STATESBORO (Ga.) — It took Ben Carr a few days for it to sink in.
The fifth-year senior at Georgia Southern knew his U.S. status as he walked off Ridgewood Country Club’s August course. He was the amateur runner-up and qualified for the 2023 Masters Tournament. It took several more days for the reality to sink in.
“It just started to creep into my mind as soon as I got a couple more. He said that you can’t help but think about it, and it makes it difficult to concentrate on the golf and the match. It finally hit me when I returned home. Covid was actually what I got, so I could spend a week in my room doing nothing. It was then that it became real.
He is a 22-year-old Columbus resident who comes to Augusta National Golf Club having only a basic knowledge of the course. He has played three practice rounds at Augusta. He does have the advantage of being able to draw on some experience to help him prepare for tournament week.
“I am very close to Larry Mize, and Russell Henley. He said that they both live in Columbus and that he was able to spend some time with them during Christmas break. “I got to pick their brains a bit.” Russell is playing in his seventh Masters and Larry is a Masters champion, so they both have a lot of experience. It was important to me that I could learn as much from them as possible by being able “to lean on” them.
2023 Masters Meet 7 amateurs in this field
Carr, Mize, and Henley will play Wednesday’s Par 3 Contest together, with Carr’s younger brother Sackett on the bag.
It’s easy to understand why his February practice round is so important for players who have had the chance to play Augusta.
It was quite surreal. My brother was able to play it with me the first time. Carr explained that we pulled into Magnolia Lane, and his truck was directly in front of mine. I was looking through my rearview mirror to observe his facial expressions. He was wide-eyed. “It was nerve-wracking the first time, because I didn’t know what to do. “I was walking on eggshells. But I am getting more comfortable now.”
These practice rounds were conducted in a controlled environment and provided valuable insight into the course’s behavior in April.
“Learning where to miss it has been the most important thing I have done in my three visits so far. There are certain holes that you have to avoid. Carr stated that it’s a common theme among those who have been successful at the game: knowing where to miss it. It’s not about perfection, but not making big mistakes. You can keep the ball in front and make the right mistakes, and you will be able to roll in some putts.
First-timers have a common theme: watching the tournament on TV doesn’t give the course justice from the perspective of elevation changes and speed, greens speeds. From his time as a patron at Augusta to getting up on No. 1. Carr stated that this was an early obstacle.
He said that he had been there as a child, so he didn’t pay much attention to the undulation. However, he noted that watching the tournament, you don’t realize the size of the slopes on the fairways, greens, and everywhere else. It’s amazing how much elevation changes there are. I learned the intricacies of the greens, where to place it around the greens, and how to use them to my advantage.
Donald Cooper, a veteran caddie with success at Augusta and in other majors, will be carrying the bag for Carr throughout the tournament. Cooper, a veteran caddie who has had success in Augusta and other majors (including a U.S. Open victory in 2009), brings with him a wealth knowledge.
He’s been caddying seven to eight Masters and has been on Lucas Glover’s bag for 20 years. He was a swing coach who used to train Lucas. He hooked us up, and I’m excited because I’m going to be relying on him a lot.
Cooper’s and Carrs’s strategy is straightforward: Take what the course offers and choose spots to be aggressive.
Carr stated, “Something my caddie (and I) talked about was just trying to avoid large numbers.” “There are scoring holes especially on the back nine so it is important to try to make birdies, and not force the issue,.”
The size of the crowd is an important aspect of college golfers playing at Augusta. Carr has never seen a larger crowd at Augusta. He is prepared to accept the good and the bad, knowing that there might be some extra cheers for the Georgia Southern Eagle.
He said that the U.S. Am was his first experience playing in front of a crowd. It’s important to be comfortable with the fact that you will get cheered on and make bad shots in front people. It’s embarrassing at first, but everyone hits bad shots. It’s important to try and block out as many people as possible. Some people love to embrace it. I am somewhere in the middle. I believe a lot of those experiences helped me deal with crowds.
The scorecard is important, but amateurs should let the experience of the week be the main focus. Carr wants to be a low amateur, but he made it a point of taking in all aspects of Augusta and sharing them with friends.
“Honestly, I’m going to let myself be starstruck. He said that he has never been able play on the same course as some of the guys he watches on TV. “I want the cut, to have a chance at being low amateur and all that; but, I really just want to have an enjoyable experience. I don’t want my passion for playing to take away the joy of playing at the Masters.
