On Monday the 10th of April this year I got to do something that not many people get to do a real bucket list opportunity the day after the Masters 2023 I had the honor. And the privilege of playing at Augusta National Golf Club the home of the Masters the day after John Ram put on the Green Jacket I was playing the same Golf Course to the same pins. And this is my scorecard in this video I'm going to give you a rundown of exactly how I played. And what I scored now obviously I completely respected the rules of Augusta National there was no filming allowed at all. So I did not film the round of golf maybe one day that's out fingers crossed however. it was an incredible experience I really went into the information around how I was feeling the build up to it um the whole week on my podcast if you've not listened to that check it out I'll put a link in the description I really go into the detailed the full week spending every single day at the Masters. And also playing it the day after but in this video we're gonna go shot by shot now one of my fantastic editors has spent a long time working his magic through Google Earth and being able to map out my round of golf and I'm going to explain it in this video I want to start things off by talking about the actual golf course. And the length of the golf course I played now as I mentioned I was playing to Sunday pins the same pins that the players play on the final day of the Masters. And those pins have pretty much been set for many many years they're iconic you've got the really famous ones on like the par 3 12th the 16th the 18th pinwear so many champions of hold that put to be crowned Masters champion the only slight difference it wasn't off the championship tees the championship tees plays at 7 545 yards it's a beast um I kind of wanted to buy off those teas but in hindsight I was also glad I didn't I got to play off the members tease which was six thousand just under 6400 yards it's a par 72. now you might have seen my break 75 Series where I go to Fantastic golf courses having the goal of trying to break 75. So do I break 75 of Augusta National let's find out I must admit the goal playing Augusta National was not to break 75 in fact truth be told I wasn't even gonna keep a score the only reason why I'd want to keep a score is probably it's going to be a question that people ask me. And also I want to relate back to you guys the audience so I did keep score. But for me it was more about the experience it was more about enjoying it smiling on every single shot I understand that the privilege of being out to play a golf course like this. And I didn't want to miss a single bit I wanted to fully immerse myself in the whole experience however. there is obviously something quite impressive if you do play well Around Augusta National it's a bit of a bragging right. For the rest of your life anyway let's kick things off so first I was a part four playing at 365 yards I was very very nervous I really was there was a few members around the opening tea shop. And I dug my caddy so I had caddy all the way through it he was fantastic he's been working there. For many years and his knowledge of the golf course was. So valuable in the round of golf it really was. So many of the puts which I'll come on to in a bit um I would have massively gauged incorrectly if it wasn't for Doug so thank you because he definitely helped reduce the score on the score card first all part four I took driver I felt most confident hitting driver and I'm happy to say I am absolutely ripped it there's a bunker on the right that was about 250 to carry it I thought well I hit it on that line if I draw it happy days I absolutely ripped it it was one of the best opening tee shots of my life. And I think that. For me really set the tone for the round of golf um not that the opening t-shirt should dictate around the golf but for me to hit that great opening tee shot was a real you know confidence booster I managed to strive down the Fairway second shot into the green had about 99 yards left into the flag I hit my 56 degree wedge pin was kind of front right a little bit nervous still at this point obviously. And when he just started around the golf and I'm taking all soaking all the experience in how perfect the golf course is how manicured everywhere is. And just enjoying the day beautiful sunshine really nice company I was playing with I was playing with a good friend of mine Seb Carmichael Brown who has a YouTube channel check it out seven golf second shot into the green I slightly pushed it missed to the right now miss green to the right every lie around the greens is absolutely perfect even. For me I'd feel pretty confident chipping off those kind of lies because there was no grain almost the ball kind of sat up a little bit it was really nice the challenges were the greens huge greens undulating outrageously fast. And I mean fast fastest I've ever played by a country mile. So third shot I wanted to start off with a par took putter out for safety rolled it up from the from The Fringe got it onto the green as soon as they hit the green it just ran and ran around left myself about a 10 footer for par again nervous uh Doug gave me a great read and I managed to convert that Port made Power in the first hole and I must admit that again was a huge confidence booster. For the round of golf second hole is a par five played at 5 15 515 yards. So dug leg round the corner to the left against what driver hit it towards the bunker on the right it's good pass the bunker ran down into a great position on The Fairway at 240 yards left into the green I decided to go with a four iron I had absolutely knit this four iron but it's two big bunkers on the second green there's one on the right where the pin is took behind there's a big bailout bunker on the left that's where my ball ended up now this shot I've seen many golfers over the years play this shot where they hit that bunk shot into the middle of the green it rolls down. And the Contours gets it the ball funneling to the hole I didn't do that I thinned it I thinned it straight through the green onto the other side I missed the green I was very frustrated myself again still quite nervous at this point. For my fourth shot from the side of the green I took putter again get it on the green uh left myself with about a kind of 15 20 footer didn't do as well as I should have done rolled it fast down the hill this was the first put that Doug told me that this is going to be fast. And it really was I trickled it down the hill left it to about four foot. And then.
