Greetings!
We have a lot to get to today ahead of next week, but first I wanted to update you on everything we’re giving away during the first major of the year.
We always try to shine as bright a spotlight as possible on our sponsors during the biggest week in golf, and this time around is no different.
We will kick things off on Monday by giving away $500 worth of merch from any 2026 major championship you want followed by our first major contest of 2026, OGIO travel bags, a Garmin rangefinder and plenty more.
Here’s a look at the goodies.
Eligibility for each of these giveaways will include being subscribed to this newsletter (which you are) and also commenting on that day’s giveaway post on Twitter. I’ll drop all of those posts in here so you don’t miss them.
For the fantasy contest, I’ll drop those in here beginning of next week, but you will need a Splash Sports account to play them. You can sign up for one right here.
We’re pumped about this and grateful to our sponsors for supporting us in this way.
Name drops today: Jack Burke Jr., Si Woo Kim, Nick Faldo, Danny Willett, Ken Venturi.
This newsletter is brought to you by Charlie Golf Co. whose bags you will almost certainly see at the opening act to the first major of the year.
The one where kids — with Charlie Golf Co. bags slung over their shoulders (as seen here!) — are running around chasing their very famous dads.
One of my favorite things about covering this tournament has been incorporating my own kids into my Masters fandom by doing a family draft for a pint of ice cream, watching the Rory doc with my boys and, of course, calling my son from No. 13 last year when I thought it was over (lol).
So I greatly appreciate how Charlie Golf Co. has labored to bridge this gap between mothers and sons, between fathers and daughters.
Nobody is doing it better on that front, and if you’re trying to get your own daughter or son into the game, Charlie Golf Co. is the best place to start.
OK, now onto the news.
1. The scoring average for both Rory McIlroy and Phil Mickelson (now known in the champions' locker room as Rory McIlson) at Augusta National is almost exactly the same number.
Rory: 71.452
Phil: 71.442
Phil (120) has twice as many rounds as Rory (62), but this stat underscores two things.
The first is that Phil is probably the most underrated Masters golfer ever. This run from 1999-2010 is completely insane. One finish outside the top 10!
He also has more podiums (top three finishes) than Tiger.
Tiger: 5 wins | 2 runner up | 1 third
Phil: 3 wins | 2 runner up | 5 third
The second thing this underscores is just how similar Rory’s career has been to Phil’s (which I have been screaming about from the rooftops for years and years).
The Data Golf cumulative points chart is basically two lines that are the same line, but move Rory’s back three years.
Whether Rory can accomplish in his 40s (and 50s!) what Phil has accomplished remains to be seen. But their resumes are so, so similar.
What’s even more interesting is that despite how different they seem as people and as players (and they are in a lot of ways), there are also a lot of similarities.
Example: Which guy am I talking about?
• Ability to hit shots that makes his peers gasp.
• Makes on-course decisions that leave you, the fan, aghast.
• Struggled mightily to close out major championships.
• At his best when he’s free-wheeling and showing off for the crowd.
• Extroverted, loves talking, press conferences are must see.
If Phil was the spiritual successor to Palmer, then I think Rory is actually the spiritual successor to Phil. I previously presumed this was going to be Spieth. And in terms of rescuing himself from the most heinous spots on the golf course, it is.
But in terms of an historical figure who transcends fans’ predispositions and can leave your jaw on the floor with some of the shots he hits and then backing it up with an amazing interview? Yeah, it’s Rory, and it’s not even close.
2. Only two golfers have lost multiple Masters playoffs. In 1942, Ben Hogan birdied the last to get into an 18-hole playoff (back when we were a real country) against Byron Nelson. Hogan shot 70 in the playoff, but Nelson got him by one.
Then in 1954, Hogan shot 75 on Sunday to fall into a playoff with Sam Snead. Hogan shot 71 in the playoff and again lost by one shot.
The story for Hogan is not all bad, though. Both of those losses were in the middle of a 14-tournament run in which he finished in the top 10 in all 14 events. He also won it in 1951 and 1953 (when he won three of the four majors).
Justin Rose, on the other hand, has had a more excruciating experience.
