Tom Watson is a hugely respected figure at Augusta National, having won The Masters twice throughout his career.
Watson was victorious at The Masters in 1977 and 1981 and he won another six major titles to take his tally to eight in total, thus cementing his place in golf’s history books forever.
Jack Nicklaus once said Watson troubled him more than anyone throughout his illustrious career due to his obvious quality and dogged competitiveness.
The now 76-year-old has 39 PGA Tour wins to his name, with eight of those in major championships.
Watson’s most famous win came against Jack Nicklaus in The Open at Turnberry in 1977. The exhilarating head-to-head battle became known as ‘The Duel in the Sun’.
The two-time Masters champion is a highly respected name in the world of golf and always seems to be a voice of reason.
When Watson speaks, the golfing world listens, and that was especially true at Augusta National 31 years ago.
Tom Watson called for commentator to be fired after what he said at The Masters
Back in 1994, Watson was furious after hearing something that CBS commentator Gary McCord said during the live broadcast.
Do you think golfers should receive a free drop from divots in the fairway?
McCord – a former PGA Tour player – said: “I don’t think they mow these greens, I think they bikini wax them.“
At the time, it was taken in the light-hearted manner that McCord meant it to be taken.
However, things changed quickly after Watson submitted a handwritten letter to the powers that be at Augusta National.
When speaking on an episode of Kostis & McCord ‘Off Their Rockers’ Podcast, the former PGA Tour player revealed what Watson demanded.
He said: “I get called into Frank’s (CBS chief) office and he goes, ‘Close the door.’ So I close the door, and he throws me a letter, and it’s written in pencil.
“And I look at the letter, it says addressed to Augusta National. And it says, ‘We need to eradicate this lesion on golf. He is the Howard Stern of golf and we need to pay attention to this and what he said,’ signed Tom Watson.“
McCord was subsequently banned from commentating at The Masters for life.
And it seems as though Watson had a big role to play in that punishment.
Why Gary Player’s son is banned from Augusta National
Arguably the most famous banning incident at Augusta occurred when Gary Player’s son, Wayne, was issued with a lifetime ban in 2021.
Before the ceremonial opening tee shots four years ago, Player’s son showcased a box of OnCore golf balls – a brand endorsing Gary Player – while posing for a photo.
Wayne Player fell foul of one of Augusta’s strictest rules.
The rule states: “Any images, photos, video, or other content of Augusta National Golf Club or Tournament events cannot be used for commercial purposes, including promoting, endorsing, advertising, or selling a product, business, or service.“
It really doesn’t matter who you are, if you break Augusta National’s rules during Masters week, there is no coming back most of the time.
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