The final round of the 2019 Masters was magical. With a three-way T2 finish, Xander Schaufeli, Dustin Johnson, and Brooks Koepka were breathing down Tiger Woods‘ neck, having played only 1 stroke more than him. But that day, after a comeback for the ages, Woods lifted the Masters title and was honored with the Green Jacket for the fifth time in his career. But even that wasn’t enough for him to join an elusive list of golfers.
The 15-time Major champion is probably as close as any golfer can get to ‘having done it all.’ Well, almost. Because there’s a certain 18-time Major winner who’s right up there with Woods. But unlike him, the only thing ‘honorary’ about Jack Nicklaus‘ relation with the Augusta National Golf Club is the ceremonial tee shot off No. 1 he’s been hitting since 2010.
When it comes to Augusta National, both legends have had the most success there – with Nicklaus’ record six Masters titles and Tiger Woods just behind with five. However, that’s not the only area in which the 48-year-old doesn’t have what Nicklaus has in Augusta.
It’s a well-known fact that winning the Masters is a direct ticket to getting an honorary membership of Augusta National (apart from getting the opportunity to play the Masters every year that follows). But when it comes to becoming a full member of the prestigious club, there are only a handful of professional golfers who have those bragging rights. And Jack Nicklaus is one of them (alongside John Harris and 10-time Major winner Annika Sorenstam).
In totality, Augusta National’s membership has been awarded to about 300 individuals so far. Jack Nicklaus became one back in 2000, just one year after 4-time Masters champion Arnold Palmer received it in 1999. Sandwiched between the two greats when it comes to Masters titles, Tiger Woods has still not received his membership card to the elite club. So, what does it take to become a full member?
In the November 9 episode of The Joe Pomp Show on YouTube, Joe Pompeian shared some interesting details about the same. He stated that an individual’s stature, wealth, race, or power does not determine if they deserve an Augusta National membership. Founded in 1932, the club started out as a white, men-only establishment. For almost 60 years, that was the case. But it’s not anymore.
Shortly after the 1990 Shoal Creek controversy at the PGA Championship, Augusta named Ron Townsend the first Black member of the club. However, there’s one aspect that’s remained the same over the years: The first rule of Augusta’s membership is that you don’t talk about Augusta’s membership.
Pompeian said, “Potential members must be nominated by a current member of the club. You might be one of the best golfers in the world. But that also doesn’t guarantee you access to the historic course… Even a Masters champion like Tiger Woods has only been given honorary status.” And, well, the exclusive list of people who are members definitely aren’t the best golfers, if what Pompeian revealed is anything to go by. Turns out, the average handicap of Augusta National members is 14!
Joe clarified that Masters champions can play at the Augusta National whenever they want, and they are free to invite guests to play on the course, too. But he also compared how those with a membership are treated as opposed to those who don’t have one. “Guys like Tiger and Scottie Scheffler still need to pick up their guests at the front gate and their foursome has to include a current member of the club.”
Even after you become a member of the Augusta National, you still have to abide by the rules of the club. The rules range from dress codes and on-course behavior. For example, members are not allowed to wear their hats backward, are not permitted to wear shorts ever, and can’t tip anyone on the property besides the caddies, to name a few.
That said, while we can’t say if Tiger Woods absolutely wants to become a full member of Augusta National, we can say that the prospect of becoming one would be appealing. But even if that’s not in his cards, the five-time Masters winner can rest assured he can play the course whenever there’s an opening (and share more memories with his son, Charlie, at Augusta). As for Jack Nicklaus, he’s already graced the greens a few times this year.
In an interview with the Palm Beach Post last October, the 18-time Major champion said that he didn’t know when he would play golf again. As much as he would’ve liked to, Nicklaus just didn’t have as much fun as he used to. “I would like to go play again. I play so poorly [now], it’s just really not any fun. And I run out of golf balls,” he said.
When he revealed this, the last golf shot he’d hit was the ceremonial tee at the 2023 Masters. However, a year later, after hitting that tee off No. 1 again, the legend stayed put at Augusta after Scottie Scheffler won his second Masters title. And he played three rounds!
As reported by Golf Week, he revealed, “I shot 88, 90 and 91. That’s a 269 for three rounds, which is a pretty good four-round score. That’s what I play anymore. They don’t have any forward tees at Augusta. I can’t play 6,400 yards. I hit the ball 190 yards anymore, if I kill it. I played once last year, once the year before, and I’ve played four times this year already.”
All said and done, do you think Tiger Woods will ever be honored with an Augusta National membership? Let us know your views in the comments.
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