The Masters 2026

[evemccc]

I know someone who turned down a round at Augusta - no word of a lie

His reasoning was that (at that time) he didn’t play golf (to which I think he was, and is, blooming stupid to have declined)

He was successful in business and his company was doing work with a US company in Atlanta. The US company had a guy who was member there (apparently he was from some old Georgia family) and his seeming role at the company was just to take people out for a round to smooth negotiations and develop rapport etc. That was pretty much his role!

But the British guy declined the attempt to ‘smooth the deal’ from the US firm

The British guy (now since being retired) plays golf twice a week - yet he doesn’t seem to regret turning down a round at Augusta and doesn’t think it was crazy to do so…

I do..

 

[Slab]

I know someone who turned down a round at Augusta - no word of a lie

His reasoning was that (at that time) he didn’t play golf (to which I think he was, and is, blooming stupid to have declined)

He was successful in business and his company was doing work with a US company in Atlanta. The US company had a guy who was member there (apparently he was from some old Georgia family) and his seeming role at the company was just to take people out for a round to smooth negotiations and develop rapport etc. That was pretty much his role!

But the British guy declined the attempt to ‘smooth the deal’ from the US firm

The British guy (now since being retired) plays golf twice a week - yet he doesn’t seem to regret turning down a round at Augusta and doesn’t think it was crazy to do so…

I do..

I kinda see where the decision came from. If I was offered a game of tennis at Wimbledon or a game of chess against a grand master I’d turn it down. Both these and loads other examples are pretty meaningless to me

And on top of that, golf is way harder than any other game/sport & just hitting a golf ball with any sort of rudimentary ability will be beyond most non-golfers

 

[upsidedown]

I've played against Warren a couple of times in County Senior games, really nice guy

Meet the man who walked off during a Masters practice round with Jack Nicklaus | National Club Golfer

Warren Bladon only played in one Masters, but it was a week that saw him play with Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer, as well as witnessing his old pal Tiger Woods romp to victory.

www.nationalclubgolfer.com

 

[Lord Tyrion]

I've played against Warren a couple of times in County Senior games, really nice guy

Meet the man who walked off during a Masters practice round with Jack Nicklaus | National Club Golfer

Warren Bladon only played in one Masters, but it was a week that saw him play with Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer, as well as witnessing his old pal Tiger Woods romp to victory.

www.nationalclubgolfer.com

Not a bad few golfing memories to have. Interesting to hear his thoughts on the course as well.

 

[The Squirrel]

I know someone who turned down a round at Augusta - no word of a lie

His reasoning was that (at that time) he didn’t play golf (to which I think he was, and is, blooming stupid to have declined)

He was successful in business and his company was doing work with a US company in Atlanta. The US company had a guy who was member there (apparently he was from some old Georgia family) and his seeming role at the company was just to take people out for a round to smooth negotiations and develop rapport etc. That was pretty much his role!

But the British guy declined the attempt to ‘smooth the deal’ from the US firm

The British guy (now since being retired) plays golf twice a week - yet he doesn’t seem to regret turning down a round at Augusta and doesn’t think it was crazy to do so…

I do..

If you’re not a golfer or into following golf at all then hacking round any course with business contacts embarrassing yourself by taking 250 shots and air shots isn’t fun and what we see as iconic holes off the telly with all the history and memories is just a random bit of grass, with a hole and flag, you’ve never seen before to them. Seems a sensible decision to decline.

 

[Orikoru]

If you’re not a golfer or into following golf at all then hacking round any course with business contacts embarrassing yourself by taking 250 shots and air shots isn’t fun and what we see as iconic holes off the telly with all the history and memories is just a random bit of grass, with a hole and flag, you’ve never seen before to them. Seems a sensible decision to decline.

Yeah, I thought the same. If someone said I could play cricket at Lords or rugby at Twickenham or something I wouldn't be remotely interested.

 

[timd77]

This practice rounds Rory had is such a non story being blown up by click baiters. These people surely can’t know anything about golf, otherwise they’d know that all participants are permitted to arrange practice rounds? Saw a clip where Kevin Kisner said he would play Augusta maybe 10 times before the tournament.

Now if people were up in arms about the environmental impact of flying a jet from Florida to Augusta multiple times to play golf, then I could understand.

But this is just silly. Are you telling me that pros won’t be getting a few rounds in at Birkdale over the coming months?

Honestly, some people just look for anything to nit pick successful sports stars these days, it’s boring.

 

[Arthur Wedge]

This practice rounds Rory had is such a non story being blown up by click baiters. These people surely can’t know anything about golf, otherwise they’d know that all participants are permitted to arrange practice rounds? Saw a clip where Kevin Kisner said he would play Augusta maybe 10 times before the tournament.

Now if people were up in arms about the environmental impact of flying a jet from Florida to Augusta multiple times to play golf, then I could understand.

But this is just silly. Are you telling me that pros won’t be getting a few rounds in at Birkdale over the coming months?

Honestly, some people just look for anything to nit pick successful sports stars these days, it’s boring.

It’s mainly being said by the bitter few , the US fans that are still upset about the Ryder Cup and LIV fans that are still upset about what he has said about LIV

 

[IanM]

Made me laugh. Folk getting triggered by a professional sportsman, preparing "professionally!"

 

[Voyager EMH]

I hope there are scallions at next year's champions' dinner.

