland

With weather delays, a first-hole double bogey and a victory by the favorite, the 2023 Augusta National Women’s Amateur had uncanny similarities to last year’s Masters Tournament.

In a standout amateur career, the sterling silver trophy from the Augusta National Women’s Amateur was one of the few pieces of hardware that had eluded Rose Zhang. Not anymore.

On her fourth attempt, the top-ranked women’s amateur in the world finally won the fourth edition of the tournament in 2023. Shooting a 76 in the rain-delayed final round of the 54-hole tournament, Zhang held on to defeat University of Georgia fifth-year student Jenny Bae on the second hole of a sudden death playoff.

“The beginning of this week has been pretty crazy already with … a lot of expectations on me, and I had a lot of expectations on myself. To overcome everything, I’m just super grateful to be here,” said Zhang, a then-19-year-old Stanford University sophomore.

And maybe, just maybe, a double bogey on the first hole at Augusta National Golf Club is a fortuitous omen of good things to come.

After all, just as Jon Rahm, a pre-tournament favorite and winner of the 2023 Masters Tournament, double bogeyed No. 1 in the first round of last year’s tournament, Zhang started the ANWA final round with a double on the first hole.

“I tried to stay as composed as possible, but at the same time, I was a little tight the first couple holes. I just felt like my swing wasn’t comfortable, and I really just tried to stay in the moment,” she said.

Record-Setting Pace

The tournament, where the first two rounds were played at Champions Retreat Golf Club in Evans, featured 72 of the world’s top amateur golfers, and Zhang started off on a record-setting pace.

With six birdies in the first round, she shot a bogey-free 66 to set an 18-hole record in the tournament. Zhang birdied two of the par-3s and each of the four par-5s, including a 50-foot putt on No. 14. A birdie on her final hole gave her the outright lead after the first round.

“In golf, par-5 scoring is very important for a good round. For me to be able to do that and capitalize on every par-5, I think it shows my game’s in a pretty consistent, good direction,” Zhang said.

Sweden’s Andrea Lignell, a University of Mississippi senior, was one shot back with a bogey-free round of 67.

“I did not expect a bogey-free round today. There’s a lot of tough holes out there where you can easily be OK walking off with a bogey. So I definitely did not expect it, but I’m really happy,” said Lignell, who was making her first appearance in the tournament.

Bae, who also played in the tournament in 2022, was in third place at three-under 69.

However, because of the preferred lies Rule 9.4 that was put in place due to inclement weather prior to the tournament, the first round was not as kind to defending champion Anna Davis.

On her first hole, she lifted her ball and failed to replace it on its original spot on two separate occurrences. Under the preferred lies rule, which was in place for the first and second rounds, players could take free relief when their ball lay in areas cut to fairway height or less.

Davis was penalized two strokes for each occurrence of playing from a wrong place, increasing her score on the hole from 5 to 9.

“So, preferred lies were only in the fairway today, and I learned that after the first hole. On my first drive, I was in the rough, did my little thing. There’s mud on it. My second shot in the rough, same thing. So that was a four-shot penalty right there,” said Davis, who learned of the ruling when she was on the fourth tee. “Little rough start to the day, but that’s all right, it happens. It’s a learning experience.”

Weather also affected the second round when fog pushed back the start by an hour on Thursday morning. The delay did not deter Zhang, however.

After a record-setting performance in round one, she broke her own record in round two when she finished one stroke better with a seven-under 65. She also shattered the 36-hole record of five-under 139 that Jennifer Kupcho established in the inaugural ANWA in 2019.

On the front nine, Zhang had three birdies in her first four holes and a 30-foot eagle on the par-5 ninth hole. With a single bogey through 36 holes, she played the four par-5s in nine-under in the first two rounds to post a score of 13-under-par.

“I feel like I did everything pretty well today. I feel like I was hitting my irons a lot better than what I did yesterday, and yesterday I made a lot of long putts. Today I had a lot of good looks for birdie from short range. So that definitely allowed me to get some more birdie looks and convert some more putts,” Zhang said.

Lignell shot 69 to finish the first two rounds at eight-under 136, and she birdied her final hole to stay in solo second place. Carding a 68, Bae sat in third place at seven-under.

With the top 30 players and ties advancing to the final round at Augusta National on Saturday, 31 players made the cut, which fell at two-over 146, last year.

