Here's something that particularly stood out to me:
These were not the typical practice sessions you see before major championships. Instead of playing the course, they walked the course, letting groups play through. Kirk estimates that Reed only hit 30 shots, but must have putted 5,000 times in the eight-hour shift on Wednesday. Reed took copious notes in his yardage book, indicating the pin placements, fall lines, wind directions and the best shot shapes for every scenario. At 7 p.m. ET, one of the club’s assistant pros came out to politely inform them that the course was closed. As Kirk remembered it, “The kid said, ‘I hate to tell you this, but I’ve got to ask you guys to leave.’”Only 30 shots, but thousands of putts over eight hours! That's some serious prep on the greens.
The article is an in-depth interview with Reed's coach Kevin Kirk, and it's a great reminder of how tough it can be at Augusta. Reed enlisted the sports psychologist who helped the NBA's Golden State Warriors win their two recent World Championships in 2015 and 2017. And Rosaforte has details on Reed's practice sessions and such.
A fascinating read (Reed?) about how a guy that few gave a chance to win became the newest Masters champion. Great work by Tim Rosaforte.
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