EDITOR’S LETTER E Do you own a Masters gnome?
PGA Tour caddie answers your questions Surviving Augusta’s greens No 11 at Augusta No 13 at Augusta Rickie Fowler Cameron Young’s pause CLICK ON THE LINKS BELOW TO VIEW OUR TOP SIX VIDEOS parent. Astonishing how popular Bryson DeChambeau has become here since that week. Many locals will be rooting for him to win a green jacket. The last two years he has looked visibly more comfortable as a contender. Bryson and Jon Rahm were two massive drawcards at Steyn City, yet local fans were also there to see a high- quality international tournament. We have had too few in the past 20 years, and the crowds were hungry for the kind of excitement that LIV delivers (Page 102). It reminded me of the suc- cessful rebel cricket tours which were part of the 1980s sporting landscape. South Africans are happy to accept a golf league that has set itself up as an alternative form of entertainment. For those who sign on to the Masters. com website, it has a new feature called Masters Vault. This allows you to search for any shot from any final round going back to 1968. It will quickly hook you. Stuart McLean stuartm@morecorp.co.za
T he major season is again upon us. We’ve had The Players as a warmup, and now the 90th Masters. A tournament which never seems to grow old. Which ev- ery golfer on the planet would love to attend. Golf Digest has dialled back in recent years on its coverage of the men’s ma- jors, but not the Masters. In this issue we present an entertaining lineup of articles (and videos) about the tourna- ment, the course and its holes, its past champions, and this year its merchan- dise. Any South African who has been to the Masters will have brought home souvenirs such as a shirt, a cap, or ball marker from the merchandise tent, but have any of you acquired one of the Masters gnomes? I’d love to know. The first ceramic gnome was intro- duced for sale at the 2016 Masters, with limited stock, and last year’s model was priced at R850, cheaper than a shirt. However, for some years now it hasn’t been easy to buy one because they have become the most successful collectible in the history of Augusta National. People are going crazy for them. The gnome now claims the highest resale of anything ever sold in the Masters merchandise test, measured both as a multiple of the original cost and the highest dollar amount. If you have one in your possession, it could be worth R150 000! On Page 12, Shane Ryan writes about the frenzy for gnomes. We uniquely have two Editor’s Let- ters in this issue. Max Adler, the US edi-
tor, on Page 51 writes about the absence of bad behaviour at the Masters, which is beginning to plague other American tournaments and the Ryder Cup. Galler- ies at Augusta are under much stricter control than anywhere else, and every patron respects an individual player’s right to compete without harassment. A serious infringement could put you in a “dog box” which already includes Gary and Wayne Player (see Page 66). The PGA of America failed to con- trol the dreadful abuse from large sec- tions of the New York crowds at last year’s Ryder Cup, and the DP World Tour we hope will be invested in cre- ating a more pleasant environment at Adare Manor in Ireland in 2027. They need Masters-type security personnel prepared to eject unpleasant fans. Un- fortunately, the Ryder Cup has become a sports event that attracts the worst kind, the opposite of those spectating at the Masters. A repetition of Bethpage Black next year, or 2029, could see an unprecedented boycott of the match by European team members. I experienced mostly exemplary behaviour among the large and loud crowds at Steyn City for LIV Golf. Nearly all were patriotically cheering on the home team, Southern Guards, yet abuse of the opposition was absent. The tournament was a bigger success than I had imagined considering how expensive it was to attend. Many might have felt “ripped off” by the pricing, but tickets are flying for next year. It makes a perfect gift for a golfing
GOLF DIGEST USA EDITOR-IN-CHIEF JERRY TARDE EDITORIAL DIRECTOR MAX ADLER EXECUTIVE EDITOR PETER MORRICE INTERNATIONAL EDITOR JU KUANG TAN
TEACHING PROFESSIONALS: TODD ANDERSON, MARK BLACKBURN, CHUCK COOK, HANK HANEY, BUTCH HARMON, ERIKA LARKIN, DAVID LEADBETTER, CAMERON MCCORMICK, JIM MCLEAN, MICHAEL NEFF, RENEE POWELL, RANDY SMITH, RICK SMITH, DAVE STOCKTON, JOSH ZANDER PROFESSIONAL ADVISORS: AMY ALCOTT, RANDY MYERS, NICK PRICE, JUDY RANKIN, LUCIUS RICCIO, BOB ROTELLA, BEN SHEAR, RALPH SIMPSON, DR ARA SUPPIAH PLAYING EDITORS: COLLIN MORIKAWA, JORDAN SPIETH
EDITOR STUART MCLEAN DESIGN ELINORE DE LISLE MEDIA SALES DANIEL EGDES (daniele@morecorp.co.za)
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6 GOLF DIGEST SOUTH AFRICA
MARCH/APRIL 2026
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