Knocked it in for a bogey disappointing bogey considering I was green side bunker in Two On a par five third hole quite short hole playing at 340 yards I took two iron because I didn't want to leave myself a really delicate shot in if I hit driver I'd have got probably too close to the green. So hit two iron went left to the bunkers hit a bit of an overdraw and then.
To be honest this was probably my worst shot of the day this next.
One coming up I totally fatted it I was about 130 yards to the flag I had a pitching wedge in hand I fatted it about 50 yards in front of me into the Fairway bunker it was embarrassing it was shocking I was shocked with myself to be honest with you anyway I got in the bunker the sand is absolutely pristine it really is. And I hit this shot I think I was playing about from that point maybe 90 yards away from the green I hit my um 56 degree Sand Wedge hit it really well it flew onto the back edge of the green spawned. But spun just off the green but you can't be sure like if you're short on the third approach it's back down the valley and you've got a really hard next.
Shot so I went long just off the green again got Potter out for safety rolled it down there to about six foot knocked it in for a bogey so I'm too over it at this point through three fourth old par three playing at 170 yards again Sunday pins so some of them are really tucked away others are much more getable this pin position on four is very much tucked behind the bunker on the right I went with six items I wanted to fly it over the bunker. And get it towards the back edge of the green but I kind of a bit of a trend was starting to to kick in here I fatted it again um actually left it short of the bunker in a terrible terrible position again I think nerves were still a little bit kind of jingling around in my body. And trying to get accustomed to playing Augusta National light you're walking around you're like this is the place that I've seen on TV. Or these all these years all these times we've seen great champions win from obviously tiger Wards Justin Johnson Adam Scott the greatest of the greatest Jack Nicklaus of one there so it's kind of he's soaking all like in a little bit as well and that definitely plays with your emotions my second shot into this path throughout the bunker to navigate I couldn't get putter out I had to go lob wedge I didn't want to leave it short so I hit it a bit long pass the flag up onto the back edge of the green very very fast put down dog told me literally clip just get it over this brow and I got it over the brow and it just the ball just went it absolutely went I don't know what the stimp of the greens were on that particular day. But again it was a day after the Masters they were fast it was like putting on this desktop they were. So fast it was ridiculous. And outside of six foot very very undulating greens like huge undulations inside six foot a lot of the putts were fairly straight. And a lot of that's to do with the fact you can't literally put a pin position on too much of a slope because it would the the green speeds are too fast. But getting the put inside six foot is the challenge. So trickle it down the hill left it's about six foot and then.
Just missed the bogey port and had to tap it in for a double bowl I was frustrated first three put of the round. And uh yeah I was a bit disappointed that fourth hole fifth hole Par Four 400 yards typically plays the hardest hole on the golf course. For the Masters bomb Drive I absolutely put it in a one position at 130 yards left to the flag went with pitching wedge again just didn't quite catch it left my ball right on the front of the green and butt putting thankfully managed to get a good read off a playing partner who actually hold their putt from the front of the green so I roll it up knocked it about two foot and then.
Tap in par again really happy with the part on the fifth hole because that's a hard hole six holes the par three down the hill uh playing at 165 yards pin is tucked right on a little shelf on the back right corner I was desperate to try. And get myself in that back corner so I hit an a tire and hit it really flush like it was perfect I started on the flag. But it just drew and it hit the slope that sits right in the middle of the green and then.
