By Frank Pingue
AUGUSTA, Georgia (Reuters) – Concerns that the Masters Champions Dinner atmosphere would be tense given the presence of six players from the LIV Golf circuit that has divided the sport were unfounded as the tortilla soup was the only spicy thing in the room.
The dinner at Augusta National Golf Club brings together former Masters winners and according to many present on Tuesday for 2022 winner Scottie Scheffler’s Texas-themed meal, there was no awkwardness in the room.
“We all respect that we’re in that room because we played some great golf around this golf course at some point in our lives. I don’t think anyone’s silly enough to kind of make that not the theme of the night,” 2016 champion Danny Willett said on Wednesday.
“So, yeah, it was nice that we were all there, and we all had a great time. Like I said, the main focus there was to celebrate what Scottie did last year.”
Another reason some felt the atmosphere could be heated is that Fred Couples, who won the Masters in 1992, recently insulted fellow former champions and current LIV Golf players Phil Mickelson and Sergio Garcia.
Couples called Mickelson a “nutbag” and Garcia a “clown” last month but clarified his comments this week and said he has respect for all players on the Saudi-backed LIV Golf circuit and would be happy to play alongside them this week.
Still, there was concern his initial comments would linger over the proceedings as past Masters champions gathered for dinner two nights before the start of the year’s first major.
But Spaniard Jose Maria Olazabal, who celebrated Masters wins in 1994 and 1999, called the evening a success all around.
“We are all champions in that dinner. We all know what this is all about, and the most important thing yesterday night was Scottie Scheffler’s dinner,” said Olazabal. “We paid tribute to him and respect.
“I think Sergio handled it okay. He had a conversation with Freddie. They talk. They chat. And it was — as I said, it was really nice and smooth.”
Despite all the talk about the discourse between LIV Golf and the PGA Tour, players across the board are insisting there is no bad blood and have been interacting all week, with some even practising together ahead of Thursday’s opening round.
Augusta National Golf Club Chairman Fred Ridley attended the dinner as a guest and said everything felt normal, adding that he hoped this week will help change the narrative going forward.
“Last night at the Champions Dinner, I would not have known that anything was going on in the world of professional golf other than the norm,” Ridley told reporters.
“So I think, and I’m hopeful, that this week might get people thinking in a little bit different direction and things will change.”
Three-times Masters winner Nick Faldo also said it was not a big deal having LIV Golf players present at the dinner and said everyone was chatting and getting along.
“I’m sure you’re all wondering about the temperature in the room, it was all calm and cool. Only the tortilla soup was spicy hot!” Briton Faldo wrote on Twitter.
(Reporting by Frank Pingue, editing by Ed Osmond)
