19th Hole

‘They should be ashamed’ – LIV pro rips Augusta National for handling of ex-champ’s retirement moment

Published

3 years ago

Apr 10, 2023

Take away the hotbed of the top of the leaderboard and the one thing golf does well is to give its former champions a great send-off.

Related: Viktor Hovland appeared to send a message to ‘brutally slow’ Patrick Cantlay during Masters final round

Sadly, that wasn’t true for the 1998 Masters champion, Sandy Lyle, a victim of strange circumstance when Augusta National suspended play for a second time on Saturday.

Related: Dave Portnoy reignites feud with Brooks Koepka while revelling in his Masters heartache

Whilst weather forecasts predicted the storms, nobody could have predicted the incredible scenes of trees falling near the 17th green, let alone Lyle, who had to walk off the course with just two putts remaining of his 42-event Masters career.

For the final time in competition, Sandy Lyle, the 1988 Masters champion, finishes his round on No. 18. #themasters pic.twitter.com/Fnxg543DTv

— The Masters (@TheMasters) April 7, 2023

When play resumed on Sunday, Augusta held back many of the patrons for a short while, meaning Lyle finished his tournament in front of approximately 50 people, including family and friends.

Lyle explained, “I needed about another 30 seconds probably [on Saturday] and I would have had the chance to hit the putt. We tried to talk to the official that, ‘you know, please, let us finish’. But, no, they stuck to the rules, and rules are rules and we had to abide by that.”

His playing partner, Jason Kokrak, was not happy.

“To not have the patrons let in at 8 o’clock to be around that green is damn near unforgivable,” he told reporters in Augusta. “I think it’s the most ridiculous thing.”

Kokrak added,

“And I think it’s absolutely chicken shit that they wouldn’t grant a special exemption because they weren’t going to blow the horn except — I mean, I understand that there was a freak accident — trees going down.”

The three-time PGA Tour winner, now on the LIV tour, continued, “To not have a temporary exemption for something like that — I get that the lightning was in the area, but they weren’t going to blow the horn for a few more minutes.”

“So I think it’s something that will be lost. I enjoyed my time with Sandy the last couple of days, and I think he should have been able to finish. Especially with the patrons around here.”

“That’s what makes this place so great is the golf IQ of the patrons out here, or the fans that come out to Augusta. Because they knew what was going on and I think they wanted to see him make his last putt.”

“So I think Augusta National and the rules committee should be ashamed of themselves. And I’m really disappointed for him and his family for him not to be able to have that moment.”

In the end, Lyle two-putted with a replica of the putter he used during his one-shot victory over Mark Calcavecchia, complimenting Augusta and his playing partner in the process.

Commenting on the walk up 18 for the final time before the suspension, the 65-year-old said, “They [patrons] have been very supportive and more noticeable probably yesterday. They all stood up coming up the 18th and Jason Kokrak stood by the green and clapped for me all the way from there.”

“So they’re nice memories and I’m going away with, going home with a good feeling,.” he concluded.

How much each player won at the 2026 Masters

Published

2 months ago

Apr 13, 2026

Gianni Magliocco

Rory McIlroy made it two wins in as many years at Augusta National, seeing off the challengers on a dramatic Sunday to slip on the green jacket once again. The victory earned Rory a whopping payday of $4.5 million, with Scottie Scheffler his closest challenger earning $2.43 million for his sole runner-up finish.

With a total prize purse of $22.5 million up for grabs, here’s a look at how much each player won at the 2026 Masters tournament.

For players that did not make the cut, they still earned $25k for their efforts at the year’s opening major.

