Masters golf coach escorted off Augusta course for breaking surprise golden rule
A Masters golf coach endured a problematic start to the tournament after being escorted off Augusta for breaking a surprise golden rule.
Arizona State University coach Matt Thurmond is at this year's Masters alongside rising Spanish amateur star Josele Ballester, but was left red-faced after a fashion blunder forced him to separate from his player during a last-minute practice session ahead of the major.
Amidst all the excitement in Georgia, Thurmond let Augusta's fierce guidelines slip his memory and turned up to the course wearing shorts - a sin of seismic proportion.
Even on practice days, shorts are strictly forbidden at Augusta, something Thurmond evidently forgot, with his eyes solely focused on pre-major preparations.
The golf guru was caught by officials after going over to Arizona State alumnus Kevin Yu for a quick catch-up on the practice range, where he was abruptly being reminded of the rules and booted off the premises.
Thurmond has taken his removal on the bright side and will be sure not to make the same mistake in days to come.
He wrote on social media: "Strolled out onto the Augusta range today with my coach badge. Got removed for wearing shorts. First bogey of the week. Celebrated with an egg salad sandwich. Pants tomorrow."
Thurmond later recounted the incident in greater depth, taking responsibility for his error in a show of respect to Augusta's tradtions.
"I went out on the range without thinking, gave [Yu] a hug,' he said. 'After about one shot and one quick hello, they came out and said, 'I'm sorry, sir, you can't be on the range with your shorts.'
"My bad, it was a mistake I made. I want to follow the rules here when I'm at Augusta and do everything right. Lucky to be here and appreciate everything here. I just made a mistake."
Thurmond will hope Ballester, 21, can make his mark on the big stage this week after earning All-American honours in his first two seasons with Arizona State.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mirror
an hour ago
- Daily Mirror
Who is the favourite to win the F1 Canadian GP?
With McLaren securing a 1-2 in Spain two weeks ago, all eyes will be on the team to secure yet another win after impressive displays between Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri this season It is one of the favourite tracks for the drivers as Formula 1 arrives in Canada with McLaren eyeing yet another win as Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris lockhorns again in the Drivers' Championship. After getting a 1-2 in the Spanish Grand Prix in Barcelona two weeks ago, Piastri now sits 10 points ahead of his teammate as it looks to be an all-McLaren affair for the title. The bookies expect a similar result ahead of this weekend's grand prix in what appears to be favourable conditions for the drivers ahead of Sunday's race. Warm conditions will mean the tyres will not take too long to get to optimal condition as the drivers negotiate around the slow-speed corners before the hairpin that goes straight into the chicaine - a huge overtaking opportunity as we have seen over the years. McLaren have not won on this track since Hamilton was part of the team back in 2012 with Max Verstappen looking to secure his fourth successive victory on this race track. Lewis Hamilton is a longshot in the market as he looks for his first win at Ferrari but has equalled the most pole positions (six) and wins (seven) alongside Michael Schumacher. Another victory in Canada this weekend and he will become the most successful driver in F1 history at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve. Who is the favourite? The bookies are going easy on this one with Oscar Piastri as the favourite ahead of the Canada GP. The Australian has already picked up five wins this season already including China, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Miami and Spain last time out whereas his teammate Norris has two wins under his belt but has five fastest lap times this season. The bookies have him best priced at 6/4 with Ladbrokes while William Hill and Paddy Power have him at 13/10 to secure a victory in Canada this weekend. Other bookies including Sky Bet are offering 5/4 for the Australian to win his sixth race of the season and spearhead his chances of a Drivers' title come the end of the year. His closest competitor in the market is Brit Lando Norris who is best priced at 2/1 with William Hill and Ladbrokes. Norris has only picked up two wins so far this season but plenty of podium finishes and consistency means he is only 10 points behind his teammate in the Championship with McLaren sitting comfortably in the Constructors' Championship with 362 points - almost double that of second-place Ferrari. GP Winner Odds Oscar Piastri - 6/4 Lando Norris - 2/1 Max Verstappen - 4/1 Charles Leclerc - 16/1 George Russell - 20/1 Lewis Hamilton - 20/1 Kimi Antonelli - 50/1 Carlos Sainz - 250/1 Alex Albon - 250/1 Fernando Alonso - 250/1 BAR - 500/1 18+ | Gamble responsibly | | Odds subject to change Formula 1 Betting Offers If you are on the lookout for the latest free bet offers, then look no further. Here, not only do we bring you numerous free bet offers, but all from the very best betting sites in the industry. Each bookie we recommend is fully licensed and regulated by the UK Gambling Commission, so you know you are always betting on a safe and trustworthy site. Check out the Mirror Betting Hubs Free Bets offers here. Gamble responsibly Article continues below Reach plc is committed to promoting safer gambling. All of our content and recommended bets are advised to those aged 18 or over. Odds are subject to change too. We strongly encourage our readers to only ever bet what they can afford to lose. For more information, please call the National Gambling Helpline on 0808 8020 133 or visit
Daily Mirror
an hour ago
- Daily Mirror
Rory McIlroy's behaviour at US Open speaks volumes as he again remains defiant
