As the calendar turns to April and the flowers start to bloom, golfers from all over the world begin to get excited for one of the most highly anticipated sporting events of the year, the Masters at Augusta National. 2020 saw the Masters be played back in November thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic, but 2021 brings hope and excitement back to the Spring for the most prestigious tournament on the PGA schedule.

Beginning on Monday, April 5th, the players participating in the tournament will go through their practice rounds to gear up for the weekends event. This year, they will be able to go through 3 practice sessions from the 5th through the 7th as the famous Par 3 Contest has been cancelled for this year. The Par 3 Contest is traditionally held on the Wednesday before the tournament, but this year’s Wednesday will simply present another opportunity for the guys to get another practice round in.

More importantly though, we are excited to announce the menu that 2020 Masters Champion, Dustin Johnson has chosen for the Masters Club Dinner. This is one of the coolest traditions in sports as it is a dinner that is dedicated to previous Masters Champions and to celebrate the previous years champ. With Dustin Johnson winning last year’s tournament, he gets the honor of choosing what this celebrated group gets to eat. Here is what the Masters Champions will be eating on Tuesday, April 6th:

Appetizers

Pigs in a Blanket and Lobster & Corn Fritters

First Course

House or Caesar Salad

Family Style Sides

Mashed Potatoes & Spring Vegetables

Main Course

Filet Mignon & Miso-Marinated Sea Bass

Dessert

Peach Cobbler & Apple Pie with Vanilla Ice Cream

Now that we have you excited for the tournament and your belly growling for this tasty menu, let’s look ahead at some of the favorites to win this year’s Masters. The golfer with the greatest odds to win this year is last year’s champion, Dustin Johnson at 8-1 odds. Following DJ is Bryson DeChambeau at 9-1, Jon Rahm at 11-1, Justin Thomas at 11-1, and Rory Mcilroy / Jordan Spieth at 14-1 to round out the top 5. To have some fun with the crew, I went ahead and asked who our staff thinks will win this years Masters and here is who everyone has chosen:

Britt– Bryson DeChambeau

Sam– Jordan Spieth

JRod– Bryson DeChambeau

Brandon (AKA Frank)– Tommy Fleetwood

Scott- Paul Casey

Anthony- Justin Thomas

Rock– Jordan Spieth

Bonnie– Sergio Garcia

Pappy Harry- Jordan Spieth

Barb– The guy with the lowest strokes

Austin– Xander Schauffele

To wrap things up, we also want to share with everyone that we will be hosting a tournament next weekend at the course through the 18 birdies app. It will be our first ever ACGC Virtual Masters Tournament! To enter the tournament, you simply have to download the 18 birdies app, hit play, tap on tournament, and enter code 5843. Then you just have to book your tee time and complete one 9 hole round between the 8th and 11th to compete in the event. Don’t forget to have the app open while you play so you can submit your official score! After finishing your round, feel free to stop in and grab a bite to eat at the Cafe as we are planning on offering several food & drink specials to honor the Masters tournament.

Happy Masters Week everyone!

-Austin Ebersole, Head Golf Professional at American Classic GC