I’ve said many times, this is my favorite week of the year.  I’m a golf nut and having lived and worked in Augusta, Georgia for five and a half years, I’m in love with The Masters golf tournament.  Forever.  There are many fantastic professional golf tournaments in the world.  One of the finest, The Wells Fargo Championship, is contested here in the Queen City each May.  Quail Hollow Club sports a supreme golf course.  It doesn’t hold a candle to Augusta National Golf Club.  I’ve been fortunate enough to get to play the course several times and have attended the tournament more than enough to consider myself blessed. Want some proof of my love and devotion? See this year’s Halloween costume (Masters caddies).

The fans (excuse me, “patrons”) at Augusta National are the greatest in the golf world.  No group at any tournament is more informed or appreciative of all the players.  That’s not to say they don’t have their favorites, they do.  I’ve spent enough time out there for practice and tournament rounds to feel fairly confident about this list and its order.

One glaring omission in my experience is the late Arnold Palmer.  No one.  I mean no one was more beloved in the game of golf or at The Masters than this 4 time champion.  His passing has left a hole in the sports world that is unfillable.  However, for argument’s sake, I’m only including players that will be on the grounds this week.

• Number 7-Gary Player

  Golf’s “Black Knight.”  Don’t let the black couture fool you, there’s not a better or nicer man anywhere in the world.  A native of South Africa, Player is the golf’s ultimate international ambassador with more than 160 wins in his career around the world.  He won The Masters three times and was the tournament’s first international winner in 1961.  Gary is a member of the World Golf Hall of Fame and serves as an honorary starter for The Masters with Jack Nicklaus and Tom Watson.  He is so friendly and personable.  Easily, Gary Player is one of the most popular players at The Masters this or any year.

  

• Number 6-Jordan Spieth

  Jordan Spieth has taken a relatively short time to become a Masters favorite.  He turned professional in 2012 after leading The University of Texas to a National Championship in his freshman year.  Just three years later he won The Masters.  He should have won the next year, but uncharacteristically squandered a 5 stroke lead with just nine holes to play.  Jordan Spieth wears his emotions on his sleeve.  This really resonates with the patrons and easily makes him one of the most popular players at The Masters.

  

• Number 5-Ben Crenshaw

  Gentle Ben.  The gracious champion from Texas.  He had a long and storied Hall of Fame career, capped by his legendary turn as captain of the 1999 American Ryder Cup team whose performance is known as “The Miracle at Brookline.”  Ben won 19 times on tour and his only two major championships came at Augusta National.  His first was in 1984.  His second, 11 years later.  Earlier that week, Crenshaw buried his longtime coach and second father, Harvey Penick.  He was playing with a heavy heart, but an angel in his bag.  Although beloved by the patrons before, this emotional win cemented Ben Crenshaw forever as one of the most popular players at The Masters.

• Number 4-Phil Mickelson

  If it was two years ago, Phil Mickelson would be higher on this list.  No player’s “go for broke” style of golf (outside of Arnold Palmer) has resonated with fans longer or more than Phil.  He is a Hall of Famer with 45 wins around the world as a professional golfer.  Phil’s a three-time Masters Champion.  His win in 2010, is best remembered by this legendary shot between the trees, off the pine straw, on the par 5, 13th hole.

  The past couple of years have been marred by controversy with Phil’s involvement in the new Saudi-backed LIV Tour and with some not-so-flattering revelations in a recent biography.  Still, there will be plenty of cheers for “Lefty” this week as Phil Mickelson remains one the most popular players at The Masters.

• Number 3-Fred Couples

  Fred Couples is SO popular at The Masters that I could easily make an argument for him to be even higher on this list.  Fred is known for his impossible boyish good looks and easy free-flowing golf swing.  Additionally, he may be the most popular player amongst his peers in the history of the game.  As successful as Fred Couples has been, his career will always be one of “what might have been.”  He’s been haunted by back troubles for decades.  Fred’s Masters win in 1992 is one of my favorites for this reason.  The “Green Jacket” ceremony in Butler Cabin was conducted by his college roommate at The University of Houston, CBS’s Jim Nantz.  The two of them could barely keep it together.

  https://youtu.be/-AASlXPfiqA

• Number 2-Jack Nicklaus

  The Golden Bear.  Golf’s greatest major champion with 18 wins and 19 runner-up finishes in golf’s most prestigious events.  Included in those 18 wins is a record 6 Masters Championships.  His win in 1986 is arguably the greatest win of all time.  It is said that there is no “roar” like a Jack roar.  Want proof?  Listen to Verne Lundquist’s call of Nicklaus’ birdie on the 17th hole in 1986.

  https://youtu.be/6X9-LRZNM60

  To this day, Verne is serenaded with calls of “Yes Sir!” as he makes his way around Augusta National.

• Number 1-TIger Woods

  There aren’t enough superlatives to describe Tiger Woods.  There would have to be to have him higher on this list than Jack Nicklaus.  Tiger is the greatest winner ever on the PGA Tour.  He is second behind Jack Nicklaus on the list of major championship wins with 15.  Tiger has won The Masters 5 times.  I mentioned above that there is no “roar” like a Jack roar.  There’s one exception to that, a Tiger roar.  His first win in 1997 was groundbreaking.  He was the first man of color to win at Augusta National.  This significance cannot be understated.  It indeed was “A Win for the Ages.”

  His last Masters win, quite literally almost broke the ground.  The chants of “Tiger! Tiger! Tiger!” still resonate in my mind.  The win in 1997 saw Tiger the boy hugging his father behind the 18th green.  In 2019, Tiger the man embraced his own son.  There’s was not a dry eye in my house or any other I’ve heard of.  It truly takes someone special to be considered more popular than Jack Nicklaus at The Masters.  Tiger is that and more.

   

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