Rory McIlroy was in good spirits during his opening round of the US Open at Oakmont, despite concerns being raised over his behaviour and body language ahead of the tournament Rory McIlroy has seemed unfazed by his game at the US Open and doubled down on his approach after a nightmare first round - despite whispers that his recent conduct has been "not normal." The golfing ace turned up at the Oakmont for his first round on the back of a shocking score from a disastrous practice session. Fans were left with no doubts about his form after clips went viral, while Tiger Woods' remarks on the 'horrible' conditions were music to McIlroy's ears. On Thursday morning, McIlroy kicked off his quest for US Open triumph - a title he hasn't clinched since 2011 - at Oakmont, where it's claimed the course is tougher than ever. The Northern Irishman is riding high from his Masters victory, which etched his name in history as the sixth golfer to complete the career Grand Slam. Yet, McIlroy's run-up to the 125th US Open has been less than stellar. He failed to make the cut at the Canadian Open last week and had a lacklustre showing at the PGA Championship, where Scottie Scheffler emerged victorious. Both outings were plagued by problems with his driver. On Monday, McIlroy, who is keen to leave his Masters success behind him, disclosed that he carded an 11-over par in a practice round, while former Ryder Cup captain Paul McGinley suggested his recent behaviour didn't match up with his typical demeanour. "I'm no psychologist, but it looks like the air has been sucked out of him a little since that, not just in the way he's played but in his press conferences," observed McGinley on Golf Channel's 'Live From' programme. "It's very un-Rory-like in his press conferences to have such low energy. "There will be a reset at some stage, and it doesn't look like it'll come this week. His team are saying he's playing okay. But this is not normal Rory. This is not when he's at his best, in my opinion. "I think he's at his best when he's p***** off and he's out to prove something following off a big loss or something that went wrong." Defying McGinley's analysis, McIlroy made an immediate impact, starting with a par at his opening hole, the 10th, followed swiftly by birdies on the 11th and 12th, catapulting him towards the top of the leaderboard. Any concerns about his demeanour were quickly dismissed early in the game on the daunting Oakmont course. McIlroy was seen sharing jokes with Shane Lowry and his caddie Harry Diamond, walking the green with a spring in his step, oozing confidence as he strode along with his chest puffed and arms swinging energetically. The only moment of frustration came when he narrowly missed out on a 40-foot eagle chance on the par five 12th. The five-time major winner read the putt well but misjudged the extent of the break expected. Holding his putter in both hands, McIlroy looked skyward in a fleeting moment of frustration. However, it wasn't the missed shot that irked him, but rather the position of his birdie attempt which wasn't as close as he'd hoped. But things ended badly for McIlroy on the opening day, leaving him FOUR OVER and joint 62nd on the leaderboard ahead of the second day. McIlroy was subsequently a no-show with the media once again, the fifth consecutive round at a major after his PGA Championship absences.
Leader Live
2 hours ago
- Leader Live
Pep Guardiola looking forward to Club World Cup despite Man City workload fears
The influential Spanish midfielder may also have been making a point about the expanded Champions League format, but the additional tournament, shoehorned into a period normally kept free for rest, was clearly a bone of contention. 'I think we are close to that,' said the Ballon d'Or winner when asked if players could stage industrial action over their seemingly ever-growing fixture commitments. 'If it keeps this way, (there) will be a moment that we have no other option, but let's see.' As the season then unfolded, with City suffering an uncharacteristic blip – failing to put up a strong defence of the Premier League title they had won for the previous four years and exiting the Champions League before the last 16 – it looked like they would need the break to regroup. Yet as the time has neared, no doubt helped by the announcement the winners of FIFA's latest showcase event could pocket close to £100million, the tone has changed. If Pep Guardiola has reservations about fixture congestion, injuries and a lack of preparation time for next season – all more than hinted at over the past season – he is now keeping them to himself. 'This is a very, very serious competition,' the City manager said recently with typical vigour. 'In the summer, the whole world will be watching this. 'A big number of the top teams in the world will be competing in this tournament and I can assure you, we're going to give it our best shot. We're going there to win it.' City were the last team to win the Club World Cup in its old guise in December 2023, but that only required them to win two games in the space of four days. The new quadrennial tournament is a different proposition, featuring 32 teams and lasting a month, following a format used for the traditional World Cup. City have been placed in Group G for this summer's edition in the United States alongside Morocco's Wydad Casablanca, Al Ain of Abu Dhabi and Juventus. Their regular Champions League foes Real Madrid could lie in wait in the first knockout round. Other notable sides involved include newly-crowned European champions Paris St Germain and the beaten finalists Inter Milan, Premier League rivals Chelsea, Bayern Munich, Atletico Madrid and Borussia Dortmund. There are 12 European entrants in total with six from South America, six from South America, four each from Africa and Asia, five from North America and one from Oceania. Brazil has the most participants of any one country with four. The tournament, which begins on June 14, has had plenty of detractors, particularly from Europe, and its success remains to be seen. For City the message is now clear, however. They would rather be involved than not. 'It's an honour,' Guardiola said. 'It means in the last seasons we have done really well. It's a new competition for us and I'm looking forward to it.'
