The Masters at Augusta National Golf Club is one of the most prestigious tournaments in all of professional sports, and the club has long been firm in enforcing its traditions and rules.
This week, ahead of the tournament teeing off Thursday, a patron was removed from the premises for violating one of the club’s most well-known policies — its ban on cell phones. The rule applies to everyone on the grounds, including former players, as 13-time PGA Tour winner Mark Calcavecchia found out the hard way after he was caught using his cell phone.
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Calcavecchia was escorted off the property by security and later reached by phone, though he offered little detail about the incident while expressing his respect for Augusta National before ending the call.
“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 said.
Calcavecchia played in the Masters 18 times over the course of his career and won the 1989 Open Championship. Winners of the other three majors receive a five-year exemption into the Masters, after which they can return as honorary invitees.
The Masters has a partnership with AT&T that provides banks of phones for patrons to use if they need to make a call or in case of an emergency. However, the use of personal electronic devices — including cell phones, tablets, laptops, and two-way pagers — is strictly prohibited.
The purpose of the rule is “to maintain a traditional atmosphere,” and violations result in immediate removal from the venue. This has happened on several occasions over the years, and while Mark Calcavecchia isn’t the only former player to face this consequence, he is the latest. It’s unclear whether he will be able — or willing — to attend the tournament over the next four days.
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