‘Aha Moment’

By making the cut, Zhang became the only player to move on to the final round in all four years of the tournament. She also took a commanding five-stroke lead into the third round at Augusta National. However, her lead started to slip away as she struggled on Saturday.

“I feel like it’s always difficult to have such a big lead, especially on such a prestigious stage. When things matter the most and you have a big lead but the job’s not done, it definitely puts a lot of things into perspective,” Zhang said.

With the double bogey on the first hole, along with three bogeys and a birdie, Zhang was four-over par through seven holes when rain halted play for more than three hours.

Zhang said she didn’t do anything special during the delay. Once the tournament resumed, however, she had an “aha moment” on No. 13 where she made a grip change to weaken the grip on her right hand and get her driver “back on track.”

“I figured out a little trigger point in my golf swing, and from then on, it was kind of smooth sailing, grinding from there,” Zhang said.

She birdied No. 13 but bogeyed the 15th hole after deciding to go for the green and coming up short.

“When I was out at Champions, it felt so easy to me. Everything just came to me. I was making putts. I was hitting greens,” said Zhang, whose father caddied for her all three rounds. “But when you’re out here (at Augusta National), one mistake, like I said before, is magnified.”

However, Zhang played even par the rest of way as Bae, playing one group ahead, went three-under in her final 10 holes.

Hitting wedge for her second shot on No. 17, Bae landed the ball about a foot from the pin.

“Next thing you know there’s just a bunch of roaring and (people) saying, ‘Go Dawgs,’” said Bae, who shot 70 in the final round. “I don’t think I’ve ever felt happier on a golf course in my life. … I’ve never heard such big yelling on a golf course. It just felt amazing.”

The tap-in birdie pulled Bae even with Zhang for the lead. Finishing at 9-under, they were tied for the 54-hole tournament record after Bae overcame a six-shot deficit in the final round.

The two players went to No. 18 for a sudden death playoff to decide the tournament. While Bae missed a birdie attempt, Zhang lagged her first putt and saved par to advance to No. 10 for the second playoff hole.

“I really felt like it was all or nothing, and I really just had to commit to my line,” Zhang said of her par-saving second putt. “I ended up going with a solid, straight putt, and it ended up going in with a little bit of speed.”

On the second playoff hole, both competitors hit the fairway with their drives. Bae pulled her second shot, however, and the ball ended up left of the green in pine straw underneath a tree. Her third shot skidded across the green into a bunker, giving an opening to Zhang.

Her first putt stopped inches from the flagstick, and she tapped in for par and the win.

“After that little putt went in, it was just a sense of relief,” said Zhang, who was met on the green by her Stanford teammates for a victory celebration.

Crazy, But Good

With the win, Zhang added the ANWA title to an impressive collection of amateur triumphs including the 2020 U.S. Women’s Amateur, the 2021 U.S. Girls Junior Championship and the 2022 individual and team NCAA Championship.

She credited her success to her consistency and her calm demeanor.

“I never really care about wins, but I do care about how I play and I care about the people around me. I think that really just trying to excel in my profession and trying to do the best I can is something that I cared a lot more about than just a simple win,” said Zhang, who nevertheless admitted she “greatly wanted to win this” tournament. “So it’s been crazy, but it’s been really good.”

By Betsy Gilliland

Two drives, two chips and two putts added up to one victory for eight 2023 Drive, Chip and Putt champions.

Focus, forget the nerves and feed off family support. These concepts were a winning formula for success for the eight victors at the 2023 Drive, Chip and Putt National Finals.

Another simple mantra vaulted Boys Divisions winners Jake Sheffield of Knoxville, Tennessee (ages 14-15) and Leo Saito of Hilo, Hawaii (ages 12-13) to the top of the leaderboard. Victory was only six shots away.

“You’re just trying to take it all in, but you’re also trying to focus and win,” said Jake. “It’s just six shots and something you do every round, so it’s obviously just normal practicing. But you have to be under that pressure and be able to succeed.”

Family Ties

Calling Drive, Chip and Putt “the biggest stage in junior golf,” Jake started the competition with a 259-yard drive that landed him in second place after the first discipline. He placed fourth in chipping and took the division title with a 30-foot putt attempt that stopped within two feet of the hole.