Just went left like the whole Contour of the green just moved the ball so far left had a really challenging second Port hit it as hard as I could because I had to get right on the hill I was still about 10 foot short of the pin. But luckily on the top shelf boxed a really good power port through six so I'm still four over through six nerves are starting to settle a little bit I'm starting to feel a little bit more comfortable uh getting out there. And playing golf seventh hole again fantastic hole really tight t-shirt trees are all the way at the right all the way at the left my driver was just on. For smash driver down then.
Had about 60 hours left into the Green in fact probably even less I think it was about 50 hours left into the green. And pin is just tucked over a little bunker. And again watch it on TV I knew that I don't know who who I was pretending to be at this point. But I knew I could pitch it past the flag and almost get the ball to spin back or come down that slope that was my intention I slightly fatted it again held my finish. And because of slightly fat strike it actually landed right next.
To the PIN for the first legitimate look for birdie seventh hole downhill four footer fast the birdie so I really took my time reading it it was a very difficult read because you just couldn't trust how much it was going to break. And how fast it would be literally tapped it and I genuinely mean that just felt like I'd just nudged the ball. And it just shot and it went and it just skimmed past the edge for birthday and my neck shot was about the same distance away as my previous shot it was. So fast luckily not that one in for par didn't want a three put from four foot because that would have been a nightmare part five eighth coming up next.
480 yards again quite short uphill big dog leg left pulled it into the trees on the left so I couldn't go for the Green in two first shot from the pine straw hit this five iron this kind of raking low five iron back into the Fairway playing about 90 yards in pitched it to the back left flag position just missed the green but managed to put from there for a nice part on number eight number nine a whole lot of really obvious all these holes I've obviously always wanted to play but nine always seems quite a standout hole for the um because of the challenge of it it's a slight dug leg left playing at 395 yards hit a really good driver to the right hand side of the Fairway Justin I was like in fact I was just in the rough the first time really coming out of this trees on nine that I felt the wind like the wind was really into the face there on number nine the pen was on the middle shelf. So I knew I had to go past the flag anything short of the flag just comes right down off the green and you and you've got a horrible little 50 yard pitch from there so I took 99 from about 130 yards hit it really well and just flighted it lower a little bit it got right up to the top tier or just not quite the top top tier but the top a tier above the pin but it didn't quite come down it sat right on that tier at a really tricky putt from here one of those ones where the pins over here but I'm literally trying to put a 90 degree angle to get the ball down to the hole so let's just tapped it down there the slope took it to about five four and again luckily a short putting was very good that day. And I managed to box that for part on nine so through nine holes I shot 40. four over par and to be honest with you I was absolutely delighted I really was as much I mean I didn't know what to expect um I made a lot of powers on the front nine again I was disappointed with the double bogey I made on the fourth the par three. But so be it around one three put and overall played pretty well I was I was definitely settling around the golf 10 total part four down the hill big slope into the left 450 yards again off the members teas that wasn't massively comfortable hitting driver to actually hit a four iron because I knew if I could get it to hit that slow it would just shoot down. And it did I hit a great little draw before. And down the hill hit the slope and I was off. And down the hill I could have hit driver and I could have really got the ball drawing off that off that t-shirt I just the one opportunity of this round of golf I just didn't want to do anything I regretted I didn't want to hit a shot. And go why have you done that so I really tried to play quite conservative at about 190 hours left in for my second pin was kind of quite back left hit this rocket six iron. But because of the down slope it came really low landed pin high but that Green's really hard the 10th green Doug the caddy did warn me about that. But it was rock hard it hit pin high. And then.
