2026 US Masters, Augusta...

[JohnS]

Well friends, it's that time of the year again when everything gears up to Sunday afternoon at Augusta and the drama associated with who will be the final winner (usually from the final two pairings). Even my wife, who doesn't really follow golf, was hooked last year watching Rory McIlroy trying to break his ten year drought of major championships and join the 'greats' in winning all four golfing majors (which of course he did).

The buzz this year before the tournament is Bryson DeChambeau. In my view, the Masters doesn't need any extra publicity as the event itself is well-established culturally worldwide, but DeChambeau wants revenge on McIlroy this year as he didn't speak a word to him last year in the final round in their pairing together. This all harks back to DeChambeau's involvement with LIV Golf and McIlroy's vocal opposition to it. Drama, drama, drama! Also, DeChambeau plans to use a 5-iron that he made with a 3D printer (I kid you not!).

Below is an article from Cigar Aficionado from their January/February magazine to get you in the mood highlighting some strange traditions with the tournament (such as smoking cigars on the course but not being able to buy any). If you have the time, check out Amazon Prime's excellent documentary on Rory McIlroy highlighting his win at the 2025 US Masters that has just been released. You can also read last year's thread on the US Masters.

A Trip To The Masters

Traveling to Augusta National to watch the Masters in person is like nothing else on Earth

By Larry Olmsted - From The Top 25 Cigars Of The Year, January/February 2026

A sea of Masters patrons watch as Rory McIlroy bombs a tee shot during the final round at Augusta last April, en route to his first green jacket.

More people watch the Super Bowl. Far more people attend the Indy 500. But pretty much everyone agrees that the Masters stands above them all. In the entertainment industry, it’s known as “the toughest ticket in sports.”  It’s a true bucket list event for anyone who loves sports and spectacle, especially so for golf fans.

When it comes to spectator events, bigger is not always better. Exclusivity helps give the Masters its unrivaled cache, but being part of an elite club is not the reason to attend. What makes it so special is the ultra-rich history of the event, the always star-studded field, an atmosphere unlike any in sports, and most of all, the course itself, the spectacular Augusta National Golf Club. Getting there in person is far from easy, and it can be quite expensive, $10,000 or more. But it’s a trip you aren’t likely to forget or regret.

When Rory McIlroy took home his first green jacket last year, he became just the sixth golfer in history to win a career Grand Slam, all four Majors. The Masters seems like history in the making every year that consistently produces the biggest winners in golf, from Nicklaus to Woods, Palmer to Watson, Couples to Mickelson, Faldo to Scheffler. But despite the star-studded field, people who have attended the Masters—even those who go repeatedly—rate the course before the players. And they say there is nothing like seeing it up close. The first thing that stands out is how different it looks in person.

When the gates open, you can speed walk—but you can’t run—to find the perfect spot on the course.

“You cannot appreciate it on TV,” says Peter Harris, a PGA Class A teaching professional who has been in the golf industry for 40 years, including a lengthy stint with Titleist. He has been to the Masters six times. “The sixth hole looks like they buried a car under the putting surface . . . . Looking down from the tenth tee, it’s like being on a cliff. It just drops away.”

“TV doesn’t do it justice with the elevation changes,” says Kevin Frisch, a golf industry insider and longtime teaching pro who attended the Masters for 10 years. “My tip is get there early, right when the gates open. Concessions are so cheap, just do breakfast on the course, then walk all 18 holes in order. It won’t be crowded in the morning and that’s the best way to appreciate how stunning and big and hilly it is.”

The number one piece of advice from Frisch and other Masters regulars is to walk all the holes in order at some point, which is easier to do early in the day and early in the week.

“It’s the tradition, it just reeks of history, and it’s one of those courses that deserves, no begs, to be walked and experienced. Walking the entire course in one day is a treat, so follow a group from start to finish at least once,” says Chad Clark, who knows a thing or two about the subject. The former TV sportscaster is a rabid fan of spectacle and has been to every major sporting event on earth, from F1 to Wimbledon, the soccer and rugby World Cups, Super Bowl, Kentucky Derby, Final Four and finals of the NBA, MLB and NHL. But to him, the Masters holds a special place, and he has been three times. Now, as one of the nation’s leading luxury travel advisors and owner of Chad Clark Travel in Phoenix, he regularly helps his high-net worth clients attend.