After finishing third at the 2022 Drive, Chip and Putt National Finals, Leo brought the benefit of experience to last year’s competition. On the 18th green, he poured in one putt and knocked the other within two feet of the hole. His putting skills left him in a tie for top overall honors with Aarav Lavu of Wellesley, Massachusetts. Leo claimed victory in a playoff after draining a 15-foot putt.

“It’s a little different than winning an 18-hole tournament. It’s only six shots for the whole thing, so it’s a little different. But I am really happy I won,” he said.

Another competitor from the Aloha State, Nealson Manutai of Laie, Hawaii, won the Boys 10-11 Division. His winning 237-yard drive, which was more than 40 yards farther than the runner-up in that competition, and his second-place finish in chipping was enough for him to earn the overall title.

“I really tried to get my drive in play, my chips close and my putts close to win this tournament,” said Nealson.

After his victory, he also said he has gotten more golf tips than he can remember from his Uncle Tony – aka PGA Tour player Tony Finau. (Finau’s wife and Nealson’s mother are cousins.) “He’s really pushing me to keep going and to keep working hard,” Nealson said.

Other family ties helped Knox Mason of Portland, Tennessee win the Boys 7-9 Division. With his dad as his caddie, Knox took the top spot in driving and ninth place in chipping. He was tied for the overall lead with Jacob Eagan of Castle Rock, Colorado after putting.

“I had to go into a playoff and had to make the putt to win, and then I made it,” Knox said. “I was like, ‘I couldn’t feel myself making that.’”

However, his dad gave him great advice to help him roll in the extra 15-footer. “He said, ‘Just don’t be nervous. Just try to sink the putt,’” said Knox.

Experience and Consistency

While none of the Girls Division winners required a playoff to earn the overall trophy, their competitions provided plenty of excitement.

In her first Drive, Chip and Putt National Finals appearance, Ashley Kim of Cerritos, California drove the ball 171 yards to start the competition with the lead in the Girls 7-9 Division. “When my turn came I was really nervous, and I was shaking when I was swinging,” she said.

Ashley placed third in chipping and rolled her 15-foot putt within three feet of the hole to secure the overall win.

As a veteran of the competition, Alexandra Phung of Forest Hills, New York made her third appearance at the National Finals last year. After finishing in third place in the driving portion of the Girls 10-11 Division, Alexandra found herself with a three-point lead when she surprised herself with her first-place chipping performance.

“I felt like my chipping normally is not the best, but this time I definitely came through with it,” she said.

Although she did not win any of the individual disciplines, Girls 12-13 Division winner Maya Palanza Gaudin of East Falmouth, Massachusetts took the overall title with consistency. She finished third in driving and claimed the second spots in chipping and putting.

“My dad always says that routine is very important,” said Maya, who made it to the National Finals in her sixth attempt to qualify. “Skill is important, also, but if you have a routine, then you can always rely on your routine when you’re nervous. And that’s what I did.”

Appearing in her second National Finals, Martha Kuwahara of Northbrook, Illinois won the Girls 14-15 Division with a 241-yard drive and a putt that stopped two inches from the hole.

However, Martha, who traveled to the competition with her parents and her coach and his family, missed all the preliminary events because their flights were delayed by inclement weather. They didn’t arrive in town until midnight, and the finals began only hours later.

“We were all like, ‘Oh yeah, we got all the bad luck out yesterday, so all the good luck is today,’” said Martha. “And it just all worked out.”

This year marks the 10th anniversary of the Drive, Chip and Putt competition, and the National Finals will be held on Sunday, April 7. The field will include Evans resident Kipp Madison, who advanced through regional qualifying at The Golf Club of Tennessee after placing first overall in the Boys 12-13 age group.

Kipp, who plays regularly at West Lake Country Club, is the second member of his family to compete in the Drive, Chip and Putt competition. His brother, Zane, made it to the finals two years ago as an 8-year-old.

In addition, seven of the 80 competitors are repeat finalists including three-time national finalist Champa Visetsin and 2022 national champion Hudson Knapp. The junior golfers represent 31 states, one Canadian province and Australia.

By Betsy Gilliland

Local golf pros share their picks for Masters glory – or heartache.

The first major of the year always brings a feeling of excitement and anticipation to the professional golf world, and the Masters Tournament never fails to deliver. The golfers had to battle Mother Nature as much as the course a year ago, so we’re putting in our order now for four days of blue skies and sunshine for the 2024 tournament.