Way straight through the back into the pine straw luckily avoiding any bushes from there I had to bump it up I think I played like a little 99 bump. And run up the bank up on top of the green uh left about a 15 footer just missed that knocked it in for bogey on number 10. 11. a t-shirt I've been very nervous about uh on 11 because it's very very demanding again off the back tees it plays 520 yards after member series I played off it was bang on 400 yards. So what a big difference and I was thankful. For that I was glad I wasn't playing off the members of the tournament tees. So I stood up there I hit driver absolutely perfect driver he was absolutely Sensational left myself 90 yards away from the pin. So I've hit that way over 300 yards hit this 56 degree Sun devices little three-quarter one pin was middle left absolutely stuck it to like 12 foot. So I had a 12 foot putt for Birdie on 11. it just slid by I hit such a good part it just slid pie but the thing is if you miss if you just missed the hole the return Port is definitely minimum three to four feet in length just a ball just keeps going. So you just you can just trickle it trying to play it dead weight. And it just goes it's so every return put was challenging anyway luckily. For me I'm not that one in made Power in 11. 12th hole probably to honest with uh the hole I was looking forward to playing the most it's the iconic part three playing at 145 yards on the day where you've got raised Creek at the front you've got the big bunker right in the middle of the green it's a fantastically shaped green. So it's kind of it goes from short left to long back um it's just a magical hole again you've seen some iconic moments in that whole whether players on route to hopefully trying to win The Masters maybe putting in the water and then.
Failing their task of winning the Masters other players playing that hole much more conservatively um there's hardly any other hole in ones during tournament play on that whole it's just amazing it really is. And I was looking forward to this tee shot I started again I was starting to find my rhythm now I'm starting to play quite well. So it's 145 yards pin was back left where it traditionally is on a Sunday you got to be aggressive if you're going to go. For the PIN I pulled 99 out me and Doug had a good conversation around the club choice and I thought you know what you're gonna get one chance to play this let's see if we can box it. So I went straight at the flag I wasn't playing safe and that might have been I might have regretted that however. I went straight for the flag I absolutely crushed this 99 it started absolutely online with the flag and it just drew slightly and as the ball is in the air you've got no idea on on uh depth perception you don't know if it's gonna finish short of the water in the water in the bunkers over the green it's. So difficult to kind of understand where it's going to land. So I'm looking at it I'm thinking please please please with the number please be the number and it was it was absolutely bang on pin High about 15 foot to the left of the pin absolutely fantastic honestly I was. So relieved over that shot I got to walk down the Fairway on the 12th hole the little uh the well I say fair where the section as you walk down to the uh to the rage Creek you go over the beautiful bridge and again it's a part of the golf course not many people get to see it really is. So when the tournament's playing Patron Spectators aren't around the 12th green it's a really magical place it's a lot thinner Green from front to back as I expected it's a lot lot thinner and the creek the the river just before it's huge so wide it's really you don't really see that pick that up on TV and the green is very much slowed from bat to front anything short of the flag is back in the water it's a landing section you've got on that green is Tiny luckily. For me I managed to find that little Slither of green um and this is where I thought come on Rick that's birdie 12. let's do this have not had a birdie. Yet during the round of golf let's try and birdie 12. it was beautiful put it just I just underread it. But then.
