Rory McIlroy, the defending champion, and the big names on the circuit took turns in press conferences on Tuesday at Augusta ahead of the 90th edition of the Masters. Here’s a quick recap of what you shouldn’t have missed on Tuesday, April 7 at the Masters… Read on!
Rory, the show in the press conference before the course
With a big smile, wearing a green jacket on his shoulders, the Northern Irishman sits proudly for his 18th Augusta Masters press conference. But this time, the atmosphere is much lighter. Playful, humorous, and full of anecdotes, the world number 2 was a delight.
Why I didn’t want an Irish dish? Because I also want to enjoy dinner!
Rory McIlroy, regarding the champions’ dinner menu
Champions dinner that McIlroy discovered for the first time this year, a moment he had long envied his peers, as evidenced by this juicy anecdote from the previous year: “Last year, Justin Rose and I went to dinner at the club on Tuesday night with some members of Augusta National, and it was odd, I drove up Magnolia Lane, and when I arrived at the roundabout, I thought: ‘Well, am I going to park all the way at the back of the parking lot? Because I’m not going to park in the champions’ lot.’ “
“And at that precise moment, the champions were having cocktails on the balcony. I thought: ‘I don’t want to use valet service, get out of the car, they’ll see me and it will be weird.’ So, I had a really awkward moment last year. Fortunately, it was the last time I had to do that.”
I want to destroy him on the course. I beat him at Pinehurst, he beat me here but I hope there will be more battles because it’s good for golf
Bryson DeChambeau about the rivalry with Rory McIlroy
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530
The distance in meters added to the Augusta National course in a quarter of a century!
For several years, the only Major that does not change destination every year has redoubled its inventiveness to withstand the test of time. Very often, the answer given by ANGC members to make the course even more competitive has been to extend it. First to make it “Tiger Proof” when Woods crushed the competition with his exceptional power, and then each year a little more.
This year, it’s the 17th hole that has been extended by about ten meters. In 25 years, Augusta National has gone from 6,387 meters in 2001 to 6,917 meters in 2026. That’s 530 meters, roughly the size of an average par 5 on the PGA Tour.
I watched these players cross the bridge to the 12th green, then tee off on the 13th, and I said to myself I would like to go down there one day
Tommy Fleetwood, remembering his first time at Augusta as a spectator in 2014
Rahm and Fleetwood enchanted by the 12-13 sequence
Present as a spectator in 2014 before his Masters debut in 2017, Tommy Fleetwood recalls his first steps as a “boss” on the course, especially his discovery of the 12th and 13th: “I remember going around the course, and when we arrive behind the tee of the 12th, it’s the furthest point you can go as a spectator, you can’t go any further.”
Jon Rahm explains how this moment seems timeless, unique to Augusta’s course: “Once you leave the 12th tee, you practically play the 12th green and the 13th tee with no one around. The closest spectators are 150 meters from the green and probably 200 meters from the tee. It’s strange, in a way, as the silence is total. If you make a putt on the 12th, you hear cheers two seconds later from the 12th stands, but sometimes you’re not sure if it’s a reaction to what’s happening on the 11th.”
A tradition… like no other for Cameron Young
What could be the perfect preparation for the winner of the 2026 Players Championship, as he starts his week at the Masters? Coming to the course as quickly as possible and training relentlessly? No. Resting to recharge before a challenging week? Not really.
Seeking help from a higher power? Bingo. Cameron Young: “Every week, we discover a new church. Wherever we are, we find a Mass to attend. The week of the Players, it was conveniently right next to the course, and many people were able to see how we function as a family. Our faith is very important, it unites us.”
The French Open or the Omega in Switzerland are tournaments I would like to have the chance to play
Jon Rahm
Rahm confident
If the winner of the 2023 Masters has still not agreed to return to play on the DP World Tour and earn the right to contend for a place on the European Ryder Cup team, the Spaniard is confident that a favorable outcome is looming.
To reach the six necessary tournaments to validate his “membership,” Rahm has already compiled a list of potential tournaments he would like to compete in.
“I fully intend to continue supporting the DP World Tour. I am very grateful to be part of it. I am very grateful to have been able to support the Tour and participate in great tournaments. The Irish Open has always been very good to me, and I’d love to go back. Wentworth has been fantastic every year, as has the Spanish Open, and maybe even the Dunhill (Links). There are also tournaments like the French Open and the Omega in Switzerland that I would very much like to have the chance to play.”
I played 10 holes feeling like people wanted to assassinate me.
Gary Woodland
Gary Woodland in a full-blown bad trip in Houston
He recently came back from a long way, very far. Gary Woodland, winner in Houston on the PGA Tour two weeks ago, opened up about his mental health issues. Suffering from post-traumatic stress after brain surgery, the player is still struggling, especially during the Texan week. It was chilling: “I had a very difficult time on Friday in Houston. I entered a state of hypervigilance from the 9th hole, and I played the last ten holes feeling like people wanted to assassinate me. I have security agents with me.”
15
That’s the average ranking of Major winners since 2012. Huge surprises like Ben Curtis in The Open in 2003, Rich Beem at the PGA Championship in 2002, or Y.E. Yang in the 2009 edition belong to the past.
Even the unexpected successes of Danny Wilett in 2016 at the Masters (12th in the world) or Brian Harman (26th in the world) in The Open in 2023, and J.J. Spaun at the U.S. Open last year (25th in the world) were not really astounding.
For the past 14 years, the lowest-ranked player to win a Major was Phil Mickelson, 48th in the world when he won the PGA Championship in 2021, over 50 years old.
Top 10 vs 4.5
The world number 1, Scottie Scheffler, a bit under the radar, more focused on talking about the birth of his second child in a press conference than his chances this week, flies a bit under the radar. However, he is a model of consistency at the Masters. The only player in the last two years to be in the Top 10 after each round of golf played at Augusta.
Rory McIlroy leads the way in birdies per round over the same period, with 4.5 on average. Last year he did enough to win the Masters despite four double bogeys during the week.
Photo: @Masters