“It is simply one of the greatest spectator events in all of sports,” Clark says, “and in my opinion, one of the top two in-person golf tournaments in the world, along with the Phoenix Open, the sport’s most-attended event. Both are awesome, but the Masters is totally different. It’s rarefied, all about golf and the setting, while Phoenix is all about a party. The patrons, or spectators, and the players each have the utmost respect for each other.”

Rules Of The Game

In a world where most people are tethered to their cell phones, the Masters is somewhat of a technology desert. Cell phones are completely banned at the tournament. When you enter, you’ll need to surrender your phone and check it at a locker. (If you’re found with a cell phone on the premises you will be kicked out, and placed on the naughty list, which can get you banned from the event for life.) Laptops and tablets are also banned.

You can bring a camera, but only during the pre-tournament days. When the official play begins on Thursday, cameras are not allowed in the hands of the patrons, as Augusta lovingly calls its on-site audience.

You can’t buy cigars at Augusta but you are free to smoke them, and you’ll be in good company.

Without a cell phone, patrons are in their own little world, free of distraction and absolutely in the moment, but also often well behind the television audience in terms of knowing the score. “Without cell phones,” says Harris, “even seeing the leaderboard change is dramatic.”

Running is also banned, so practice your power walking to give you an edge to get to the good spots first when the gates open. Cigars on the other hand, are welcome, and smoke wafts throughout the grounds. No tobacco is sold on the premises, so you have to bring your own. You can also bring a cutter, lighter or matches, but since larger backpacks and purses are not allowed, pack these in a clear plastic bag to be safe. If you did not plan ahead, the closest good retailer to the course is Marcella’s Fine Cigars & Tobacco, a mile away on Washington Street. If you are staying in downtown Augusta, there is also the Downtown Smoke Shop.

With tons of staff, well-behaved guests and plenty of rules, the atmosphere is a unique mix of electric and cloistered—a cathedral to the game. This is another aspect that makes fans feel so good about their decision to bite the bullet and knock it off their bucket list. In the 90-plus years they have been hosting the tournament, Augusta National has perfected the execution of a sporting event and infused it with Southern hospitality. It is an expensive but extremely well-oiled experience, and once you arrive, everything from the food to the layout to the thousands of flowering azaleas is spectacular. But it is not something to be stumbled into blindly, especially given the cost, so it pays to make a plan, get some insider knowledge and make the absolute most of your first Masters experience.

How To Do The Masters Right

The Masters is always held the first full week of April, and the spectacle begins on Monday with two days of practice rounds. These are traditionally the least expensive tickets of the week. There are also smaller crowds, making this the easiest way to see the course. The downside is you won’t see competitive golf.

Wednesday is also a practice day but the main event is the Par-3 Contest, a unique and beloved part of Masters tradition that involves players using their wives and children as caddies and one that typically sees several holes in one. (The record was set in 2016, with nine.) It is fun and lively and colorful, and it has become a fan favorite rivaling the tournament itself.

Play begins on Thursday, and that day and Friday are marginally less expensive than Saturday and Sunday, the most desirable tickets. You can buy tickets on the secondary market, but one golf tour operator who requested anonymity due to Augusta’s famously sensitive stance on pricing and resale warned that even legitimate major online ticket agencies were caught shorthanded last year and failed to deliver tickets they sold, causing spectators to be unable to attend at the last minute. “The secondary market is extremely unpredictable,” he says. “Last year, in the week leading up to and during Masters Week, prices went through the roof—anywhere from $6,000 to $10,000 per ticket for Wednesday through Sunday, if you could even find them. Right now, StubHub is showing around $3,500 each for 2026.” Monday and Tuesday practice round tickets are usually about half that price.

Full Article: https://www.cigaraficionado.com/article/a-trip-to-the-masters

[HDGSN]

[TheDonTX]

Huge fan of all of it. Great article! Had no idea cigars were allowed. 

[david9985]

The Masters is the very top of my bucket list. 😎

[Deeg]

Rory’s distaste for BDC goes a lot deeper than the LIV thing. He’s a straight-up A-hole.

[Nevrknow]

14 hours ago, JohnS said:

Marcella’s Fine Cigars & Tobacco, a mile away on Washington Street

Only a mile sounds great doesn't it? From a local, 51 weeks a year it is a 5 minute trip. 👍 Week of the Masters it's 45 minutes. 😂 Buy early in the day. Leave your hotel early!

