AUGUSTA | Normally, whoever wants to enter the prestigious property of the Augusta National, the mythical place where the Masters Tournament is played. It’s even tighter in these times of COVID-19. The Journal of Montreal is on the short list of around 100 members of the written press invited to this special edition.
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And under current conditions, getting to Augusta, in eastern Georgia, is sort of an adventure out of the ordinary.
You still have to have the opportunity to go there. In order to apply the principles of physical distancing in the lavish media pavilion, the Augusta National (ANGC) leadership has more than halved its maximum capacity of around 350 seats. Representatives of the press from the United States, South America, Asia and Europe are here in limited numbers.
My quest to cover the event began during the United States Open in mid-September.
Accredited for the Masters which was to take place in April, I reiterated my interest by informing me of the procedures to come. The leadership of the Augusta National (ANGC) has let it be known that it was studying all the applications received last January, before the coronavirus paralyzed the planet. Among the criteria, it would have taken into account the number of appearances of the media, its origin and its readership.
The newspaper covered the tournament for decades and had a front row seat last year when Jennifer Kupcho made history by winning the inaugural Women’s Amateur Championship at the National. Added to this is the behind-the-scenes work of the Golf Journalists Association of North America, a group of professionals that I joined a few years ago. I crossed my fingers.
Expected invitation
At the end of September, the sports director of the Journal, Denis Poissant, received the official communication inviting us to cover the tournament. The process to be followed is substantial and serious. A screening test carried out 72 hours from arrival in Augusta is required in addition to the one giving access to the site, otherwise the microchip “badge” is not activated. Wearing a mask is mandatory at all times.
The boss accepts in-person coverage of the Masters in this unique context. Despite the hyper-controlled environment of the ANGC, it was also necessary to reflect, assess the journey and the terms of return to the family cocoon to pass the mandatory quarantine. With a nine-month-old Noah-Charles full of energy at home, health takes precedence over tournament prestige.
By redoubling my vigilance and limiting the uncontrollable ones, it is decided, I take the direction of Augusta not without a load of disinfectants.
Path
Obviously, the travel conditions are different. You can feel it as soon as you enter the sadly silent Montreal terminal, where you are greeted with a body temperature measurement. The questions are more numerous and pointed at the American customs.
Although the journey is not longer than usual, it is however rarer. The route to Atlanta took me through Chicago. During the flight, the mask is mandatory at all times. The lady next to me was wearing glasses, visor, gloves, and had sprayed her seat with disinfectant before settling down.
Walking through the terminals of these two major American airports, we understand why COVID-19 is wreaking havoc in the United States. Physical distancing is almost non-existent and the wearing of a mask, however compulsory, is not respected. No wonder the country hit 10.1 million cases of infection yesterday and the virus killed nearly 240,000 people.
Surprise !
After a two hour drive from Atlanta to Augusta late Monday afternoon, I arrived at the drive-thru site in the deserted National parking lot. The last stage of the journey. I provide proof of the negative result obtained last Friday and complete all the paperwork.
The lady hands me the swab for the administration of the unpleasant test.
– Pardon ?
– Yes, I am not allowed to do so. You have to tilt your head and do your own test by taking a sample from each nostril. You enter the swab until you feel an obstruction. I will then count to 15 and you will do the same in the other nostril.
– And the throat?
– Not necessary.
No less unpleasant test, but the negative result is known 12 minutes later. An ANGC employee informs me that my “badge” is activated, wishing me a good week. We’ll meet again this weekend to make sure I get home without any bad surprises.
And this is only the beginning of the adventure, because the winds and the rain of the tropical storm And threaten the tournament. Under the Big Oak Tree near the clubhouse, the breeze coming up from the fairway of the first hole is good and makes you forget the hassles of the last eight months.
The table is set for a Masters as unique as it is memorable.
