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19 Nov 2020
The roar of patrons coming around Amen Corner, azaleas in full bloom, and the beginning of spring weather are all things that are synonymous with the biggest major in professional golf, The Masters. However, this year the sights and sounds that create the backdrop for this prestigious golf tournament were slightly different. Due to the ongoing global pandemic, the major took place during the second weekend of November instead of the second weekend of April. With this unusual tee time, this year’s Masters was already unlike any other.
This year, patrons (The Masters does not call them crowds or fans) were not allowed to attend, which made for a much quieter atmosphere throughout the tournament. Usually tickets to The Masters are only obtainable through a lottery system or knowing an annual ticket holder, but this year the only attendees were players and members of the media, to create a bubble-like atmosphere. With no patrons around the course, viewers at home were treated to some of the lowest scores the course has ever seen, with Dustin Johnson winning the tournament and setting a course record at 20 under par. Throughout the weekend, golfers said the lack of patrons contributed to the lower scores as the hole locations were easier to see from particular areas on the course. That said, some golfers were certainly missing that normal boost from the crowd after sinking a big shot.
Just like the lack of massive crowds, the addition of fall foliage around the course was a big difference in 2020, with the lack of blooming azaleas replaced with the colors of autumn on the dogwoods. Some spots around the course had less trees, which led to better visibility of the hole locations. The fall season also brought less daylight to the tournament, so officials decided to use a two-tee system, much like last year, when they tried to speed up play in the final round to avoid the inevitable afternoon thunderstorms. The two-tee system saw groups teeing off early in the morning on the first hole as well as the tenth. When the players on the back nine finished, they would then tee off from hole one to complete the front nine. This led to a lot of golf to keep track of, but the boost in action was a welcome addition to an unusual Masters week.
Tournament officials are used to managing things like weather and daylight, but another big task that had to be tackled was managing positive COVID-19 tests throughout the week. Anyone hoping to enter the grounds had to have proof of a negative test, and everyone seemed to do their best to follow CDC guidelines as no positive tests were recorded during the tournament. If a player or caddie had tested positive, they would have had to withdraw from the tournament due to new guidelines that required non-symptomatic attendees to test negative twice, with a minimum of 24 hours between tests.
Dustin Johnson’s record score and nonchalant domination of the course will certainly be one of the main talking points from the 2020 Masters, but most people will never forget the unusual setup for the tournament. The beginning of spring will hopefully coincide with the teeing off of future Masters, but this year the tournament was held in the best way possible given the conditions. There were only a pair of positive test results prior to the tournament, and none during the actual play of The Masters. By Sunday, it almost seemed normal having no patrons on the course, even though the cheers were not as loud as they would have been when Johnson putted in at the 18 green. That said, everyone will surely be happy the next time the azaleas are in bloom and the golfing world descends upon Augusta.