Augusta, GA

2 Masters sleepers are hiding out in the open at Augusta National

Published

2 years ago

April 10, 2024

Press Room

2 Masters sleepers are hiding out in the open at Augusta National

By:

James Colgan

April 9, 2024

A Masters rookie hasn’t won in close to 50 years, but Wyndham Clark (right) and Ludvig Aberg (left) could be in line to change that.

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AUGUSTA, Ga. — It’s hard being the new guy.

At the Masters, Ludvig Aberg knows. He’s new. Brand-new. Not only to Augusta National, where he’ll play this week in his first-ever Masters — but also to all of major championship golf.

It’s easy to forget that Aberg’s career number of major starts is zero. Most players of his caliber have major championship peach fuzz by the time they’ve reached their early 20s, usually by way of amateur championship victories or special exemptions. Aberg is not one of them. He played valiantly as an all-world youngster at Texas Tech, a player talented and decorated enough to earn an invitation onto the PGA Tour straight out of school. He contended regularly and even won as a Tour rookie, then starred in the Ryder Cup in Rome as a particularly fearsome piece of a dominating European side. Now he’s the ninth-ranked player in the world and easily one of pro golf’s most gifted young’uns — talented enough to earn a Masters pre-tournament press conference before ever playing a tournament round.

That resume does not equate to zero major championship starts. But that’s where Aberg finds himself on Tuesday afternoon in Augusta — a Masters rookie on the brink of his first-ever major start.

Wyndham Clark knows the feeling. He wouldn’t have believed you if you’d told the reigning U.S. Open champ he’d win a major championship before he earned a start at Augusta. But the hardware on his mantel and the glimmer in his eyes Tuesday indicate otherwise.

Until about 11 months ago, Clark wasn’t on anybody’s pro golf radar. But then he broke through at the Wells Fargo for his first pro win, and then again, a month later, at the U.S. Open. And then again, eight months later, at Pebble Beach. Now, he’s entering the Masters as the fourth-ranked player in the world — and a Masters rookie on the brink of his first-ever start.

It would be a stretch to call these two golfers sleepers, what with their prodigious ability and history of tournament success. Vegas, which has both golfers among the tournament favorites, agrees. But there’s a small bit of history working against them: Not since Fuzzy Zoeller in 1979 has a player arrived at the Masters a rookie and exited a champion.

But among the flood of press conferences on Tuesday at Augusta National, there was the prevailing sense that these two rookies might be different from the rest.

The difference, it seems, starts on the cellular level. Both Clark and Aberg are prolific ball strikers, the kind who can overpower a golf course with the sheer force of their golfing might. On Tuesday at the Masters, both golfers smothered the range with blistering drives that carried on tight fades, flushed irons that hit small targets, and hit crisp chips that scared pin placements.

But on a morning when Tiger Woods spoke at length about the experience and headiness needed to survive at Augusta National — and about how that experience benefits those playing in the event well into their 40s — it also became clear that both Clark and Aberg possess something deeper than athletic ability. Every Masters rookie has a driver they can hit far and straight, but not all of them have the mental makeup to do it for 72 holes under immense pressure. These two Masters rookies do — and that’s what sets them apart.

“I think there’s a difference between people who can win consistently on the PGA Tour and majors and maybe someone who wins every once in a while,” Clark said Tuesday. “I think if you win once every blue moon, I think that’s just a great week and you really had everything clicking that week. But I think to win multiple times and in major, I think that there is a little bit of a mental shift. I’m not saying I know what that shift is, but I know I worked really hard in the mental game. And so when I found myself leading the U.S. Open and then winning a U.S. Open, it felt like a regular event. I think maybe that’s the shift, I think that’s what needs to be done.”

Aberg agreed.

“I’m trying to embrace it,” he said. “I’m not trying to push it away. I’m not trying to fight it. I think that’s one of the key things.

“It’s also just golf, and it’s just me and my 14 clubs.”

This attitude is what endeared Aberg to his current caddie, the veteran looper Joe Skovron, who jumped from Rickie Fowler’s bag to Tom Kim’s, and then jumped from Kim’s to Aberg’s.

