'Going to be tense': Bitter war threatens iconic event

1 year ago 69

This exclusive tract of champions mightiness beryllium the astir anticipated lawsuit of the year. And it's obscurity adjacent the Pacific shores on Kapalua.

The Masters Club is the ceremonial sanction of the yearly meal connected Tuesday nighttime astatine Augusta National during the Masters successful April, and the impermanent database is restricted to Masters champions and president Fred Ridley.

Scottie Scheffler is successful complaint of the paper arsenic the reigning champion, and 1 infinitesimal past twelvemonth illustrates however this mightiness beryllium a meal dissimilar immoderate other.

Scheffler and his woman took a abbreviated abrogation to Tennessee, walked into a edifice and were amazed to spot Bubba Watson and his woman sitting astatine 1 of the tables. Watson is simply a two-time Masters champion. This volition beryllium his 11th dinner.

"I told him that I was conscionable going to person a abstracted array for him successful the country by himself," Scheffler said with a laugh. "Only kidding, obviously."

Even so, ideate the temper this year.

Augusta National, portion not thrilled with the large disagreement successful the athletics caused by the accomplishment of Saudi-funded LIV Golf, said it would support its invitation criteria for the Masters.

Six erstwhile champions — Watson, Phil Mickelson, Charl Schwartzel, Sergio Garcia, Patrick Reed and Dustin Johnson — are present portion of LIV Golf.

All of them are suspended by the PGA Tour for joining a rival league without permission. According to tribunal documents, Mickelson had been suspended for 2 months earlier helium joined for recruiting players to LIV.

They volition beryllium successful the country with Masters champions who person not looked upon kindly astatine the rebel league tally by Australian Greg Norman.

"They've turned their backmost connected what has allowed them to get to this position," five-time Masters champion Tiger Woods said successful July.

In an interrogation past June with Golf.com, 1992 Masters champion Fred Couples said of Mickelson, "I don't deliberation I'll ever speech to him again."

Suddenly, what Scheffler decides for the paper isn't astir arsenic breathtaking arsenic the travel of the meal conversation.

"It's going to beryllium truly interesting, isn't it?" Jordan Spieth said. "I'm truly funny successful Phil, truly funny to spot what that's like. I don't cognize who he's going to speech to, what he's going to say, if he's going to go."

Mickelson was not among the 31 Masters champions astatine the meal past year. While helium was serving a two-month PGA Tour suspension, that didn't impact his quality to the Masters. He chose not to go, conscionable arsenic helium chose not to be a champions meal astatine the British Open astatine the proposition of the R&A.

"It volition beryllium the archetypal clip we've each seen him successful truthful agelong successful a precise absorbing mounting for that," Spieth said.

The seating arrangement, according to assorted players, is similar uncovering a spot successful a precocious schoolhouse cafeteria. Players thin to flock to their comfortableness portion and beryllium with friends. This mightiness beryllium a bully clip to person spot cards.

What Jon Rahm, whose lone large is simply a US Open, could springiness to beryllium there.

"It's astir apt lone comic to me, but I deliberation the Masters Champions Dinner is going to beryllium a small tense compared to however it's been successful the past," Rahm said. "So I support reasoning astir it due to the fact that I privation I could beryllium determination and conscionable beryllium capable to spot however things enactment out. Too atrocious the US Open doesn't person 1 of those."

Scheffler is hopeful it won't beryllium thing excessively theatrical.

Golf has been torn isolated by the disruption, and by the lawsuits. Scheffler didn't person to hold for the Masters Club meal to realise that. His locker astatine the Sentry Tournament of Champions is adjacent to Australia's Cameron Smith, the defending champion who past twelvemonth acceptable a PGA Tour grounds to par astatine 34 under.

Smith has been suspended for joining LIV.

"It's a small strange, but play volition determination on," Scheffler said. "I deliberation this worldly conscionable takes time. Thing volition heal and we'll spot what happens."

Even so, the archetypal premix gathering with LIV players volition beryllium astatine Augusta National, and six of the 16 players eligible for the Masters are invited to dinner.

"I deliberation for a fewer weeks a twelvemonth we tin enactment each that aside, particularly with Augusta National being specified a peculiar spot and with the past of the game," Scheffler said. "I deliberation we tin enactment each our worldly speech and conscionable get unneurotic for a amusive meal, each successful a country unneurotic and conscionable benignant of observe the crippled of play and Augusta National and conscionable bent out."

Three-time champion Nick Faldo isn't truthful definite that volition beryllium the case.

"Things could beryllium said," helium said past period astatine the PNC Championship. "I deliberation a fewer of those guys volition find it hard not to accidental something. I would truly presume it volition beryllium an atmosphere. It's got to beryllium an atmosphere. There's a fewer hard-nosed guys who mightiness privation to accidental something. That volition liven things up."

As Faldo turned to leave, helium smiled and said, "It mightiness beryllium worthy signaling it."

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