Augusta, GA

Wednesday at Augusta: A low-key day of much Masters anticipation

Published

2 years ago

April 10, 2024

Wednesday at Augusta: A low-key day of much Masters anticipation

AUGUSTA, Ga. – Wednesday is the oddest day of the week at The Masters.

There are no player press conferences. The only formal interview features the Masters chairman, now Fred Ridley, who takes questions on everything from course alterations to the international youth competitions.

In the afternoon, the players compete (or pretend to compete) in a par-3 competition, an event that has become so popular that the par-3 course is packed every year.

Some players play practice rounds in the morning, and some skip the par-3 tourney. No player who has ever won the par-3 tournament has won the subsequent Masters.

Because it’s a short, pitch-and-putt course, some of the greats of the game can hit spectacular shots, and holes-in-one are not unusual. The tourney is televised by ESPN from 2-4 p.m. Central.

The tournament begins on Thursday morning, after ceremonial tee shots by Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player and Tom Watson.

Some tee times of interest for Thursday:

7 a.m. (Central): Former Gopher Erik van Rooyen will be the first competitor on the first tee, along with Jake Knapp.

8:36: Phil Mickelson, Sepp Straka and Tony Finau.

9:30: Defending champion Jon Rahm, Matthew Fitzpatrick and Nick Dunlap.

9:42: Scottie Scheffler, Rory McIlroy, Xander Schauffele.

9:54: Cam Smith, Wyndham Clark, Victor Hovland.

12:24: Tiger Woods, Max Homa, Jason Day.

12:36: Brian Harman, Brooks Koepka, Tom Kim.

Course note: The 2nd hole, a dogleg left par-5, has been extended by 10 yards, with the tee box being pushed back toward Washington Road.

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Augusta, GA

From Augusta roots to Nighthawks leader: Nolan Belcher comes home

Published

4 hours ago

March 29, 2026

Press Room

From Augusta roots to Nighthawks leader: Nolan Belcher comes home

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WJBF)- Augusta University baseball is in a three-game series matchup against the University of North Georgia.

AU is currently down in the series 0-2 after a close loss Friday and a loss Saturday.

But we aren’t focusing on the Jags, we’re going to take a look at North Georgia’s head coach, Nolan Belcher.

He is an Augusta native who began his career at Greenbrier and Augusta Christian.

He won three state championships, which then led him to play for the South Carolina Gamecocks.

There he won back-to-back national championships and finished runner up in 2012.

His coaching career began after that where he eventually joined the Peach belt Confrence, coaching at USCA and GCSU.

Now in his first season as head coach for the Nighthawks, he is happy to come home and coach in front of his friends and family.

“I’m very fortunate that I got family that, one is still around and they can come watch me do what I love. And, they’ve shown me, nothing but support throughout my whole coaching career and even back on my playing dates are very thankful and appreciative for everything they’ve done for me.”

AU and UNG will have their final series match on Sunday.

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