Augusta National Remains Relentless

👋 Hey Golf Fans,

Before we kick off today's edition, let’s take a moment to celebrate Scottie Scheffler and Meredith welcoming their second child. Just nine days old, Remy is now already at Augusta with mom and big brother Bennett. Scheffler, of course, is more than happy about that, as you can see here.

Speaking of ANGC, it’s finally Masters week! Now, for us fans, it’s endless thrills, but for the pros, it's the ultimate test. Today, we’ll cover winners from tours around the world, share our top Masters picks, and more.

Onward…

Before we start with today’s edition, let's kick things off with the stories that've been making waves.

Butch Harmon gets honest about the chances of POTUS becoming an Augusta National member.

PGA Tour pro talks about why he stayed back at the Tour despite getting a chance to join LIV Golf.

Lydia Ko shares a heartfelt message as her team member passes away at a young age.

Two things Augusta National hands out each year. One, credit card to its players—yes, learn all about it as one PGA Tour winner explains it here. The second is, well, a deceptively simple test. On paper, it’s the same course. Yet, Augusta National only gets tougher each year. For the record, only one adjustment has been made this year: the front of the tee on hole No. 17 (Nandina) has been reduced by 12 yards to 450 yards. But the most impactful, yet almost unrecognizable change happened at the seventh.

The beastly 450-yard par-4 has its approach shots blocked by trees, which have grown this year. Its all-time scoring average is a punishing 4.156 strokes. But one simple number tells you all you need to know: just 20% of players have reached the seventh green after missing the fairway over the last five years. Only Nos. 5 and 11 boast lower success rates.

It can be done, but good luck threading that needle. And it's not even the course's toughest. No. 11 reigns supreme historically with a 4.303 scoring average. We could wax poetic about this Georgia pitch from here to eternity, yet it'd still only scratch the surface. So let’s pivot to records that might be broken this week, and a bit more.

91 players fill the field, including six amateurs and 18 past champions. Mason Howell, 18, has a shot to become the youngest winner. Long shot, yes. Meanwhile, only three players have defended their title over the years, so Rory has a chance to join another rare club. Dustin Johnson still holds the 72-hole scoring record (20-under 268), and Jordan Spieth was the last wire-to-wire winner.

Do you have a name in mind yet who can break these two records?

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Valero Texas Open: On his caddie’s birthday, J.J. Spaun (-17/1st) decided to give him the most fitting gift any golfer could give his looper: a PGA Tour victory. Spaun pulled ahead with a birdie on the 16th and an eagle on the 17th, outdueling the 54-hole leader Robert MacIntyre (-16/T2) by one shot. It was a double win for his caddie, Mark Carens, and their celebration will tell you just how much it meant to the duo. Watch it below.

MacIntyre, like last year’s U.S. Open, tried to chase Spaun down, but squandering early chances cost him big. On the 8th, his lousy wedge cost him a birdie. And he reacted accordingly in an X-rated rant (against himself), as you can listen here.

Aramco Championship: Lauren Coughlin (-7/1st) went wire-to-wire to clinch the inaugural event and her first title since 2024. It called for revelry, and revelry there was on the 18th green, as you’ll see here. Coughlin fired an even-par 72 on Sunday to stay five strokes clear of Nelly Korda and Leona Maguire (-2/T2). Nelly did give her some grief, though. Watch her nail a clutch bunker shot here. It just wasn’t enough.

International Series Japan: Travis Smyth (-15/1st) narrowly sidestepped a playoff with Pavit Tangkamolprasert (-14/T2) and Ryosuke Kinoshita (-14/T2), clinching his second Asian Tour title with one shot. Watch him drain the eagle putt on the 72nd hole. On a side note, Caledonian Golf Club is one of the most scenic courses you’ll ever see—have a look at this beauty.

After days of hidden clues, sneaky hints, and plenty of cracked eggs along the way, we're thrilled to announce that one person has claimed the grand prize!

A huge thank you to everyone else who played along. And stay tuned, because if you had this much fun hunting eggs... you might just want to stick around for what we have planned next.

Masters week is here, so it’s time to put your hopes where your heart beats. Or, money where your mouth is. Anyway, we've got three pros primed to don the Green Jacket this week.

Bryson DeChambeau: A beefed-up Bryson once said Augusta is a “par-67” because his driving prowess can easily tame the course. That haughty Bryson is long gone, and ironically, he has played his best golf at Augusta since then. Oh, in case you weren’t aware, Bryson also revealed the “secret course” pros play to prepare for the Masters. It’s dubbed “Little Augusta,” and you must check it out below.

Bryson is coming off back-to-back victories in LIV. He sits T3 in reaching Greens in Regulation, 7th in Scrambling, and T4 in Putting Average. Moreover, since 2022, he's notched eight top-10s in the majors.

Masters record:

• Scoring average: 72.44

• Best finish: T5 (2025)

• 2025 performance: T5

Tommy Fleetwood: The Englishman often flies under the radar, but he has tackled five PGA Tour events this season and snagged top-10s in four. He ranks 2nd on Tour in Around the Green and 5th in SG: Tee to Green. The only Achilles heel is his putting (110th in SG: Putting). Fleetwood, though, has a hole-in-one on one of the most iconic holes at Augusta National, too. Can you guess? Find out here.

Masters record:

• Scoring average: 72

• Best finish: T3 (2024)

• 2025 performance: T21

Scottie Scheffler: Top PGA Tour pros were asked to pick one player for this year’s Masters fantasy pick. Who did they choose? Your usual suspect: Scottie Scheffler—you’ll be tired of hearing that name on everyone’s lips. And you'd also be a fool to count him out of contention: he’s won here twice and has finished inside the top 20 every single time.

Before you scream, yes, his last three performances haven’t been promising. Yet look at these numbers: 3rd in SG: Total, 6th in SG: Tee to Green, and 12th in SG: Off the Tee. The only problem is the drop to 80th in SG: Approach. But if he improves on his iron play once more, Scheffler will rule the roost.

Masters record:

• Scoring average: 70.33

• Best finish: 1st (2022, 2024)

• 2025 performance: 4th

The Drive, Chip, and Putt National Finals just turned 12 years old, older than most of the pint-sized champs playing there. Roy Moon, winner of the Boys 7-9 group, is a future champ! The kid crushed the driving distance, came second in chipping, and his second putt landed within a foot of the hole. So, what are his plans for the celebration? Partying, of course—hear straight from the kid himself.

On the other hand, Arabella Tellez (238.6 yards) and Ethan Li (252.1 yards) made the longest drives in the girls’ 10-11 and boys’ 10-11 divisions, respectively. But this one shot stood out the most. You’ve seen (and probably tried) cross-handed chipping and putting. But driving? We present to you Colton Gress’s cross-handed driving—don’t ask for tips, we’ve no clue.

Essentially Golf brings you handpicked, well-thought-out, and not-to-be-missed recommendations to make your weekend more fun.

🎥 Watch — Jordan Spieth talks about unique traditions at Augusta.

🛍 Buy — Grip Golf Club is a perfect design for a golf beginner.

🏌️‍♀️ Gear Up — Birdie Bourbon Glass is made for slow sips.

👥 Follow — Monday Q Info is your next best source for golf updates.

⛳ Play — Copperhead Course is where you can play like a pro.

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