It may have been trademarked by Augusta National, but it was CBS’ commentator Jim Nantz who first coined the phrase “a tradition unlike any other.”
And for me, there are many Masters traditions that are unlike any others.
One is to back Fred Couples to be first round leader. This tradition dates back to the early noughties, and thanks to him holding sole possession of that lead at the 2010 Masters – I hit the post in 2011 where he was a shot off it, and in 2012 where he led after two rounds – I’m still playing with house money.
‘Boom Boom’ was 820/1 on the exchanges this year, and when he started birdie-birdie, I dared to dream. That dream ended in a watery grave on 15 – two watery graves on 15, as it happens – so ultimately my fiver is now somebody else’s, but for 14-and-a-half holes, he gave me one hell of a ride and for that, it was a fiver well spent.
Another tradition is to browse the tee times for rounds one and two and pick out a grouping that features a golden oldie – preferably not Freddie for this one – and a big-hitting young gun.
And Augusta National never fails to deliver.
Last year, it was 6′ 5″ Noah Kent, runner-up at the 2024 U.S. Amateur, playing along with then 67-year-old Bernhard Langer. Will Zalatoris was the third wheel, but it was the contrast between the tournament’s youngest and oldest players that made for glorious viewing on the player tracking feature on the Masters app.
On the opening hole, both hit driver and both found the fairway. Kent drilled it 349 yards, Langer hit his 246 yards – they both made four, but by the time they shook hands on the 18th green, the German, who was nearing Champions Tour eligibility when Kent was entering this world, had taken five strokes less.
Twenty-four hours later, he was eight ahead. It’s not easy for an amateur – never mind a 20-year-old – to perform anywhere close to their best in such circumstances, so this is in no way meant as a critique of Kent, rather as a celebration of the wily veteran’s tactical knows, even if he ultimately came up one shy of making the cut in his swan song appearance.
This year’s selection was an easy one.
José María Olazábal may not be the oldest man in the field – that honour goes to the aforementioned Couples – but the Spanish genius’ touch with a wedge is still a glory to behold, so he’s always on the shortlist.
And when he was paired with Aldrich Potgieter and Rasmsus Neergaard-Petersen, I knew I had my group.
Not so much the Dane, but the South African… A bomber, both in nature and stature, Potgieter was voted PGA Tour Rookie of the Year for 2025, and had actually played in the Masters as an amateur in 2023 thanks to his Amateur Championship win the year prior.
When Ollie took a full swipe with his driver on the first and hit it all of 215 yards, leaving himself another 230 in, any novice Masters viewer would’ve been forgiven for thinking the 60-year-old, two-time winner was in for a long afternoon… 15 minutes later, after he’d nuked a 3-wood over the green and then hit a delicious chip to tap-in-par range, Potgieter, who’d blocked his drive into the trees, then skulled a pitch after laying up short of the green, ended up making six.
It was only a sign of things to come…
On the 12th, after Olazábal had gone long and left, ending up in a similar position to that which Rory McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler would later find themselves in – they both chose putter and safely got up-and-down – Ollie had no interest in the flatstick. If you’re going to watch any one shot from his first round, I suggest it’s this one. The touch, the confidence in his wedge play… it’s just a travesty that the shot didn’t actually drop for birdie.
Walking off that green, Ollie was still bogey-free and 13 shots clear of the South African, who’d dumped his tee shot into Rae’s Creek and made his fourth double of the round.
Unfortunately, Augusta National takes no prisoners, and Ollie eventually fell victim to the 15th, just like Couples would, but when they shook hands on the 18th, he was two-over for the day alongside the likes of Åberg and Hatton, had beaten Hovland by one, Bryson by two, Cantlay by three and Rahm by four, and he was a full 10 shots ahead of Potgieter.
I don’t know who tried various methods to coin the phrase, but as the saying goes, there are many ways to skin a cat. And Olazábal is living proof of that.
Now, another tradition begins. Old-timer on cut watch.
Last year, Langer came desperately close. 15 bit him too, incidentally, and he needed to par the last but ended up making bogey.
Rory’s fast start means that his hopes of becoming only the fourth player to ever successfully defend a Masters title are alive, well, and dominating the narrative, but I’ll have more than a casual eye on the ’94 and ’99 champion.
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