Augusta, GA
This little-known Masters keepsake is a favorite of champions' wives
Ben Crenshaw and his wife, Julie, at the 2015 Masters at Augusta National Golf Club.
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AUGUSTA, Ga. — At Augusta National, there’s more traditions than we can count. The green jacket. The Champions Dinner. Skipping balls across the pond. The Par-3 Contest. The list goes on and on.
But we recently stumbled upon another we didn’t even know existed. And if a handful of golf writers didn’t know this was a thing, there’s a good chance most of the general public didn’t either.
What is it, exactly? A golden locket presented to the defending champion, given to them at the beginning of the Champions Dinner every Tuesday of Masters week.
GOLF
During a Q and A with Colt Knost at a Cabot event in Augusta on Wednesday night, two-time Masters champion Ben Crenshaw explained the locket and its significance.
Crenshaw has served as host of the Masters Champions Dinner since 2005, a gig that Byron Nelson previously held. One of his duties is presenting the defending champion — in this case, Jon Rahm — with an inscribed gold locket in the form of the club’s emblem, which serves as their certificate of membership into the Masters Club.
“My favorite thing to do is to award the defending champion this beautiful locket, a solid gold locket that the club gives to the defending champion,” Crenshaw said on Wednesday. “It’s a pendant that is supposed to go to your wife. It’s a beautiful gold locket that opens up three ways and you open it up and it has a silhouette of the Augusta National clubhouse … Bobby Jones. … It’s just a beautiful piece of art.”
GOLF
While Crenshaw said it’s supposed to go to players’ wives, that actually might be something that manifested over the years.
“It’s really the mens’ locket, but what does a man do with a locket?” Julie Crenshaw, Ben’s wife, told GOLF.com. “So he said let’s put it on a necklace, so all of the wives have started to wear it.”
Julie wasn’t sure when exactly the tradition started — perhaps with Barbara Nicklaus, she said — but added that she wears her necklace the entire month of April.
But no matter how many times you win at Augusta, it’s just like the Masters green jacket: “This is symbolic that you are in the Champions’ Club, so you only get one,” Julie said.
Check out the video below to learn and see more of the locket.
Two Augusta-area Walmarts are among 13 Georgia locations that the retail giant plans to remodel and modernize in 2026.
In the past five years, the company said it has spent $961.5 million to upgrade its stores statewide.
Now, the company plans to change store layouts and services in its Augusta and Grovetown locations to make shopping faster and more convenient.
The locations are the Augusta Walmart Supercenter at 3338 Wrightsboro Road, near Augusta Mall, and the Grovetown Walmart Neighborhood Market at 5303-A Wrightsboro Road, where Wrightsboro and Harlem-Grovetown roads meet.
The Augusta location has been undergoing renovations since last fall.
The stores, when completely renovated, will include updated pharmacies offering vaccines, free delivery and clinical services such as basic health screenings and same-day testing for strep, the flu and COVID-19. Vision Centers also will be redesigned for improved privacy.
Also, computer apps will help customers better navigate stores, scan products’ prices and find exclusive app-only shopping deals.
Augusta, GA – Entered into rest Sunday, April 19, 2026. Mr. James Byron Duncan, 80, was the loving husband of Estelle Mulherin Duncan as well as devoted father, doting grandfather, and lifelong friend to many.
Byron was born and raised in Augusta, GA, the son of W.B. and Kathleen Duncan. After graduating from Butler High School in 1965, Byron’s kind heart called him into Social Work. He earned his Bachelor of Sociology from Augusta College in 1969. After 34 years of dedicated service to the State of Georgia, Byron retired in 2003 as Director of Jefferson County Family and Children Services. He devoted his life wholeheartedly to both service to others and dedication to his family, working in the tough field of social work while remaining a fiercely loving, spirited and unwaveringly passionate man.
His deepest commitments were to his wife, children, granddaughters, siblings, church, the Knights of Columbus and the Georgia Bulldogs.
Byron was deeply rooted in his faith and community. He was an active member of St. Mary on the Hill Catholic Church, where he had served as an usher, Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion, and finance committee member. He was also a proud member of the Knights of Columbus, Patrick Walsh Council 677 and Assembly 174, the Irish American Heritage Society and the Rotary Club of Louisville, GA. A true Georgia Bulldog at heart, Byron never missed an opportunity to cheer for his Dawgs, whether they were playing football, basketball, baseball or any other sport. He loved the simple joys of life – days at the beach, Jimmy Buffett, beach music and shagging, and a house full of family and friends. For many years, Byron delighted young and old alike by donning the red suit and playing Santa Claus at various events as well as visiting the classrooms at St. Mary on the Hill Catholic School as St. Nicholas.
Byron possessed the gift of gab! He never met a stranger and could often be observed enthusiastically carrying on a deep conversation with old friends or a stranger he just met on the street. No conversation with him was brief!
Family meant everything to him. He is survived by his beloved wife of 40 years, Estelle Mulherin Duncan; his children Sean M. Duncan (Jennifer), Matthew M. Duncan and Megan E. Duncan; his bonus daughter, Allison Crow (Joe), and his treasured grandchildren Riley, Emma and Harper Duncan, who brought him endless joy. He is also survived by his brother Keith Duncan; sisters Sheryl Werrick and Marcia Golden; brothers-in-law Dr. Joe Mulherin, Robert Gibson and Tom King; sister-in-law Janet M. Gibson; and numerous nieces and nephews.
A Funeral Mass will be celebrated on Friday, April 24, 2026, at 1:00 P.M. at St. Mary on the Hill Catholic Church with Fr. Mark Ross as celebrant. Interment will follow at Westover Memorial Park. A Rosary service will be held Thursday evening at 6:00 P.M., followed by visitation from 6:30 until 8:00 P.M. at Thomas Poteet & Son.
Memorial contributions may be made to Aquinas High School, 1920 Highland Ave., Augusta, GA 30904 or St. Mary on the Hill Catholic Church, 1420 Monte Sano Ave., Augusta, GA 30904 for the Our Faith Our Future Capital Campaign.
Thomas Poteet & Son Funeral Directors, 214 Davis Road, Augusta, GA 30907, (706) 364-8484. Please sign the guestbook at thomaspoteet.com
AUGUSTA, Ga. (WJBF) – Georgia Gubernational candidate Geoff Duncan made another appearance in Augusta on Monday, speaking at the IBEW Local 1579 on Reynolds Street.
Duncan is one of the three candidates vying for the Democratic nomination. Duncan said when he served as lieutenant governor of the state, he fought to expand access to health care in rural communities. He said if he’s elected, he’ll focus on lowering costs in other areas.
Duncan stopped by NewsChannel 6 ahead of the campaign stop to speak about his plans.
“Look, 90% of Georgians know what they’re talking about when they want to pass commonsense gun legislation like universal background checks, red flag laws, and in-home safe storage laws. As governor, I want to lead the charge, and I want to give political cover to those Republicans that want to do the right thing, build those consensus around those bills,” Duncan said. “I hope to get some of them the cosign that legislation. Because it meets people where they’re at. It’s common sense. Look, I don’t want anybody to ever walk by a television screen and make another excuse for a mass shooting when it could have been stopped. With just common sense laws that are on the books.”
Photojournalist credit: Regynal McKie
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