Online ReporterAUGUSTA, Ga. — After spending seven days roaming virtually every yard of Augusta National Golf Club, from the historic clubhouse to hours at “Amen Corner” on the other side of the expansive property, here are five takeaways from a memorable 2026 Masters Tournament.
SCHEFFLER’S FLOCK GROWING
Scottie Scheffler created an enormous buzz around Augusta National on Sunday by coming out with two birdies through his first three holes to get within two of the lead early in his round. When he pumped his fist with a clutch par save on the par-3 sixth hole, it appeared a dramatic run by the world’s No. 1-ranked player might be unfolding.
That charge stalled for a few hours with 11 consecutive pars, but it didn’t stop the throngs of Scheffler fans from following him and providing the loudest roars on the course. He rewarded their faith with another spark by rolling in a lengthy putt for his first birdie of the week on the par-5 15th hole, and followed it with another on No. 16. Ultimately, Scheffler’s rally fell a shot short, but he has built a tremendous following.
KNAPP TIME?
Jake Knapp’s yardage book reads “Knapptime,” and the 31-year-old might be on the precipice of becoming a breakout star on the PGA Tour. Known for his streaky ability to go really low, including a 59 in the first round of last year’s Cognizant Classic and a course-record 61 at the Rocket Mortgage Classic, Knapp has often struggled to put four solid rounds together.
He was one of the last players to qualify for this year’s Masters when he slipped into the top 50 of the Official World Golf Ranking on the final cutoff week last month. Playing in only his second career Masters, Knapp closed with a 70 on Sunday to snag an 11th-place finish.
AN AUGUSTA LIKE NO OTHER?
Determining how Augusta National will play is always a challenging task. This year provided an extremely rare mix of zero rain, very little wind and warm temperatures. The course had more brown spots than normal, and the famous camera-friendly azaleas weren’t in bloom.
After the players struggled to find birdie opportunities on Thursday afternoon, Ireland’s Shane Lowry speculated that it might be the most difficult Masters we have seen in a while considering the forecast called for even warmer temperatures. But those conditions never materialized, despite the browned-out spots and firm greens.
DOES RORY’S SUCCESS POSE A PROBLEM?
McIlroy’s quest for an historic Masters repeat was the No. 1 story all week, and deservedly so. He said that he didn’t begin 2026 with a singular drive to win consecutive Masters and that he remains motivated to accomplish new goals in his career.When pressed on what those are, McIlroy declined to provide specifics other than to say the goalposts continue to “keep nudging a little bit further and further out of reach.”
MASTERS’ MASTERY
The Augusta National Golf Club and city of Augusta have developed a secret sauce that makes the Masters a truly unique experience for everyone involved.It begins with the city’s pre-planning that largely alleviates traffic jams around the golf course.
There are rarely backups, parking is free and fans are stress-free entering the course. Once they get inside the gates, a fleet of volunteers make sure foot traffic continues to move throughout the course with relative ease.
No one knows exactly how many tickets the Masters distributes, but even with the leaders on the back nine on Sunday it was never impossible to find a direct view of any player or hole of interest —Reuters.
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