AUGUSTA, Ga. — Quietly, in the same way he moved around Augusta National Golf Club for nearly two decades, the Jeff Knox era has ended in the Masters Tournament.
There will be no fanfare or farewell to the Augusta National member who had served as the club’s noncompeting marker since 2002.
According to a family source, Knox, 59, was informed by the club that he wouldn’t be called on this year if needed.
“I’ve heard this same thing,” said 1987 Masters champion Larry Mize.
A marker plays when there is an uneven number of players after the 36-hole cut. He goes off in the first group of the day in a twosome to keep that participant’s scorecard and provide company and pace for the round. He does not post a score.
“I heard there is another guy who is the marker so I’m thinking must be a good player,” Mize, who was beaten by Knox in 2014 when they were paired together. “If Jeff’s not playing, he must be a really good player because Jeff is a really good player.”
Club member Michael McDermott, a native of Philadelphia, is expected to take over that role.
There will be no press release or comment from Chairman Fred Ridley about the change. Ridley does not discuss membership issues.
Instead, Knox, who was something of a mystery man to fans because he played in the event but wasn’t in the tournament, will slip back into the shadows.
“He’ll be sorely missed because the players have always enjoyed playing with him,” said Paul Casey, who was paired with Knox four years ago. “It’s very difficult to be a marker and he did it brilliantly.
“Nobody ever fills anybody else’s shoes because you shouldn’t be like the person you’ve succeeded but it will be a tall task to compete with how good Jeff was,” Casey said on Wednesday.
“When you describe his golf game, it’s nothing flash,” Casey added. “It’s precision and it’s controlled. He understands risks and his management and where he positions his golf ball is strong. Very efficient. Moreso as a human being, he’s just a cool guy. I mean gentleman, first and foremost. But I thought his golf was stellar.”
Knox, who lives in Augusta and is a member of the Georgia Golf Hall of Fame, served as Casey’s marker in the third round of the 2018 Masters.
“We were early on a Saturday morning first out,” Casey said. “Not only did we play in about 3 hours, 10 minutes, Jeff shot probably level and I shot probably 3- or 4-under (he shot 69). It was just a joy. It was quick, good golf and there is nothing better than quick, good golf,” Casey said.
No official records are kept on appearances by markers in club history. But Knox played with at least five former or future Masters champions (Bubba Watson twice, Sergio Garcia, Vijay Singh, Sandy Lyle, and Craig Stadler).
In addition to Mize and Casey, he played with Rory McIlroy, Ernie Els, Jason Day, Steve Stricker, Keegan Bradley, Miguel Angel Jimenez, Eddie Pepperell, Thongchai Jaidee, Kelly Kraft, and Sung Kang.
Most famously, he beat Mcllroy when they were paired together in the third round in 2014. Knox shot 2-under-par 70 to McIlroy’s 71. Knox then beat Augusta native Mize the next day, meaning Knox was the “low Augustan” in that tournament.
“I thought he was going to be nice and three-putt the last and we would have a halve, but he beat me by one,” McIlroy laughed after that round with Knox.
McIlroy finished birdie-birdie to shoot his 71 and Knox made bogey for his 70 when he hit his approach into the greenside bunker and failed to get up and down.
“He obviously knows this place so well and gets it around,” McIlroy said that day. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone putt the greens as well and he does around here. He was really impressive. I was thinking of maybe getting him to read a few of my putts out there.
“He played just like he should be playing in the Masters.”
Following that weekend of beating McIlroy and Mize, Knox never kept a “real” score again, picking up on at least one hole during the round.
With the changing of the guard means Knox’s last trip around Augusta National as a marker was an unusual one. He’d always been called from the bullpen on the weekend. But in 2020, some players had to finish their first round on Friday. After that round, Erik Van Rooyen withdrew with a back injury, leaving no one to play with Sung Kang in the second round later that day. Knox got the emergency call and was ready.
He wasn’t needed on the weekend that year or in 2021 because an even number of players made the cut each year.
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