Last year our favorite local golf gurus outdid themselves when five out of six of the prognosticators correctly predicted that Jon Rahm would be the last man standing on Sunday. For the upcoming tournament, their predictions are much more varied. We can’t wait to see who slips into the coveted green jacket this year.

Chris Verdery
Director of Golf, The River Golf Club
(Chris’ correct 2023 predictions: Masters Champion, Low Newcomer, Low Senior, Highest 18-Hole Score, Highest Score on One Hole)

2024 Masters Champion: I’m going to go with Viktor Hovland. I think he’s playing great right now.

Dark Horse: Keegan Bradley

Low Newcomer: I’ll take Lee Hodges. I think his game fits the course.

Low Senior: Phil Mickelson

Highest-Ranked Player to Miss the Cut: I’ll go with Xander Schauffele.

Toughest Hole: I’ll say No. 5. It plays long, and the green is tough.

Pivotal Hole: No. 13

Highest 18-Hole Score: 81

Highest Score on One Hole: 9

Tommy Brannen
Head Golf Professional, Augusta Country Club
(Tommy’s correct 2023 predictions: Masters Champion, Low Senior)

2024 Masters Champion: I would say J.T. (Justin Thomas) this year. It’s his turn.

Dark Horse: Jake Knapp. He has such a great swing.

Low Newcomer: Jake Knapp

Low Senior: I’ll take Fred Couples. He always plays well there.

Highest-Ranked Player to Miss the Cut: Brian Harman

Toughest Hole: No. 11

Pivotal Hole: Let’s go with No. 13.

Highest 18-Hole Score: 84

Highest Score on One Hole: 8

Char Cormier
General Manager/Director of Golf, Forest Hills Golf Club
(This is Char’s first year participating in our poll.)

2024 Masters Champion: Scottie Scheffler. I like him a lot, and I think his game is good for that golf course.

Dark Horse: Jordan Spieth

Low Newcomer: Wyndham Clark. They’re all so good. I’ve met him before, and I think I’ve actually played with him. I know he’s got game.

Low Senior: Vijay Singh

Highest-Ranked Player to Miss the Cut: Keegan Bradley

Toughest Hole: I think it’s No. 1.

Pivotal Hole: No. 12

Highest 18-Hole Score: 80

Highest Score on One Hole: 9

Spike Kelley
General Manager and Golf Professional, Goshen Plantation
(Spike’s correct 2023 predictions: Spike needs a mulligan on his 2023 predictions.)

2024 Masters Champion: Rory McIlroy. I’ll keep picking him until he wins it.

Dark Horse: Viktor Hovland. Is he a dark horse? He’s really good.

Low Newcomer: Ludvig Aberg

Low Senior: Fred Couples. He always plays real well there.

Highest-Ranked Player to Miss the Cut: Brian Harman

Toughest Hole: No. 4. It’s hard. Even if you’re on the green, it’s hard.

Pivotal Hole: I’m saying No. 11.

Highest 18-Hole Score: 85

Highest Score on One Hole: 8

Ira Miller
General Manager, Augusta Municipal Golf Course
(Ira’s correct 2023 prediction: Masters Champion)

2024 Masters Champion: I’m going to say Hideki Matsuyama. He’s hot right now, and he came from way behind to win a few weeks ago. He’s always got a pretty good game on Sunday if he’s not too far behind.

Dark Horse: Brooks Koepka. He was in the hunt last year.

Low Newcomer: Ludvig Aberg

Low Senior: Phil Mickelson

Highest-Ranked Player to Miss the Cut: Keegan Bradley

Toughest Hole: No. 12 is always the toughest hole.

Pivotal Hole: No. 15

Highest 18-Hole Score: 83

Highest Score on One Hole: 8

Tyler Powers
Golf Shop Manager, Hickory Knob State Park Golf Course
(Tyler’s correct 2023 prediction: Masters Champion)

2024 Masters Champion: Who is going to win the Masters? I’d like to see Jon Rahm win it again.

Dark Horse: Tiger Woods, if he plays.

Low Newcomer: Wyndham Clark

Low Senior: Probably Freddie Couples. I like Freddie.

Highest-Ranked Player to Miss the Cut: Brian Harman

Toughest Hole: It’s usually on Amen Corner. Probably No. 12.

Pivotal Hole: No. 16

Highest 18-Hole Score: 86

Highest Score on One Hole: 8