“He’s just so mentally mature,” Skovron told me recently. “He’s got a good perspective when something goes wrong. He can deal with it and move on. His ability level is super high, and yet he just wants to keep getting better.”

Rory McIlroy and Tiger Woods smile at the 2023 Masters. — Tiger Woods’ surprisingly assertive view on Rory McIlroy’s Masters chances

By:

Jack Hirsh
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Aberg says he’ll be leaning on Skovron’s advice this week to help him navigate the more nuanced difficulties of Augusta National — and he’ll need to. The Masters is a brute of a tournament for the most experienced players. For those without experience, it can be easy to get out of place.

“This golf course gets you to chase things a little more than other golf courses,” Rory McIlroy said Tuesday. “If you make a bogey or if you get yourself out of position, it always tempts you to do something you think you can do.”

The temptation of Augusta National is a frequent cause of youthful ejection. But so is the pressure. The Masters is golf’s Super Bowl, as even the hilariously underwhelmed Aberg admitted on Tuesday. There’s no knowing how you respond until you have to.

But perhaps it helps that these guys just don’t know yet. There’s callous in youth, but also confidence.

“My first four or five years on the PGA Tour I learned all the ways how not to win and how not to handle myself in pressure moments,” Clark said. “As I’ve now found myself in more of those moments, I feel so much more relaxed. My thoughts are slower. I’m taking everything as it comes.”

Of course, it’s easy to speak confidently from the comfort of a Tuesday presser — and a little harder from under the gun in the shadows of Amen Corner late on Sunday afternoon. How will Aberg and Clark respond, should the chips fall in a historic way for either of them?

Their answers Tuesday were revealing.

“I mean, stats like that are meant to be broken,” Clark said defiantly when asked about the rookie winless streak.

Aberg was even less impressed.

“I honestly didn’t know that stat up until just now,” he said with a laugh.

James Colgan

Golf.com Editor

James Colgan is a news and features editor at GOLF, writing stories for the website and magazine. He manages the Hot Mic, GOLF’s media vertical, and utilizes his on-camera experience across the brand’s platforms. Prior to joining GOLF, James graduated from Syracuse University, during which time he was a caddie scholarship recipient (and astute looper) on Long Island, where he is from. He can be reached at james.colgan@golf.com.

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Augusta, GA

Augusta 911 call center earns statewide honor

Published

5 hours ago

February 28, 2026

Press Room

Augusta 911 call center earns statewide honor

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – The Augusta 911 center has been named 2025 Communications Center of the Year at the Georgia Emergency Communications Conference in Athens.

The award recognizes excellence in public safety communications, innovation, leadership and service.

The award recognizes a center that demonstrates strong performance in emergency response coordination, training, technology and community engagement.

The Augusta center was selected among agencies statewide for its consistent service, professional standards and coordination with public safety partners.

“This recognition reflects the work our team does every single day,” said Daniel R. Dunlap, 911 director. “Our communications officers are the first point of contact during some of the most difficult moments in a person’s life. They provide reassurance, direction and critical coordination until help arrives. I am incredibly proud of the dedication and strength they show.”

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Augusta, GA

Popn’ Off Gourmet Popcorn opens on Broad Street in Augusta

Published

17 hours ago

February 27, 2026

Press Room

Popn’ Off Gourmet Popcorn opens on Broad Street in Augusta

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – A new gourmet popcorn shop has opened on Broad Street, bringing a Chicago-style twist to downtown Augusta.

Popn’ Off Gourmet Popcorn and Nuts, located at 716 Broad Street next to the Miller Theater, opened late last year. Owner Sheila Jones moved to Augusta from Chicago, where she said gourmet popcorn has a strong following.

“I’m from Chicago where gourmet popcorn is kind of a big deal,” Jones said.

Specialty flavors made in house

The shop offers specialty flavors including caramel, strawberry drizzle, peppermint, Oreo, green apple, and peanut butter — all made in house. Jones said the experience starts before customers even reach the counter.

“The smell is part of the experience. Green apple, strawberry, strawberry drizzle with chocolate. We have a new peanut butter flavor I just did,” Jones said.