Marcella is a good shop though. Been a while since I have been there but if your in town stop in. Great people there.

[gormag38]

Every year I apply for tickets. Every year I get the dreaded, yet expected, 'Sorry....' email. One day It'll happen.

[Ruggerpgh99]

I am the same as @gormag38 I've been putting into the lottery every year for as long as I can remember. One year, I will get the call and I will get tickets and visit that place, just once. 

[JohnS]

Sam Burns and Rory McIlroy on top of the leaderboard at 5 under after Round 1. Scottie Scheffler at 2 under and Bryson DeChambeau at 4 over. Hmmm...interesting!

[westg]

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DW7KMM3S0bb/?igsh=MWE4YXB4dXU5ZWE2dA==

Turns out Tiger Woods did show up.

[MrFolgers]

21 hours ago, westg said:

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DW7KMM3S0bb/?igsh=MWE4YXB4dXU5ZWE2dA==

Turns out Tiger Woods did show up.

[Nevrknow]

A great comedic piece from a local. He nails it with his editorials and I honestly seek him out this time of year. He comes up with some goodies! Part fiction/ part not? Or is it all....... 😂

Welcome Masters Patrons, 

Feel like letting what little hair you still have down? Well, no Middle Aged Honky Spring Break is complete without an evening at the Discotheque. But let’s not engage in shenanigans; shenanigation is expressly forbidden. Here are the dos and don’ts of this cultural institution. 

1. Keep your grubby paws to yourself. You don’t, you’ll pull back a nub. 
2. Don’t get Saturday drunk on Thursday. Rookie mistake, and if you get unruly, remember that the Augusta Gray Bar Hilton has some very poor Yelp reviews. 
3. The dancers dance, you don’t. Nobody, not even you, wants to see you naked. 
4. Ask where the Snake Lady is! They never get tired of that question at all and it shows that you are a sophisticated customer.
5. They dance, you tip. In the immortal words of Randy Moss, “straight cash, homie.” Blow that per diem, homie. 
5. Legend has it that if you lick the carpeting you will get magical superpowers, like being able to forecast last year’s Tunamint champions. 
6. Dress appropriately. You should wear head to toe Masters apparel because people in Augusta during Masters week might not know that you have been to the Augusta National if you don’t wear Augusta National gear. 
7. Request appropriate stripping music. Might we suggest the Barney theme song, bagpipe music, or “Amazing Grace”?
8. Tell your dancer all about how you won sales rep of the year in 1993. She will find your tales of triumph FASCINATING as far as you know. 
9. Don’t even bother trying to get the stripper glitter off your clothes or body. That stuff is permanent and will provide hours of conversation with your soon to be ex-wife’s lawyer.

[JohnS]

What can one say after the second round? This is Rory McIlroy's tournament to lose? The way he's playing, I wouldn't bet on it! What about that sequence of play on the back nine today - simply sensational, especially the chip in from off the green on the 17th for birdie.

So, to be aware of how the final two rounds will likely proceed, Rory McIlroy leads by six shots (yes, that is not a typo) after 36 holes. Frankly, no-one has led by such a margin at the halfway point of the Masters before. The previous 5 players who led by five shots after 36 holes have gone on to win the tournament (Herman Keiser in 1946, Jack Nicklaus in 1975, Raymond Floyd in 1976, Jordan Spieth in 2015 and Scottie Scheffler in 2022). Only Harry Cooper in 1934 failed to go on to win. This is despite McIlroy have next to the lowest driving accuracy in the tournament thus far; it's his short game - especially his putting, that has pulled him so far ahead of the field.

If Rory McIlroy does 'don' the green jacket again on Sunday afternoon, he will join Jack Nicklaus (1965-66), Nick Faldo (1989-90) and Tiger Woods (2001-02) as back-to-back champion. And if he wins wire-to-wire (a golfing term that means to lead or joint-lead a tournament in all four rounds), he will join Craig Wood in 1941, Arnold Palmer in 1960, Jack Nicklaus in 1972, Raymond Floyd in 1976, Jordan Spieth in 2015 and Dustin Johnson in 2020 in doing that. And finally, Dustin Johnson holds the record for the lowest 4-round score of 20 under (or 268) in 2020.

History and the record books beckon...

