Rory McIlroy, the defending champion, and top players on the circuit took turns in press conferences on Tuesday at Augusta ahead of the 90th edition of the Masters. Here’s a summary of what you shouldn’t have missed on this Tuesday, April 7 at the Masters⛳️🏌️♂️!
Rory, the show during the press conference before the course
With a big smile, wearing the green jacket, the Northern Irishman proudly sits down for his 18th press conference at Augusta ahead of the Masters. But this time, the atmosphere is much lighter. Teasing, joking, and full of anecdotes, the world number 2 delighted everyone.
“Why didn’t I want an Irish dish? Because I also want to enjoy dinner!”
Rory McIlroy, about the Champions Dinner menu
The Champions Dinner that McIlroy experienced for the first time this year, a moment he had long desired as revealed by this juicy anecdote from last year: “
“Last year, Justin Rose and I went to dinner at the club on Tuesday evening with a few members of Augusta National, and it was weird. I was going up Magnolia Lane, and when I arrived at the roundabout, I said to myself: ‘Okay, am I going to park all the way at the back of the parking lot? Because I’m not going to park in the champions’ parking lot.’ “
And at that exact moment, the champions were having drinks on the balcony. I thought: ‘I don’t want to go through the valet service, get out of the car, they’ll see me and it will be awkward.’ So, I had a really embarrassing moment last year. Thankfully, it was the last time I had to do that.”
“I want to destroy him on the course. I beat him at Pinehurst, he beat me here but I hope there will be more battles because it’s good for golf”
Bryson DeChambeau about the rivalry with Rory McIlroy
530
The distance in meters added to the Augusta National course in a quarter of a century!
For several years, the only Major that remains at the same location each year has doubled its inventiveness to withstand the test of time. Often, the response provided by the members of ANGC to make the course more competitive has been to lengthen it. First to make it “Tiger Proof” when Woods dominated with his exceptional power, and every year a little more since then.
This year, it was the 17th hole that was lengthened by about ten meters. In 25 years, Augusta National has gone from 6,387 meters in 2001 to 6,917 meters in 2026. That’s roughly 530 meters, the average length of a par 5 on the PGA Tour.
“I watched these players cross the bridge to the 12th green, then tee off on the 13th, and I thought one day I’d like to go down there”
Tommy Fleetwood, recalling his first time at Augusta as a spectator in 2014
Rahm and Fleetwood captivated by the 12-13 sequence
Present as a spectator in 2014 before his debut at the Masters in 2017, Tommy Fleetwood reminisces about his first steps as a “boss” on the course, especially his discovery of the 12th and 13th: “I remember going around the course, and when you get behind the 12th tee, it’s the farthest point you can go as a spectator, you can’t go any further.”
Jon Rahm, on the other hand, explains how this moment seems timeless, unique on the Augusta course: “Once you leave the 12th tee, you practically play the 12th green and the 13th tee without anyone around. The nearest spectators are 150 meters from the green and probably 200 meters from the tee. It’s strange, in a way, because the silence is total. If you make a putt on the 12th, you hear cheers two seconds later from the galleries on the 12th, but sometimes, you don’t know if it’s a reaction to what’s happening on the 11th.”
A tradition like no other for Cameron Young
What could be the perfect preparation for the winner of the 2026 Players Championship as he starts his week at the Masters? Quickly hit the course and practice like a fanatic? No. Rest to recharge before a challenging week? Not that either.
Seek help from the almighty? Bingo. Cameron Young: “Every week, we discover a new church. Wherever we are, we find a mass to attend. The week of the Players, it was conveniently right next to the course, and many people were able to see how we function as a family. Our faith is very important, it unites us.”
“The French Open or the Omega in Switzerland are tournaments I would love to have the chance to play”
Jon Rahm