Rose does have nine top 12s and three runner-up finishes, but unlike Hogan, he doesn’t have that elusive win. In fact, you could make an argument that nobody has ever been better at the Masters without winning one.
In addition to the great finishes (including two playoff losses), Rose is third all time in leads or co-leads after one of the first three rounds.
Palmer — 14
Nicklaus — 13
Rose — 9
Those first two guys obviously have a combined 10 jackets. Rose (somehow!) has nothing.
As Luke Kerr-Dineen pointed out to me on our podcast at the end of last year, there’s an alternate history where Justin Rose is Nick Faldo and considered a top three European of all time.
What if …
• Norman doesn’t blow the 1996 Masters.
• Scott Hoch doesn’t miss a 2-footer at the 1989 Masters.
• Rory doesn’t birdie 17 last year.
• Sergio doesn’t make eagle on 15 in 2017.
Throw in his 12 PGA Tour wins, the gold medal, a great Ryder Cup record and the fact that Rose made the cut on the number at the 2018 Open and finished two back of a playoff, and you could argue that Justin Rose is like four shots from having four majors and being talked about as one of the all time great Euros.
Also, this game — which you could play with almost anyone — is quite fun.
Before we get to the rest of this post, as a member you are invited to join our Slack channel for the Masters (and beyond). We’re pumped to have you and look forward to chatting in there. You can join right here.
3. Only 11 golfers can win this year’s Masters.*
In 11 of the last 13 years, the eventual winner has flushed it from January-March. Everyone but Patrick Reed and Hideki Matsuyama were at 1.7 SG tee to green in the three months leading into the Masters.
This year’s 11 candidates with commentary.
Morikawa (2.2 SG tee to green) — Will he even play?
Fitz (2.1) — Would be a fine winner, but kind of hard to envision.
Si Woo (2.1) — Nothing would delight me more.
Rahm (2.0) — Generationally good, even if nobody ever says it.
Rory (2.0) — Hard to see him going back to back.
Scottie (1.9) — Tournament still runs through him.
Cam Young (1.8) — He should be the third favorite. You could talk me into second.
Ludvig (1.8) — Probably going to be my pick. Though I may talk myself into Rahm.
Min Woo (1.7) — What would the chef serve at the 2027 dinner?
Gotterup (1.7) — Again, tough to envision.
Straka (1.7) — Ehhh?
It’s weird to think that you can whittle a 90-player field down to just these 11 guys. But in 11 of the last 13 years, that was absolutely the case.
ANGC — maybe more than any other course (even major championship course) has a way of separating the wheat and the chaff. You need to be absolutely flushing it going in there — and also make plenty of good decisions — to have a real chance.
In a podcast we have coming out on Tuesday, I talked to someone who has played 10 Masters, and he said the biggest misconception is that you have to putt really well there to win. Not true, he said. I agree. And this stat sort of proves it.
*Probably.
4. The most holes led for a single tournament by anyone who went on to lose? Ken Venturi in 1956. He led for 68 of the 72 holes. The second most? Yeah, you know.
Venturi led by one after Thursday, four after Friday and four after Saturday. Then he went out and shot 80 on Sunday with no birdies to lose by one.
Imagine needing to shoot 78 to win the Masters, and you shoot 80!
After going deep down the rabbit hole, I was shocked to learn that the eventual champion, Jack Burke Jr., pulled a Rory at Medinah (albeit for different reasons).
Here’s the Pittsburgh Press.
Jack Burke, the eventual winner, almost didn't get time to practice before yesterday's round ... He went to church for an 11 o'clock service, but it didn't start until 11:30 ... He had to rush to get in 15 minutes at the practice tee.
Pittsburgh Press
Can you imagine the media frenzy this would cause in 2026? They would have helicopters circling First Presbyterian of Augusta as Scottie ambled out to his SUV. Can you imagine him speeding down Magnolia Lane* to get a 15-minute warmup in before going out and trying to win the Masters?!
The Masters has always been a big thing, but it pretty obviously wasn’t as big of a thing in 1956 as it was in 1976 and 1986 and every 10 years thereafter.
*Without getting arrested this time.
5. There have only been three golfers who have come back from more than six down after the first round to win the tournament.
