Tony Finau hypes up the group through the EA Sports Road to the Masters Invtational.
Courtesy of Augusta National
AUGUSTA, Ga. — It’s the Sunday earlier than Masters week, and music is blaring within the Augusta National press constructing. There’s a stage arrange on the entrance of the room with eight leather-based lounge chairs and 4 TVs dealing with the group. A sequence of potted magnolia timber line the again of the stage.
The crowd begins a countdown.
10! … 9! … 8! …
When it reaches zero, the room goes darkish and the TV screens present a promotional video for the latest golf online game — EA Sports PGA Tour: Road to the Masters. The crowd — that includes kids from the native Boys & Girls Club, First Tee members and Drive, Chip & Putt individuals — explodes into pandemonium when the characteristic ends. Soon, eight rivals (Josh Allen, Tony Finau, Lexi Thompson, Eric Church, Roger Steele, Iona Stephen, TimTheTatMan and Garrett Hilbert) are launched. The crowd reaches a fever pitch.
Courtesy of Augusta National
This isn’t the everyday scene within the illustrious press constructing. On a mean day throughout event week, lots of of reporters occupy the room. Voices hardly ever elevate above a whisper. Much like the remainder of the property, these are hallowed grounds.
But it’s removed from hushed on today. To kick off the discharge of the brand new online game, the inexperienced jackets have opened the doorways to their press constructing and are actively encouraging the insanity.
The Augusta National of generations previous would by no means endorse such a factor — however things are totally different nowadays. Augusta is cool. Augusta is hip. Augusta is opening up. The notion of the membership as a stuffy, snobby institution is slowly beginning to change.
“The fact that Augusta is opening itself up to more new and progressive experiences around the game for the sake of making sure people are gravitating toward the game and sink their teeth into is great,” stated Steele, who received the Road to Masters Invitational in tandem with Church. “The fact that they are opening up the space in these types of ways to be inclusive to the comprehensive golf ecosystem, it just lets you know that the game of golf is in a good spot and heading in the right direction.”
This online game competitors isn’t the one sign of this shift. In advance of final yr’s Masters, Augusta National invited the outstanding Youtube group Dude Perfect to movie at Amen Corner. On the identical grounds walked by Ben Hogan, Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus, the Dude Perfect quintet filmed an “All Sport Battle.”
And, whereas it might appear odd that Augusta would welcome — and encourage — such horsing round, Dude Perfect has a huge (and constant) following of Gen Zers. Promoting a video filmed at Amen Corner not solely captures the subsequent technology’s eyeballs, it additionally helps shed its uppity repute.
The Augusta National Women’s Amateur is one other nice instance. It was simply 11 years in the past that the membership admitted its first feminine members. Now, it hosts a event of the highest ladies’s amateurs yearly. Then there’s the Drive, Chip & Putt nationwide finals. Seven days earlier than the professionals battle for the inexperienced jacket, children aged 7-15 compete in the identical enviornment for titles of their very own.
This isn’t your grandpa’s Augusta National. Except, in some methods, it’s. The custom, attraction and mystique of the place hasn’t gone anyplace.
Access to the grounds is extraordinarily restricted, and telephone use is forbidden. Food and drinks from concessions — even with a little inflation — received’t break the financial institution. And the sense of tranquility that has been on these grounds for the reason that days of Clifford Roberts stays.
Innovation is essential, however some things are higher left untouched. Augusta National has discovered that steadiness.
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