1: Rory McIlroy, $4.5 million
2: Scottie Scheffler, $2.43 million
T3: Tyrrell Hatton, $1.08 million
T3: Russell Henley, $1.08 million
T3: Justin Rose, $1.08 million
T3: Cameron Young, $1.08 million
T7: Collin Morikawa, $725,625
T7: Sam Burns, $725,625
T9: Xander Schauffele, $630,00
T9: Max Homa, $630,00
11: Jake Knapp, $562,500
T12: Jordan Spieth, $427,500
T12: Brooks Koepka, $427,500
T12: Hideki Matsuyama, $427,500
T12: Patrick Reed, $427,500
T12: Patrick Cantlay, $427,500
T12: Jason Day, $427,500
T18: Viktor Hovland, $315,000
T18: Maverick McNealy, $315,000
T18: Matt Fitzpatrick, $315,000
T21: Keegan Bradley, $252,000
T21: Ludvig Aberg, $252,000
T21: Wyndham Clark, $252,000
T24: Matt McCarty, $182,083
T24: Adam Scott, $182,083
T24: Sam Stevens, $182,083
T24: Chris Gotterup, $182,083
T24: Michael Brennan, $182,083
T24: Brian Campbell, $182,083
T30: Alex Noren, $146,250
T30: Harris English, $146,250
T30: Shane Lowry, $146,250
T33: Gary Woodland, $121,500
T33: Dustin Johnson, $121,500
T33: Brian Harman, $121,500
T33: Tommy Fleetwood, $121,500
T33: Ben Griffin, $121,500
T38: Jon Rahm, $105,750
T38: Ryan Gerard, $101,250
T38: Haotong Li, $96,750
T41: Justin Thomas, $92,250
T41: Sepp Straka, $87,750
T41: Jacob Bridgeman, $83,250
T41: Kristoffer Reitan, $78,750
T41: Nick Taylor, $74,250
46: Sungjae Im, $69,750
47: Si Woo Kim, $65,250
48: Aaron Rai, $61,650
T49: Corey Conners, $57,600
T49: Marco Penge, $57,600
51: Kurt Kitayama, $55,250
52: Sergio Garcia, $54,000
53: Rasmus Hojgaard, $52,650
54: Charl Schwartzel, $51,300

19th Hole

CBS’s Sunday Masters coverage slammed by golf fans

Published

2 months ago

Apr 13, 2026

Gianni Magliocco

While Sunday was a dramatic day at the Masters, many golf fans were left feeling frustrated by the CBS final round coverage.

There were plenty of moments that golf fans took to social media to air their frustrations on Sunday over, including a lack of shots being shown throughout the day, being behind the live action, confusion over the approach shots of the final group on 18, and providing an angle for the winning putt where the cup couldn’t be seen.

Here’s a look at some of the criticisms that were directed at the CBS coverage throughout the day on X:

This has been a brutal broadcast for CBS. When the folks from Augusta sit down with them this year, you can bet they’ll talk about this 15 seconds where we have no idea where Rory’s ball went, and Dottie moans. #TheMasters pic.twitter.com/ak3mkpIN7V

— Ryan (@PossiblyRy) April 12, 2026

It’s rare criticism coming in for CBS, who are usually heavily praised for their Masters coverage each year.

19th Hole

The surprise club Tommy Fleetwood says is key to his Masters chances

Published

2 months ago

Apr 7, 2026

Gianni Magliocco

Tommy Fleetwood goes in search for the first major victory of his career again this week, with the Englishman proving to be a popular pick at Augusta National.

Fleetwood’s best showing at Augusta came back in 2024 where he finished T3, and while speaking at his pre-tournament press conference, the 35-year-old emphasized the importance of his 9-wood in his pursuit of the green jacket.

Speaking on Tuesday to media, Fleetwood said:

“It’s a great 9-wood golf course. I think it’s always been — I can’t remember when I first put like a 9-wood in or a high lofted club, but it’s a perfect like 9-wood golf course. I’ve had that in the bag for a few years.”

The Englishman continued, revealing that his strategy for the week won’t just be to hit driver off the tee as much as possible:

“Yeah, it’s funny really because I know Augusta is probably associated with being fairly forgiving off the tee in a way, so you think you can whale around driver a little bit. But I don’t necessarily think that’s always the play for me. I think there’s holes that set up really well where I can draw it with the mini driver if I’m feeling less comfortable with the driver and things like that.”

That strategy he believes will make his TaylorMade Qi10 9-wood extra critical this week in Georgia:

“The biggest thing is the 9-wood for me. If I can put myself in position on the par-5s or the 4th long par-3, like it — for me, I can’t really hit that high 4-iron, so 9-wood helps me a lot.”