Nick Faldo (down 7 in 1990)
Tiger Woods (down 7 in 2005)
Rory McIlroy (down 7 in 2025)
The ridiculous statement — I believe by Dan Jenkins — that the Masters doesn’t start until the back nine on Sunday is not even close to true. The Masters, if you’re interested in winning it, very much starts at 7:30 on Thursday morning.
We will pretty much know the pool of 10-15 golfers who are going to win on Thursday evening. Everything else is a mirage (or, alternatively, you’ll get one of the great Masters ever).
Also, because I had nowhere else to put this, here’s the best and worst ball score for Rory and Rose during the final round last year.
3-5-3-2-4-3-3-4-3-3-3-2-4-5-4-2-3-3 — Best ball 59
6-5-3-4-5-3-4-5-4-4-5-3-7-5-4-3-5-5 — Worst ball 80
What a day of golf.
6. Who had the most impressive 10-year run at the Masters?
Tiger (1997-2006): 4 wins | 6 top 5s | 7 top 10s | 0 MC
Phil (2001-2010): 3 wins | 8 top 5s | 9 top 10s | 0 MC
Jack (1963-1972): 4 wins | 7 top 5s | 8 top 10s | 1 MC
Arnie (1958-1967): 4 wins | 9 top 5s | 10 top 10s | 0 MC
These are all insane. And while Arnie’s is objectively the best, it was also the earliest, which brings more plumbers and firemen into play.
Is it possible that Phil actually had the most consistently great run of 10 years at ANGC?! I mentioned it off the top, but his run from 2001-2010 was outrageous.
One note on this is that Jack had so many years of sustained success, you could argue I didn’t even pick his best 10 years.
I mean … come on.
7. Is it true that the Masters champ always plays the par 5s well? I went back and looked at the last 11 winners …
Rory: -7 (finished -11)
Scottie: -9 (finished -11)
Rahm: -10 (finished -12)
Scottie: -8 (finished -10)
Hideki: -11 (finished -10)
DJ: -11 (finished -20)
Tiger: -8 (finished -13)
Reed: -13 (finished -15)
Sergio: -7 (finished -9)
Willett: E (finished -5)
Spieth: -12 (finished -18)
Add it all up and these 11 champs finished -96 on the par 5s and -134 overall, which means that 72 percent of their scoring came on the par 5s. Y
You can be great on the par 5s and play well at the Masters, but it’s extremely difficult to win the Masters without being great on 2, 8, 13 and 15.
Thank you for reading our outrageous golf newsletter that is sometimes (but often barely) about golf. Every edition is handcrafted by me (Kyle) and Jason.
We put probably a combined 20 hours into each newsletter, which is a ridiculous amount of time. But we will keep handcrafting and delivering this thing to you as long as you keep reading it, sharing it with others and supporting our work.
Greetings!
We have a lot to get to today ahead of next week, but first I wanted to update you on everything we’re giving away during the first major of the year.
We always try to shine as bright a spotlight as possible on our sponsors during the biggest week in golf, and this time around is no different.
We will kick things off on Monday by giving away $500 worth of merch from any 2026 major championship you want followed by our first major contest of 2026, OGIO travel bags, a Garmin rangefinder and plenty more.
Here’s a look at the goodies.
Eligibility for each of these giveaways will include being subscribed to this newsletter (which you are) and also commenting on that day’s giveaway post on Twitter. I’ll drop all of those posts in here so you don’t miss them.
For the fantasy contest, I’ll drop those in here beginning of next week, but you will need a Splash Sports account to play them. You can sign up for one right here.
We’re pumped about this and grateful to our sponsors for supporting us in this way.
Name drops today: Jack Burke Jr., Si Woo Kim, Nick Faldo, Danny Willett, Ken Venturi.
This newsletter is brought to you by Charlie Golf Co. whose bags you will almost certainly see at the opening act to the first major of the year.
The one where kids — with Charlie Golf Co. bags slung over their shoulders (as seen here!) — are running around chasing their very famous dads.
One of my favorite things about covering this tournament has been incorporating my own kids into my Masters fandom by doing a family draft for a pint of ice cream, watching the Rory doc with my boys and, of course, calling my son from No. 13 last year when I thought it was over (lol).
