By Alex Myers
There’s a moment at the conclusion of 36 holes every year at the Masters when golf fans take a long gaze down the leaderboard. No, not to see which golfers made the cut, but rather, how many golfers made the cut. Because, fingers crossed, it’s an odd number.

Such a situation means Masters legend Jeff Knox will get to tee it up on the weekend as a marker. Call it the tradition unlike any other within a tradition unlike any other.

But as with so many things this year, 2020 has thrown a wrinkle into things. This year, Knox has been called into action earlier than usual.

Due to injury, Erik van Rooyen withdrew from the tournament following his first round. And since the South African was paired with Sung Kang as the only twosome the first two days (due to their being 92 players in the final field), tournament officials decided it didn’t make sense to send the South Korean out as a single behind a bunch of threesomes.

In stepped Knox, and in case you aren’t familiar with his history, Kang could be in some trouble if they decide to play a match. Among the longtime Augusta National member’s notable conquests in recent years are 2017 Masters champ Sergio Garcia and Rory McIlroy in 2014. When Rory was World No. 1. Yeah, the dude can play.

Now 57, Knox holds the Augusta National course record from the members tees with a 61, and he was inducted into the Georgia Golf Hall of Fame in 2017. He was rumoured to have been replaced last year, but when an odd number of players made the cut, there he was. And there he is today. Golf Twitter, rejoice!

Of course, if an odd number of players make the cut again this week, Knox could wind up playing three rounds. Let’s hope that’s the case. And let’s hope the Masters app gives us a glimpse of our hero at some point.

More from Friday at the 2020 Masters
• Tiger Woods loses momentum, but holds on to his green jacket chances
• Abraham Ancer continues to prove that he’s a big-time player, he’s just missing one thing
• Bryson DeChambeau in danger of missing cut after disastrous third hole
• Jon Rahm hilariously (perhaps inadvertently) burns Bryson DeChambeau with two simple words
• Rory McIlroy had about as terrible a Friday morning as you could imagine at Augusta National
• Why these five guys are going to have an especially restless Friday night in Augusta
• Brooks Koepka’s play has been ‘super sloppy’ and he can still win
• Alert! Augusta National legend Jeff Knox has been called into action earlier than usual this week!
• Justin Thomas broke his odd Masters curse
• Bernhard Langer keeps building on the sneakiest good record in Masters history
• Bryson DeChambeau lost his ball in Augusta’s second cut, which we all figured was impossible
• Why you shouldn’t be surprised about Rory McIlroy’s up-and-down start at Augusta
• What you think about Dustin Johnson says more about you than him
• Who needs a driver at Augusta? Danny Willett cracks his, uses 3-wood off tee and shoots career low
• How the 36-hole cut is determined at Augusta National
• Bernhard Langer has become the oldest golfer to make the cut in the Masters

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By Joel Beall
AUGUSTA, Ga.—Paul Casey started the weekend with Jeff Knox. He finished with a run at history.

That run included a stumble, the Englishman making bogey-bogey at the finish line. Still, Casey’s performance injected life into the early-afternoon Masters proceedings, and showed what Augusta National can have in store down its closing stretch.

“That was fun, wasn’t it?” Casey remarked after his round.

Noted by his Knox pairing, Casey was the first player out on Saturday morning, 14 shots behind 36-hole leader Patrick Reed. He turned in a three-under 69, a nice showing albeit not spectacular on a day where a dozen or so players broke 70.

Sunday was a different tale. The 40-year-old made the turn in 33 to get into red figures for the week, and proceeded to paint the inward nine red.

It started with a chip-in for bird on the 11th, statistically the hardest hole on the course. He followed it up with a birdie on the 12th, just inside 20 feet, to get to five under. When he eagled the 13th, sticking his approach from 230 out to 15 feet, you got the feeling something was brewing.

“Birdie, birdie eagle on Amen Corner, I’m going to remember that for a long time,” Casey said.

When a 13-foot putt on the 14th feel for another bird, the 63 watch was on.

Casey couldn’t put his second on the 15th—the second-easiest hole at Augusta National this week—close, but a sensible two-putt gave him another red figure, his fifth in as many holes. He was now nine under for the day; if he parred out, he would tie the tournament record of 63, held by Nick Price and Greg Norman.

He took care of that on the 16th, recording a marvelous sand save from left of the green. But whether he ran out of steam or felt the gravity of the moment, Casey could not hold. A poor pitch on the 17th led to a bogey; needing to sink his 68-foot putt on the 18th to tie the record, he rolled his third 16 feet by, missing the comebacker.

“I’m obviously disappointed,” he said. “I got out of position horribly on Nos. 17 and 18 which was kind of reminiscent of how I played this week. Haven’t been very good until that streak today.” The final result was a seven-under 65.

Nevertheless, it was a study in fortitude, going from dead last to as high as eighth. And a day Casey won’t soon forget.

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By Joel Beall
AUGUSTA, Ga. — Paul Casey made the Masters cut on the number, but acquitted himself well with Augusta National on Saturday morning. The first player out, Casey made the most of a dampened setup, carding four birdies against a lone bogey for a three-under 69, moving 16 spots up the leader board.

Unfortunately for Casey, no one cared about his round. That’s what happens when you tee it up with a living legend.

Casey was paired with Jeff Knox, a member of Augusta National Golf Club who annually serves as the Masters marker. Knox, in his mid-50s, owns the course record from the member’s tees (61) and routinely beats the pros he’s partnered with. (Just this spring, Rory McIlroy said Knox waxed him during a pre-Masters visit.) Coupled with his forays into the Masters—seriously, can you imagine getting this call from the bullpen?—Knox has transformed into a cult figure.

Which explains why Casey was bombarded with nothing but Knox questions following his round.

He made a comment to you when you were going up to mark your ball, and you laughed about it.

Are there any things you can pick up from his knowledge of the course that you can take forward?

The putt he made on 11, it kind of dropped in at the last minute. Would you have seen that break?

It died in the hole right there … Just wondered if you saw that break?

To Casey’s credit, he took the inquiries in stride.

“It was great fun,” Casey said. “That was the best experience I’ve ever had with a marker.” The Englishman said Knox played better golf than a lot of pros will on Saturday.

“He’s very good,” Casey remarked. “He birdied 11. Brilliant birdie … even Tiger said to me on the putting green he goes, ‘Seriously, dude. He’s played the last eight weekends at the Masters. He’s got to be a regular.’”

See, even Tiger gets it. Save for this weekend’s winner, these rounds will be lost to history. Legends like Knox? They are never forgotten.

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By Joel Beall
Hold your head high, Rory McIlroy. There’s no shame in losing to a legend.

Speaking Wednesday at the Valspar Championship, the four-time major winner disclosed he made a scouting trip to Augusta National last week. During his Masters preparation, he played a round with ANGC member Jeff Knox, who’s more myth than man. He owns the course record—a 61 from the member’s tees—and was recently inducted into the Georgia Hall of Fame. In recent years, Knox has developed a cult following for his position as the Masters weekend marker, annually besting his playing partner.

That included McIlroy in 2014. When talking to the media at Innisbrook, the 28-year-old admitted that he again came out on the business end in his bout against Knox.

“I gave him eight shots. I lost that one on the first tee,” McIlroy said.

However, McIlroy, who has struggled in three U.S. appearances this season following a strong start on the Euro Tour, does like where his game is trending, feeling confident with the first major just a month away. 

“Totally ready,” McIlroy said. “I’d be happy to go to Augusta tomorrow and play, and feel like I have a good chance.”

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