Rory McIlroy, the defending champion, and the big names of the circuit took turns in press conferences this Tuesday at Augusta ahead of the 90th edition of the Masters. Here is a summary of what you shouldn’t have missed this Tuesday, April 7th at the Masters. Check it out!
Rory, the show in the press conference before the course
With a big smile, green jacket on his shoulders, the Northern Irishman proudly sits down for his 18th press conference at Augusta before the Masters. But this time, the atmosphere is much lighter. Playful, joking, and full of anecdotes, the world number 2 delighted.
Why I didn’t want an Irish dish? Because I also want to enjoy dinner!
Rory McIlroy, about the Champions Dinner menu
Champions Dinner, something 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 had dinner at the club on Tuesday night with some members of the Augusta National, and it was strange. I was driving up Magnolia Lane, and when I arrived at the roundabout, I said to myself: ‘Well, am I going to park all the way back in the parking lot? Because I’m not going to park in the champion’s parking lot.’ And at that exact moment, the champions were having drinks on the balcony. I said to myself: ‘I don’t want to use the 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
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 location every year redoubles its inventiveness to withstand the test of time. Very often, the response from the ANGC members to make the course more competitive has been to lengthen it. First to make it “Tiger Proof” when Woods crushed the competition thanks to his exceptional power, and then every year a little more. This year, it is the 17th hole that has been lengthened 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 go over the bridge to the 12th green, then take off to the 13th, and I thought one day I would like to go down there
Tommy Fleetwood, who remembers his first time at Augusta as a spectator in 2014
Rahm and Fleetwood captivated 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 get behind the 12th tee, it’s the farthest point you can go as a spectator, you can’t go further. “
Jon Rahm explains how unique and timeless this moment seems on the Augusta course: “Once you leave the 12th tee, you practically play the 12th green and the 13th tee without anyone around. The closest spectators are 150 meters from the green and probably 200 meters from the tee. It’s strange, in a way, because the silence is total. If you make a putt on the 12th, you hear cheers with a two-second delay from the stands on the 12th, but sometimes you don’t know 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? Come to the course as quickly as possible and train like a madman? No. Rest to recharge before a challenging week? Not either.
Ask for help from the almighty? Bingo. Cameron Young: “Every week, we discover a new church. Wherever we are, we find a mass to attend. The Players Championship week, it was right next to the course, and many people could see how our family works. Our faith is very important, it unites us.”
The Open de France 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 yet to agree to come back to play on the DP World Tour and earn the right to vie for a spot on the European Ryder Cup team, the Spaniard is confident that a favorable outcome is looming.
To reach the six tournaments necessary to validate his “membership,” Rahm has already listed 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 favorable to me, and I would love to go back. Wentworth has been fantastic every year, as has the Open de Espana, and maybe even the Dunhill (Links). There are also tournaments like the Open de France and the Omega in Switzerland that I would really love to have the opportunity to participate in.”
I played 10 holes feeling like people wanted to kill me.
Gary Woodland
Gary Woodland in a full bad trip in Houston
He recently came back from very far, very far. Gary Woodland, winner in Houston on the PGA Tour two weeks ago, has opened up about his mental health issues. Suffering from post-traumatic stress after brain surgery, the player still struggles, especially during the Texan week. It sends shivers down your spine: “I had a very difficult moment on Friday in Houston. I entered a state of hypervigilance starting from the 9th hole, and I played the last ten holes feeling like people wanted to kill me. I have security guards with me.”
15
That’s the average ranking of Major winners since 2012. The 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, JJ Spaun in the U.S. Open last year (25th in the world) were not astonishing.
For the past 14 years, the lowest-ranked player to win a Major was Phil Mickelson, 48th in the world at his unforgettable victory in the PGA Championship 2021 at 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 the press conference than his chances this week, is a bit hidden. 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 every round of golf played at Augusta.
Rory McIlroy leads the category of birdies per round, with an average of 4.5. Last year he did enough to win the Masters despite four double bogeys during the week.
Photo: @Masters