It ran out to like six feet thinking oh no don't three put the twelfth because I just thought everyone's gonna ask how did you get on 12. I thought I count three put twelve luckily I boxed a great return pot I managed to get it in pad the 12th hole now the 13th uh again a hole I've been. So looking forward to playing all of my life this is the whole. For me the iconic one I thought oh never get transplant hole how I'm gonna play it I'm sure everyone listening and watching have dreamed of how they're going to play these certain holes. And I've I've done the same so I've done this 13th team again it's a lot shorter um from the members team it's 455 yards but that huge dog layer around the trees so Doug McCarey gives me driver and he actually started walking down the Fairway um because it says he wanted to obviously spot the ball down there so I'm stood there with driver and I just wasn't quite comfortable with it in hindsight I wish I'd been so much more aggressive I could have gone over the trees on the left and just absolutely bombed it I didn't I played this very kind of weak not very committed driver shot and in the end it kind of Hit the heel of the driver and it and it it was okay it wasn't a bad drive. But it faded a little bit and I ran out of Fairway into the pine straws and and way up into the bank really um so I was up in the trees on the 13th on the right where many years ago Phil Mickelson played that magical shot from there on route to winning the Masters. And I stood there and I think. And again you're gonna get one chance at this Rick let's have a go at it let's have a go so we there was a bit of a gap not a big one admittedly. But there was a bit of a gap we tried to hit it I tried to place four iron low fady slice to get it back onto the Fairway um it hit a branch that was possibly made out of steel it hit this branch that had no right in stopping the golf ball like it did. But it bloody did these pine trees are strong the ball ricocheted it off that branch. And almost came back towards me and actually my third shot I was playing was further back than my second shot. So I'm like oh no Rick this is my first this is this is the hole in it this is the disaster hole I'm gonna have um it's on third shot I mean not much of a better position. So I'll go for a very similar shot again because I had no other option I could have chipped it out. But I didn't want it um I hit a tree full on this time and this time it kind of bounced a bit more left almost back onto the Fairway I've had now three shots on this par five I'm still miles away probably 240 yards away I'm having a bit of a nightmare I'm starting to get a bit hot and flustered I'm starting to kind of regret some of my choices that I've made so I hit this a tie-in down into a really nice spot down again near Rose Creek just on the left-hand side um left myself with about a 90 yard pitch into the green pitched it pretty well um it didn't the ball didn't quite come down down to the flag as I maybe expect it to I was left with a very very challenging Port from on top of a hill unbelievably fast this is. For now for bogey for a six I honestly when I say this I tapped it I tapped it and it just went like crazy I think you've had a landed the golf ball one yard Less on my Approach shot the ball gathered towards the flag. But you know it's easy to say it now isn't it in hindsight so it rolled down it went about seven foot past now I've got a boat a double bogey putt here on the 13th I missed that as well and I tapped it in four and eight [Applause] I was absolutely gutted. But hey yeah I I I've got no at least I went. For it I wish out of all the holes I played I wish I could have played the 13th again because I would have played it so differently I really would have done but it's one of those things I wouldn't if someone said to me you can play 13 again. But you've got to play 12 again I probably wouldn't I'm part 12 and I was really happy with that. And the balance was I had Nightmare on 13.. So this point now I am eight over par and I'm kind of feeling a little bit relaxed maybe on that Tee once I'd gone through 12. in fact it wasn't it was after after the 13th hole that I realized I actually was playing all right I had a bit of a score going there was a chance that I could have Miracles um happening I've had a birdie 13. And maybe birdie 15 and I could have I could have had the potential of breaking 75 which is something I never expected to even be saying anyway I didn't I walked off there with an eight playing the 14th hole pretty much straight hole 380 yards I pulled it left into the trees again a bit of a ropey tee shot had a gap hit 99 pin High chips it down that's about 10 foot hold that port. For par on 14. 15th is the par five again the members teas playing at 475 yards you've got to be right hand side of the Fairway did my golf ball listen no it went to the left into the trees um kind of wanted to some degree play the hero shot again. But after learning my lesson on 13 I decided to chip out played a terrible chip out really badly only just got out of the kind of trees but it meant my third shot into the 15th the par five again that hole with the big water hazard in front of the green and the water has it over over the green if you go down into the 16th Pond um I was like 190 yards away I'm thinking what do I do here now. So I've gotta go for it so grab six iron and I had to play this Almighty hook so I started it massively out to the right hand side and just prayed and hoped it was gonna Hook. And the caddy and sebi was playing with went wow this looks good. And I couldn't see it I'd hit it and I'm like where is it I didn't quite know where it had gone because I I was under this tree. And this and the other and they were saying this looks good this looks good. So my eyes just focused on the flag if praying and hoping that the ball would land safe on dry land and it came in from a 45 degree angle from the right hand side it must have had so much hook on it landed just over the bunker on the right side and landed safely on the green left myself about 20 foot birdie put on the 15th I was delighted just missed that port. And I mean just tapped him. For par next.