So I greatly appreciate how Charlie Golf Co. has labored to bridge this gap between mothers and sons, between fathers and daughters.
Nobody is doing it better on that front, and if you’re trying to get your own daughter or son into the game, Charlie Golf Co. is the best place to start.
OK, now onto the news.
1. The scoring average for both Rory McIlroy and Phil Mickelson (now known in the champions' locker room as Rory McIlson) at Augusta National is almost exactly the same number.
Rory: 71.452
Phil: 71.442
Phil (120) has twice as many rounds as Rory (62), but this stat underscores two things.
The first is that Phil is probably the most underrated Masters golfer ever. This run from 1999-2010 is completely insane. One finish outside the top 10!
He also has more podiums (top three finishes) than Tiger.
Tiger: 5 wins | 2 runner up | 1 third
Phil: 3 wins | 2 runner up | 5 third
The second thing this underscores is just how similar Rory’s career has been to Phil’s (which I have been screaming about from the rooftops for years and years).
The Data Golf cumulative points chart is basically two lines that are the same line, but move Rory’s back three years.
Whether Rory can accomplish in his 40s (and 50s!) what Phil has accomplished remains to be seen. But their resumes are so, so similar.
What’s even more interesting is that despite how different they seem as people and as players (and they are in a lot of ways), there are also a lot of similarities.
Example: Which guy am I talking about?
• Ability to hit shots that makes his peers gasp.
• Makes on-course decisions that leave you, the fan, aghast.
• Struggled mightily to close out major championships.
• At his best when he’s free-wheeling and showing off for the crowd.
• Extroverted, loves talking, press conferences are must see.
If Phil was the spiritual successor to Palmer, then I think Rory is actually the spiritual successor to Phil. I previously presumed this was going to be Spieth. And in terms of rescuing himself from the most heinous spots on the golf course, it is.
But in terms of an historical figure who transcends fans’ predispositions and can leave your jaw on the floor with some of the shots he hits and then backing it up with an amazing interview? Yeah, it’s Rory, and it’s not even close.
2. Only two golfers have lost multiple Masters playoffs. In 1942, Ben Hogan birdied the last to get into an 18-hole playoff (back when we were a real country) against Byron Nelson. Hogan shot 70 in the playoff, but Nelson got him by one.
Then in 1954, Hogan shot 75 on Sunday to fall into a playoff with Sam Snead. Hogan shot 71 in the playoff and again lost by one shot.
The story for Hogan is not all bad, though. Both of those losses were in the middle of a 14-tournament run in which he finished in the top 10 in all 14 events. He also won it in 1951 and 1953 (when he won three of the four majors).
Justin Rose, on the other hand, has had a more excruciating experience.
Rose does have nine top 12s and three runner-up finishes, but unlike Hogan, he doesn’t have that elusive win. In fact, you could make an argument that nobody has ever been better at the Masters without winning one.
In addition to the great finishes (including two playoff losses), Rose is third all time in leads or co-leads after one of the first three rounds.
Palmer — 14
Nicklaus — 13
Rose — 9
Those first two guys obviously have a combined 10 jackets. Rose (somehow!) has nothing.
As Luke Kerr-Dineen pointed out to me on our podcast at the end of last year, there’s an alternate history where Justin Rose is Nick Faldo and considered a top three European of all time.
What if …
• Norman doesn’t blow the 1996 Masters.
• Scott Hoch doesn’t miss a 2-footer at the 1989 Masters.
• Rory doesn’t birdie 17 last year.
• Sergio doesn’t make eagle on 15 in 2017.
Throw in his 12 PGA Tour wins, the gold medal, a great Ryder Cup record and the fact that Rose made the cut on the number at the 2018 Open and finished two back of a playoff, and you could argue that Justin Rose is like four shots from having four majors and being talked about as one of the all time great Euros.
Also, this game — which you could play with almost anyone — is quite fun.
This post will continue below for Normal Club members and includes …
🚨 An invite to our Slack channel for members. 🚨
The 11 golfers who can win this year.
A wild story about how one Masters winner nearly missed his tee time because of … church.
Whether you actually need to play the par 5s well to win.
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