A business built for family

Jones said her move to Augusta and her decision to open the business were driven by her son, who is on the autism spectrum. She said she believed he would be more comfortable in Augusta and wanted to build something that would benefit him long-term.

“I wanted him to have something when he gets older. He has a job already if he wants one. He already has a business,” Jones said.

Jones said starting the business has been harder than she expected. She handles most operations herself, with some help from family. She said the purpose behind the shop keeps her motivated.

“Coming into this every day is fulfilling because I built it. I’m building it and I just wanna see how high we’ll go,” Jones said.

Popn’ Off Gourmet Popcorn and Nuts is open Tuesday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. The shop is also holding a pop-up Saturday at noon on Gordon Highway.

Here’s a link to their Facebook page: www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61584084467886#

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Augusta, GA

Deputy fired over on-duty sex with co-worker’s wife, documents show

Published

1 day ago

February 27, 2026

Press Room

Deputy fired over on-duty sex with co-worker’s wife, documents show

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – A deputy was fired for having sex with another deputy’s wife while on duty, according to personnel documents from the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office.

And it’s not the first time his love life has raised questions − he left a job in Aiken County after a similar problem.

Sgt. Christopher Chavous was dismissed after the matter was reported by the deputy whose wife was allegedly having the relations with now-fired deputy, according to the documents.

Chavous admitted it when confronted by an investigator on Feb. 16, according to the documents.

He said he first slept with her before Christmas and had continued doing so at least one or two times a week, according to the documents.

He also admitted that he’d done so at least once while on duty, according to the documents.

The husband said he’d suspected for some time that his wife had been sleeping with another deputy, but he initially didn’t know who it was.

Eventually, the husband tracked his wife on his phone to an apartment he knew belonged to Chavous, according to the documents.

Additionally, the husband showed Sgt. Walter McNeil, who was investigating the allegations, a video he’d obtained that showed his wife standing in the doorway of the apartment while kissing Chavous.

The husband also provided additional images of his wife’s car at the complex, as well as Chavous’ unmarked patrol car there.

The husband “advised that he doesn’t feel comfortable with the fact that Sgt. Chavous is in a peer support role with the agency, and he sleeps around with other Deputies wives,” McNeil wrote.

When confronted by internal affairs, Chavous admitted he’d been sleeping with the other deputy’s wife for about a month and a half, according to the documents. Chavous said he was going through a divorce of his own, according to the documents.

“It is imperative for all employees of this agency to always demonstrate sound judgment, both on and off duty,” McNeil wrote in the report. “Additionally, staff members must conduct themselves in a manner that upholds the integrity and reputation of the Sheriff’s Office. The actions of Sgt. Chavous fell short of these established standards.”

The personnel documents state the final disposition for Chavous, who also runs the Support 1 charity: “Termination.”

In response to the action, Chavous told News 12:

“I will have to refer to this to my counsel. I am appealing the decision.”

He faces certain investigation by the state.

Anytime a law enforcement officer is fired in the state, it automatically triggers an investigation by the Georgia Peace Officer Standards and Training Council.

Here’s a look at his POST records so far:

News 12 learned that before he came to Richmond County, Chavous retired from the Aiken County Sheriff’s Office in 2023 after a complaint of an inappropriate relationship with a confidential informant.

These sex scandals seem to be a recurring problem for law enforcement agencies across the CSRA:

In January, we reported that Aiken County Sheriff Marty Sawyer took action to demote two employees for allegedly engaging in an inappropriate sexual relationship while on duty, according to officials.
In December, we reported that deputy Diana Santiago was arrested after admitting to an “intimate relationship” with a member of a gang and using Richmond County Sheriff’s Office databases to look up information for that member while on duty.
In 2023, we reported that an open microphone in a patrol car revealed that two supervisors had sex during working hours. They were demoted.
Two other Richmond County deputies were fired after their relationship was uncovered. They were fired not for the relationship but for lying about it.
In 2023, we reported that a deputy had sex with a woman who’d called 911. He was put on probation for one year.
In addition, Burke County Sheriff Alfonzo Williams has been involved in a lawsuit by a former employee who alleges he was involved in sexual harassment.