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With the PGA Tour in Florida, it’s the time of year when players who are in the Masters field work out details to get to Augusta National for practice rounds.
One of the perks of an invite is the ability to line up tee times at the famed course any time it is open and not holding a special event. Recently, two players who have yet to play in the tournament got their first look.
Wyndham Clark, the reigning U.S. Open champion who first qualified last May by winning the Wells Fargo Championship, visited the Tuesday of Arnold Palmer Invitational week. He had been at a Wells Fargo media day at Quail Hollow on Monday and accompanied course owner and Augusta member Johnny Harris to the home of the year’s first major.
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“It was amazing,” Clark said. “That’s a place I always dreamed of playing at and then to do it with my dad and brother was awesome. We were talking the first couple of holes and we were just looking at each other and saying this is cool.”
Nick Dunlap also visited recently. As the reigning U.S. Amateur champion, he earned a spot in the Masters field by winning at Cherry Hills. His also won the American Express Championship in January and has since turned pro.
“In my opinion, it’s the most special place in the world as far as golf courses go,” Dunlap said. “There’s a different feeling about it and it took me a day and a half to where I would just stop looking around and be like, man, I’ve got to play golf here. There’s such an awe factor. I mean, just driving down Magnolia Lane and then the golf course is just perfect. It’s the most nervous I’ve been for a shot that means nothing. It’s just different.”
Rory McIlroy, who has a chance to to complete the career Grand Slam with a Masters victory but hasn’t won a major in 10 years, is undecided whether he will go pre-Masters week as he often has in the past.
McIlroy is not playing the Valero Texas Open the week prior to the Masters and said he might go that week. He’s also had visits to the course to play with his dad, Gerry.
“I've done that a lot and it's really nice and I can certainly do that after the Masters, but when I do it before, I don't feel like I get a ton out of it,” he said. “Like in terms of like preparation for the week and actually getting into the mindset I need to get into. So maybe a quick pit stop on the way to San Antonio to play a practice round and spend some time. But as I said, nothing planned as of yet.”
The Valspar field … and other notes
Much has been made about the possible impact on regular PGA Tour events with the addition of the big-money, small-field signature events. And following a signature event as well as the Players Championship does not exactly do this week’s Valspar Championship any favors.
But the final event of the Florida Swing has attracted a strong field with two of the top 10 in the Official World Golf Ranking, including Xander Schauffele and Brian Harman—runners-up at last week's Players Championship. Patrick Cantlay was entered but withdrew.
The tournament also has Jordan Spieth, Justin Thomas, two-time winner Sam Burns, Tony Finau and former champion Gary Woodland this week at the Innisbrook Resort’s Copperhead course. For now it has 10 of the top 30 in the OWGR.