 

[Hoganman1]

Also, I read an article by some guy who thinks there should be a rule change to prevent players from playing shots from adjacent fairways after errant shots. Obviously, this guy doesn't play much golf. As long as a shot is not OB the player can play from anywhere on the course. My guess is the writer didn't like the miraculous shot Rory played from near #10 fairway to clinch the win. CBS didn't do a very good job of explaining or showing the shot but it had to be a huge hook over the trees to get it in the front left bunker from close to the tenth fairway. Anyway, social media has many "experts" who do not have a clue about whatever it is they're discussing.

 

[Lord Tyrion]

Also, I read an article by some guy who thinks there should be a rule change to prevent players from playing shots from adjacent fairways after errant shots. Obviously, this guy doesn't play much golf. As long as a shot is not OB the player can play from anywhere on the course. My guess is the writer didn't like the miraculous shot Rory played from near #10 fairway to clinch the win. CBS didn't do a very good job of explaining or showing the shot but it had to be a huge hook over the trees to get it in the front left bunker from close to the tenth fairway. Anyway, social media has many "experts" who do not have a clue about whatever it is they're discussing.

Aint that the truth

 

[Orikoru]

Also, I read an article by some guy who thinks there should be a rule change to prevent players from playing shots from adjacent fairways after errant shots. Obviously, this guy doesn't play much golf. As long as a shot is not OB the player can play from anywhere on the course. My guess is the writer didn't like the miraculous shot Rory played from near #10 fairway to clinch the win. CBS didn't do a very good job of explaining or showing the shot but it had to be a huge hook over the trees to get it in the front left bunker from close to the tenth fairway. Anyway, social media has many "experts" who do not have a clue about whatever it is they're discussing.

Yeah all the coverage seemed to miss this actually. We saw him swing, and he obviously missed the trees, but then the cameras had no idea what happened to the ball at first. Then we learned he was in the front bunker somehow. Faldo was harping on about the trees' healing energy or something at the time.

 

[Swango1980]

Also, I read an article by some guy who thinks there should be a rule change to prevent players from playing shots from adjacent fairways after errant shots. Obviously, this guy doesn't play much golf. As long as a shot is not OB the player can play from anywhere on the course. My guess is the writer didn't like the miraculous shot Rory played from near #10 fairway to clinch the win. CBS didn't do a very good job of explaining or showing the shot but it had to be a huge hook over the trees to get it in the front left bunker from close to the tenth fairway. Anyway, social media has many "experts" who do not have a clue about whatever it is they're discussing.

They give us shot tracer for all the bland shots from the tee or middle of the fairway, for every shot. When we really want it is when a player has to play an extreme shot to avoid trees

 

[Depreston]

Yeah the 18th was a joke camera wise missed both shots into the green

I mean the coverage was appalling Burns tied for the lead on 2nd tee and next thing we see is him hitting his 4th on the 2nd.

 

[The Squirrel]

They give us shot tracer for all the bland shots from the tee or middle of the fairway, for every shot. When we really want it is when a player has to play an extreme shot to avoid trees

Given how badly inaccurate it was (not) working for those supposedly easy to track shots during the Sunday coverage, God only knows what it would have made up for that one

 

[timd77]

Also, I read an article by some guy who thinks there should be a rule change to prevent players from playing shots from adjacent fairways after errant shots. Obviously, this guy doesn't play much golf. As long as a shot is not OB the player can play from anywhere on the course. My guess is the writer didn't like the miraculous shot Rory played from near #10 fairway to clinch the win. CBS didn't do a very good job of explaining or showing the shot but it had to be a huge hook over the trees to get it in the front left bunker from close to the tenth fairway. Anyway, social media has many "experts" who do not have a clue about whatever it is they're discussing.

Absolutely. I think there are a lot of ‘sports’ fans who watch the big events, whether that’s the masters, the Ryder cup, the World Cup, Super Bowl or whatever, but they’re watching the spectacle and the ‘big game’ rather than actually being into that sport and knowing it inside out. There can be no other explanation for the stupidity. I’ll express my views on golf and football because I understand those sports. But whilst I might sit and watch the curling once ever 4 years, I know nothing about it and so wouldn’t tweet and criticise the man for not swishing his flat broom thing fast enough.!

The thing is, these people had these opinions years ago but we never heard them because they were sat in their bedrooms shouting at the tv. Unfortunately now, everyone has an audience of millions and so we all have to suffer their lack of brains.

 

[irip]

Yeah all the coverage seemed to miss this actually. We saw him swing, and he obviously missed the trees, but then the cameras had no idea what happened to the ball at first. Then we learned he was in the front bunker somehow. Faldo was harping on about the trees' healing energy or something at the time.

I did notice Faldos comments and thought he had gone all Glen Hoddle on us.
Seeing he is the only one who could tell us exactly how Rory was feeling in that position it felt totally ridiculous to be on about he learnt all about trees while out injured.
Even with Rory in a tight spot on the last hole he managed to make it about him.

 

[Orikoru]

I did notice Faldos comments and thought he had gone all Glen Hoddle on us.
Seeing he is the only one who could tell us exactly how Rory was feeling in that position it felt totally ridiculous to be on about he learnt all about trees while out injured.
Even with Rory in a tight spot on the last hole he managed to make it about him.

I actually love Faldo. You just never know what you're going to get from him. Could be something insightful about the course that only he knows. Could be something about how he beat Greg Norman or it could be some space age waffle about trees. Keeps you on your toes.

 

[Arthur Wedge]

https://twitter.com/x/status/2044015479761842531