[MrFolgers]

5 hours ago, JohnS said:

What can one say after the second round? This is Rory McIlroy's tournament to lose? The way he's playing, I wouldn't bet on it! What about that sequence of play on the back nine today - simply sensational, especially the chip in from off the green on the 17th for birdie.

So, to be aware of how the final two rounds will likely proceed, Rory McIlroy leads by six shots (yes, that is not a typo) after 36 holes. Frankly, no-one has led by such a margin at the halfway point of the Masters before. The previous 5 players who led by five shots after 36 holes have gone on to win the tournament (Herman Keiser in 1946, Jack Nicklaus in 1975, Raymond Floyd in 1976, Jordan Spieth in 2015 and Scottie Scheffler in 2022). Only Harry Cooper in 1934 failed to go on to win. This is despite McIlroy have next to the lowest driving accuracy in the tournament thus far; it's his short game - especially his putting, that has pulled him so far ahead of the field.

If Rory McIlroy does 'don' the green jacket again on Sunday afternoon, he will join Jack Nicklaus (1965-66), Nick Faldo (1989-90) and Tiger Woods (2001-02) as back-to-back champion. And if he wins wire-to-wire (a golfing term that means to lead or joint-lead a tournament in all four rounds), he will join Craig Wood in 1941, Arnold Palmer in 1960, Jack Nicklaus in 1972, Raymond Floyd in 1976, Jordan Spieth in 2015 and Dustin Johnson in 2020 in doing that. And finally, Dustin Johnson holds the record for the lowest 4-round score of 20 under (or 268) in 2020.

History and the record books beckon...

Rory looks totally locked in. Agree this is his to lose. 

[Chibearsv]

On 4/11/2026 at 3:20 PM, JohnS said:

wins wire-to-wire (a golfing term

Because I know you appreciate additional knowledge, I have to correct you. “Wire to wire” is a horse racing term adopted by golf. I may have spent more time at a race track than a reasonable gentleman, such as yourself, would. 😁

[MrBirdman]

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DPOwrkxjdtV/

[MrFolgers]

On 4/11/2026 at 8:47 PM, MrFolgers said:

Rory looks totally locked in. Agree this is his to lose. 

Nothing to see here folks.. this is why I don’t bet. 

[PuroDiario]

Tomorrow will be fun to watch it develop. 

[JohnS]

On 4/11/2026 at 9:35 PM, Chibearsv said:

Because I know you appreciate additional knowledge, I have to correct you. “Wire to wire” is a horse racing term adopted by golf. I may have spent more time at a race track than a reasonable gentleman, such as yourself, would. 😁

True.

13 hours ago, MrFolgers said:

Nothing to see here folks.. this is why I don’t bet. 

Same here. I mean everyone else in the Top Ten posted between 3 under and 7 under in the 3rd Round, except Rory McIlroy. You wouldn't believe he'd post 1 over after what happened in the first two rounds. Still, he's in a tie for the lead.

13 hours ago, PuroDiario said:

Tomorrow will be fun to watch it develop. 

Recent history suggests that the winner will come from the final two pairings, so that would theoretically mean Cameron Young, Rory McIlroy, Sam Burns or Shane Lowry but who am I to rule out that Scottie Scheffler won't repeat his incredible Round 3 result and do a 'Jack Nicklaus 1986' in the final round?

This is why we will be glued to our sets on Sunday afternoon. You can't beat the drama!

[JohnS]

Well done to Rory McIlroy for winning the US Masters back-to-back. Kudos also to Scottie Scheffler for going bogey-free in the last two rounds on the weekend. This is the first time that anyone has done that since 1942! If only that putt on the 17th dropped in, we might have had an interesting playoff. Commiserations to Justin Rose, who has had 5 Top 5 finishes at the Masters to come up short. He was in the lead on the back nine (or second nice at Augusta, as they call it) and couldn't pull it off.

[TheCigarSoldier]

Can't ask for much more from a Sunday at Augusta. That was anyone's tournament for a solid 2 hour stretch there heading into the second nine. Lot of guys had opportunities to run away with it. Congrats to Rory for more history. Phil is my all time favorite player but I think after today Rory's got him beat.

[gormag38]

13 hours ago, JohnS said:

Commiserations to Justin Rose

Poor Rosey. He's a golfer who never has really moved the needle for me, however these past two years I find myself pulling for him. Just seems like an absolutely amazing guy who is on the backside of his 40s and playing some incredible golf. I will certainly be hoping he gets another crack or two at the remaining majors this year