On the 16th to par 3 the iconic one the almost the most famous shot in World Golf happened on that whole and Tiger Woods chipped in from bat left on that hole um hole that I've again dreamed of playing you might have seen it my phone screen cover it's actually just off camera at the moment has been the 16th uh tee shop for six seven years it's been that I've looked at it every single day and the amount of times I use my phone I've probably looked at that picture on my phone two million times um I hit a it was playing 145 yards I hit eight iron again slightly into Breeze pins back left I don't want to go long I hit this beautiful drawing Gate iron it hit the slope where I wanted to hit the slope. But maybe just five yards short of where the perfect location would be the ball kind of came down off the bank finished in a good position on the flat part of the green on the left but just not far enough to get back to the pin at about again a 15-footer or so rolled it down there not to info just missed out on the birdie tapped in for part I would love to have birded that hole but again I'm happy with the power on 16. 17 part 4 370 yards great drive into position a the caddy told me not to go along with my second shot what do I do I went long I think the adrenaline was definitely starting to kick in here I hit 50 degree it went straight through the back of the green massive upslope I had to get over again I didn't want to ruin anything I didn't want to end up duffing a chip. Or doing something stupid so I hit putter up the hill just got on the green I have rolled it down from about 10 foot Radix to the pin tapped it in for a five and this part of nine over par playing the last hole I think if you just said something at the start of the round you'd be nine over par on the 18th hole I'd have probably taken that definitely. But IFS butts and maybes hey what could have been anyway last hole Par Four uh again off the members teams playing at 385 yards it's this dog leg round the corner to the right you've seen it so many times the iconic hole off the championship tees the funnel is very very very very tight the Trees of the member Seas it's a little bit more generous thankfully um try to play this big cut big fat Big Driver shot around the corner didn't it didn't fade it just went dead dead dead straight into the massive bunker that sits there on the end of the Fairway on 18. it's massive. So I was about 150 yards away I thought you've got to go. For this Rick but honestly when I say it the TV just does not give the TV doesn't give Justice to the slopes of the golf course anyway you've probably heard people say this before Augusta National is. So much slopier in hilly than you could expect to see on TV and cut on 18 is. So much deeper well I'm 6'4 and this bunker must have been seven seven and a half feet tall it was huge um. So I'm in there I've got a decent lie Doug said give it a go I had 99 in my hand um I was going. For the green but also I wanted to get it out I slightly fatted it I think that was me just trying to get the ball out of the bunker uh it landed on The Fairway probably about 90 yards away from the flag. So not ideal but an okay third shot into the green quite a few people are kind of scattered around the 18th green at this point you've got the huge leaderboard with John Ram's name at the top after him just obviously winning the day before I've got this shot into the green I'm thinking come on right let's finish with the parts finish with an up. And down it's beautiful 56 degree wedge I really did. And it went probably landed about 100 yards so 10 yards past the flag but it was loaded. For the backspin and that group that greedy sloping from bat to front it spun like crazy apparently I didn't see it but apparently it looked in the hole but never actually I've just dropped in it had a glance in the hole but span off the front of the green into this kind of little collection area I was gutted about that I was hoping to get up. And down got putter on that knocked it to about four foot short just past the PIN so I had a four footer on the last right to left quite a bit slope downhill few people watching leaderboard sunshine it's complete my round the Augusta National and thankfully I hold it you're probably expecting me to say I missed that then.
But thankfully I hold it four or five so that was 40 going out 40 Front nine uh 42 coming back in 6-0 after having that double triple bogey on the 30th I do wish I played that hole again. And then.
Bogey in the last two holes but overall an 82 I would I would take that definitely for the first time playing Augusta National with how how nervous I felt and how excited I would definitely take that guys hopefully you enjoyed this run by run shot um who knows hopefully one day a video could be filmed there a little an official break 75. And then.
If Tiger's around and he wants to join me as well I'd be happy to accommodate him anyway guys thanks for watching thanks for listening thank you guys for watching the channel it obviously gives me incredible opportunities like this so I really do appreciate it. And I will dine out on this story. For the rest of my life if you bump into me and want to talk about it be prepared to have your ear chewed off because I'll continue to tell you more stories thanks for listening thanks for watching thanks for subscribing uh thanks for Augusta National for the opportunity uh thanks to Mercedes-Benz for inviting me to the event and also thanks to my good friend Seb Carmichael Brown go and check out his video right it's my round peace.
