What a two-handicap amateur golfer shot around Augusta National the day after The Masters finished this year

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To play Augusta National is every golfer’s dream, but to play it the day after The Masters finishes is a different story all together.

Rory McIlroy reigned supreme at The Masters eight days ago, after beating Justin Rose in a play-off on the 18th hole at Augusta National.

There was some truly exceptional golf on display on that Sunday, but there were moments when the best golfers in the world quite simply embarrassed themselves as well.

McIlroy himself succumbed to the challenge posed by Augusta on numerous occasions during his final round, but he triumphed in the end.

The thing is, if Augusta makes the world’s best players look silly at times, then what one earth does it do to mere mortals who get the chance to play it?

Ryan Lavner shot an 88 and and 89 around Augusta, and he is a six-handicap golfer.

But what did two-handicapper Gabby Herzig shoot when she played the world famous course the day after The Masters finished this year?

What Gabby Herzig shot around Augusta National the day after The Masters finished

Herzig – a golf writer for The Athletic – is a self-confessed ‘one or two handicap’ golfer.

Fortunately for her, she was successful in the ‘Masters media lottery’, whereby a select few journalists are chosen to play the course the day after the final round.

And she shared her memorable experience of playing Augusta, when speaking on Dan Rapaport’s Dan on Golf podcast:

“So, very specific instructions. My tee time was 11:45 am. You get this card, where you can’t arrive on the property even 30 seconds prior to your arrival time. I had heard stories of people showing up two minutes before their arrival time and being turned away at the door.

“So you get on property and you get to use all the facilities, you get to go in the champions locker room, you get to go in the member pro-shop, walk around the clubhouse.

Herzig then went on to talk about her round:

“So, context is I had played three rounds of golf this calendar year, I have to put that out there excuse number one. Excuse number two, It’s Augusta National, you’re freaking out. But I actually played relatively solid for those set of circumstances. I shot 85, with a quad on the second hole. I am like a one or two handicap right now. I play from 6,100 yard or 6,200 yard and I’ll shot like mid to high 70’s or low 80’s when I’m off, so that score wasn’t totally out of the ordinary for me, but that quad totally threw me off. On two, we had to wait quite a bit and I think everything hit me then. I snap-hooked it into the trees on the left, into a hazard.”

Herzig made two birdies, one quadruple bogey, three doubles bogies, five bogies, and seven pars in her round of 13-over par 85.

Is it possible to play Augusta National?

The simple answer to that question is no, unless you are a member, or play alongside a member.

There have been rumours that Augusta will open its doors to the public in November of this year via a ballot scheme.

The cost to play will allegedly be $10,000 and all proceeds will be donated to local charities.

However, those rumours are unconfirmed as of now.

Another way to play Augusta National is to qualify for The Masters of course, but only a very small percentage of golfers on the planet fit into that category.

Augusta is arguably the hardest golf course to get on in the world, so Gabby Herzig will undoubtedly feel extremely fortunate to have been given the opportunity to play it.

And shooting 85 was a fine effort from her, considering just how difficult the course it to play for amateurs.