I am a massive fan of the Masters. It’s my favorite golf tournament in the world.
I’ve published more than a dozen stories on MyGolfSpy talking about how awesome the Masters is, and that includes this one-day itinerary that patrons are still emailing me about. Just search “Masters” on our site and you’ll find a treasure trove of Masters glazing.
So, hopefully, you can forgive me for talking about the few Masters traditions that are outdated, underwhelming or just plain overrated.
These five traditions don’t necessarily need to go the way of the persimmon driver but they are way overblown relative to the many, many awesome aspects of the Masters.
1. The Par-3 Contest
Low-hanging fruit here, but I’m on record as saying the Par-3 Contest is overrated.
I’ll preface this by saying that I appreciate the idea behind it. The afternoon is very cute and a great photo opportunity for families. It’s also a sweet way to include past champions. And I do think patrons attending on Wednesday should head over there for at least an hour to see it.
In theory, it’s really cool.
However, the overall patron experience is brutal. It’s insanely crowded. Most people can’t see anything. Every hole is interchangeable. And the majority of players aren’t posting a score or even trying to win the thing because there is the winner’s curse.
I’m glad this little event exists, but it just doesn’t do anything for me personally. I don’t need to watch.
2. Pimento cheese sandwiches
Some people are extremely anti-pimento cheese sandwich. I’m not going to go crazy here, but it’s fair to call this an overrated tradition.
This is literally just cheddar, mayo, cream cheese and pimentos mixed together on white bread. College kids in the South eat this on Sundays at noon after they wake up hungover.
It’s honestly kind of gross. Like a slice of deep dish pizza, it feels a little wrong to eat more than one.
I mean, even for a cheese lover like myself … this is so much cheese with nothing else going on. I’ll take down one per day just for the nostalgia factor, but I have to stop myself there.
Would most adults eat this outside of the Augusta National grounds or their Masters watch party?
Probably not.
There are also better options for sandwiches, including the egg salad and Masters Club.
3. The Butler Cabin interview with the winner
Another tradition that I like in theory is the Butler Cabin presentation where the winner gets the green jacket handed to him by the previous year’s winner.
The green jacket is maybe the single greatest tradition in golf, and it’s an amazing moment when the new winner gets to wear it for the first time—but it’s a much better moment when it happens outdoors in front of the members and patrons.
The Butler Cabin interview feels very forced and dated in a bad way. Have you ever tried putting a jacket on someone else? It’s a little awkward.
Doing it in total silence as millions watch on TV? Even more awkward.
4. The field size being limited
I wrote about this a couple years ago, but I’m a big proponent of expanding the Masters field.
I’m not saying we need to get 156 golfers out there, but it would be nice to open the gate to Magnolia Lane a little wider.
This year’s event has 91 players. And, let’s be honest, there are a lot of guys who have no shot of winning the tournament. There are past champions and amateurs who are not there to win the tournament.
The Masters is, technically speaking, the easiest major to win. The depth of competition is much greater at the other majors.
It would be cool to expand the field to around 100-110. It would add a little more depth and a little more golf without ruining that exclusive feel to the tournament.
5. The rigidity around Masters verbiage
I was trying to figure out a good way to articulate this (I guess a writer should know how to do this) but my final overrated Masters tradition is the shaming culture around saying the “wrong” term.
Fans are patrons. The rough is the second cut. The front nine/back nine is the first nine and second nine. Sand traps are bunkers.
To be clear, I enjoy these specific terms and like that the Masters has them. It’s kind of fun to have this unique lexicon that is totally separate from other golf tournaments.
What I don’t love is the strictness around the terms. It’s like the hardos who make a big deal about saying “playing golf” rather than “golfing”—the game should be inclusive to however you want to talk about it or play it.
There are people who get admonished for using the wrong word. Or for buying one of those hats with the word “PIMENTO” in capital letters on it.
Hey, let everyone enjoy the Masters as they want to enjoy it. Call them fans, if you want. Wear the hats, if you want.
I know I’m more of a traditionalist. That’s how I like to play golf, but I’m not going to gatekeep how someone else wants to do it. I think that same concept should extend to the Masters.
What are your thoughts? Are these overrated Masters traditions?
Let me know below in the comments.
Top Photo Caption: The pimento cheese sandwich is one of the few overrated Masters traditions. (GETTY IMAGES/Richard Heathcote)