Masters 2024: Super unscientific ranking of the 15 strongest at Augusta National | Here's the loop

AUGUSTA, Ga. — If you can get to Augusta National Park, you can pretty much go anywhere. The Masters is probably the hardest ticket in sports, so to reach patron status you have to be very lucky, very wealthy, very well connected, or all three. It means that all are complete. Pat yourself, you're doing the right thing.

But I'd be lying if I said all Masters participants were equal, at least in terms of influence. When you come here, you can clearly see that. To that end, we've created a ranking of the most powerful people at Augusta National. They're the kind of people who poke the person they're with and say, “Who's that? That looks familiar!” And he hopes to be standing next to someone like Golf Digest's Christopher Powers, who somehow identified University of Missouri football coach Eli Drinkwitz in the crowd Wednesday. . (Drinkwitz's friend admitted that Chris was the only person who recognized him all day.)

How was this list created? Well, it's completely subjective. These are mostly categorical, with a few exceptions. Again, not very scientific, but here we go.

We're talking about Pine Valley, Seminole, Winged Foot, and Oakmont. If you're wearing one of these, chances are you've played there or are a member. This week is an important week for representing your local club.

Nothing screams “I'm rich and powerful” like walking around a golf tournament in dress shoes, especially after a rainy day. “Oh, you're wearing old sneakers? Well, these are my old Ferragamos.”

You'll be seeing a lot of these people during Masters week, from Golf Channel staffers like Brandel Chamblee to ESPN's Scott Van Pelt and NBC's Mike Tirico (see our recent podcast with him) Check it out!). They're way more powerful and cooler than us ink-covered scumbags in the press building. A very literal cliché today when Sam Weinman bursts a pen in his pants pocket.

You'll see a lot of these people, especially if you hang out near the big oak tree by the clubhouse. So they are maneuvering and dealing with it. Or at least pretend like that to stay in the shade.

We're talking about people like PGA of America President Seth Waugh (above) and USGA President Fred Parpol. They hold the title of president and may be seen walking around in dress shoes. It's an important time.

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Of course, this is a broad group, but this week they are the focus of more attention than anything else. There are a lot of people here who are very knowledgeable about golf. Attendees will thank the heroes by naming the bags.

Of course, there's even more respect for these living legends of golf. But maybe not as much as the man who will oversee Sunday's Green Jacket Ceremony in Butler Cabin…

The Voices of the Masters are the unofficial mayors of these regions. When he is under a large oak tree, people constantly flock to him. And this man famous for saying “Hello, friend” truly treats everyone like his best friend.

Nantz would rank higher than most of these players, but a few stand out. This year, there have already been sightings of Dwyane Wade, Josh Allen, and Wayne Gretzky. And who can forget Michael Phelps, who had a front row seat to one of the most famous moments in Masters history?

It's really hard to compare PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan or LIV leader Greg Norman to NFL QBs, but then again, no one is saying this list is perfect. What we do know is that they wield great power. However, it appears Norman had to buy his own ticket on the secondary market after reportedly being refused by the club.

Again, we're comparing apples and oranges here. Or in this case, an orange stud like the Jon Hamm one that popped up a few years ago. So far, there have been no such sightings in Hollywood — other than Chris Powers somehow identifying Dane DeHaan (?!) from HBO's “The Staircase” — but it's early is.

I won't name names, but Harry Styles stunned some members of the media at Augusta National on Thursday.

Well, this guy stunned several media members and many patrons alike on Thursday. It's hard to explain how differently this guy is seen here. He's the GOAT, whether it's the crowds gathered by the first tee or practice field or the path made by people just waiting for him to come out of the clubhouse.

Brett Kavanaugh was in attendance Thursday and when someone asked him who he thought would win, he replied, “The jury is still out.” Just kidding, I made that part up. But that would have been a good thing.

But even Supreme Court justices do not have jurisdiction over these parts. You're here because Augusta National and its ubiquitous green-jacketed members have allowed you to be their guest this week (or, like Greg Norman, spend a lot of money). (Maybe they could have avoided it by paying.) Keep in mind that these members span a variety of categories, from famous athletes like Peyton Manning to billionaires like Warren Buffett and even former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. Some of the celebrities listed above also refer to the members as “sir” or “ma'am.” and Chairman Fred Ridley (On top of that) is the big boss in charge of Hey, Joe Biden might show up this weekend, but he might not have that much power here. That's impressive, Fred…um, I'm talking about Chairman Ridley.

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