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Whatever you do at Augusta National, don’t use your mobile phone. One former major champ found that on Tuesday.
According to a report from Golfweek, Mark Calcavecchia was booted from The Masters venue on Tuesday after he breached the well-known policy.
“I’ve got nothing negative to say about Augusta National Golf Club and the Masters, so I think we should literally hang up right now,” he told Adam Schupak.
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It’s a policy that is enforced “to maintain a traditional atmosphere” and violating it almost always leads to immediate removal and loss of tickets. That can include being seen with a phone in your pocket and includes other electronic devices like tablets and laptops.
Calcavecchia, who won The Open in 1989, is an “honorary invitee” to the opening major of the year thanks to his Claret Jug triumph at Royal Troon.
During his playing days, the American made 18 appearances at The Masters, recording a career-best result in 1988, when he finished second.
Calcavecchia, meanwhile, isn’t the only one who has fallen foul of the law. In 2011, former Golf Channel broadcaster Charlie Rymer lost his credential and was asked to leave after a security guard spotted him stepping outside the media centre to chat on his phone.
At the time, an Augusta National spokesperson said: “We explained to him our policy, how we take it very seriously and we sent him home.”
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Last year’s US Ryder Cup captain Keegan Bradley also told Golfweek that his sister was once caught with her phone in the clubhouse.
“They were going to kick her out and she cried, and they let her put her phone in a safe and stay,” Bradley said.
And if you wanted to know what it’s like playing in front of a phoneless crowd at The Masters, you’re in luck. World No.1 Scottie Scheffler said, perhaps unsurprisingly, that it’s “very peaceful”.
“There are no people asking for selfies in the middle of the round,” he explained. “It’s very calm out there, and people follow the rules here. For us as players, it’s really an enjoyable experience.”
Ludvig Aberg agrees. “It feels like the fans are a little bit more engaged in the golf,” the Swede said. “They’re a little bit more attuned to what’s going on. It’s a cool environment to play. It feels like good golf shots are being appreciated, in a different way.”
