Masters 2022: Korn Ferry Tour star Ryan McCormick on Tiger Woods’ inspirational journey, mystique of Augusta

The Masters tees off Thursday morning with golf’s greatest searching for a inexperienced jacket at Augusta Nationwide Golf Course.

Korn Ferry Tour star Ryan McCormick is certain he’ll be on the identical course some day enjoying in opposition to the likes of Tiger Woods, Jon Rahm, Scottie Scheffler and Justin Thomas as an alternative of watching as a spectator. 

McCormick is 18th in the latest Korn Ferry Tour factors standings after lately lacking the reduce on the Membership Automobile Championship at The Landings Membership. However like most golf followers this week, he’s keeping track of the Masters in hopes of sooner or later enjoying the course.

The 30-year-old New Jersey native, who was a star on the highschool scene earlier than attending St. John’s College, informed Fox Information Digital in a current interview it’s thrilling realizing Woods is about to play in a high-level competitors for the primary time since 2020. There’s one thing about Augusta that’s indescribable, he added.

“I’ve been right down to Augusta to observe it, and it’s one of many weeks out of the 12 months I feel anyone who performs golf even slightly bit is tuned in. It’s simply form of a magical place to see, and it’s an superior occasion,” McCormick stated. “I’ll watch this week, after all, and would like to play there sooner or later.”

Woods will probably be enjoying the Masters after struggling devastating leg accidents in a February 2021 automotive crash. McCormick stated Woods’ affect goes past what most see on TV.

“I feel what he’s doing is inspiring to anyone. The man is wonderful, man. I feel the entire gamers there are amazed at him,” McCormick informed Fox Information Digital. “I’m on the age the place mainly all these guys, and even youthful than me, have grown up watching Tiger their complete life, and he’s impressed this complete technology of gamers which are enjoying now on the PGA Tour and professionally.

“It’s wonderful to see even over the course of my profession how the sport has modified, and I feel all people who performs professionally owes an awesome deal to Tiger, the publicity that he’s put into the sport and the amount of cash and folks on TV and media that’s concerned now. It’s fully totally different than 25 years in the past when he gained the Masters in ’97. That’s due to him.

Tiger Woods tees off on the 18th gap throughout a apply spherical for the Masters golf event Wednesday, April 6, 2022, in Augusta, Ga.
(AP Photograph/David J. Phillip)

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“Every part that I’m working for to play the PGA Tour and every part – these alternatives wouldn’t be there. They wouldn’t be the way in which that they’re now if not for him. He’s similar to one of the crucial inspiring folks of all time and what he’s doing proper now could be simply unbelievable.”

Tiger Woods walks on the fifteenth fairway throughout a apply spherical for the Masters golf event Wednesday, April 6, 2022, in Augusta, Ga.
(AP Photograph/Robert F. Bukaty)

The eighth-year golf professional additionally shed some gentle on what it’s like being at Augusta – whilst a spectator.

“It’s simply a type of locations that … it’s onerous to elucidate,” he informed Fox Information Digital. “I might say the very first thing, like on TV, you’ll be able to’t see or respect the quantity of slope that’s there. Watching the telecast, it’s onerous to understand how up and down and hilly that place is. That’s one of many spectacular issues about Tiger enjoying this week as nicely is that place is the toughest stroll all 12 months for any skilled.

“It simply has this aura about it. You stroll round, and you are feeling prefer it’s similar to being at Disneyland for golf. There’s simply form of like a mystique in regards to the place. It’s stunning. It’s actually simply strolling round in an image. It’s that stunning there. It’s simply a type of locations that strolling round there’s simply so cool. It doesn’t even matter who you see or what golf you even watch. It’s simply an unbelievable place to be.”

A basic view of the chief board subsequent to the primary fairway throughout a apply spherical previous to the Masters at Augusta Nationwide Golf Membership April 4, 2022, in Augusta, Ga.
(Andrew Redington/Getty Pictures)

The Masters begins Thursday and continues into Sunday. The primary group with Jose Maria Olazabal and J.J. Spaun is about to tee off at 8 a.m. ET.

Driving towards the PGA

The Korn Ferry Tour serves as a developmental tour for the PGA Tour and provides younger golfers an opportunity to interrupt into the very best stage of the game. Those that end within the prime 25 on the Korn Ferry Tour earn PGA Tour playing cards with extra golfers with the ability to qualify through the Korn Ferry Tour finals on the finish of the season.

McCormick was near getting the cardboard final season till COVID derailed his probability. He informed Fox Information Digital he’s optimistic about this 12 months’s run.

“Final season, I used to be capable of make it to the finals. I used to be like sixty fifth on the regular-season factors record, so I used to be capable of get to the finals, and I used to be twenty sixth going into the final finals occasion and I obtained COVID,” he stated. “I used to be a few week away from I might say most likely a prime 25 end from getting one of many PGA Tour playing cards. All of that occurred like August, September. That was the final week of the season.”

Regardless of having an up-and-down previous few weeks, McCormick believes he’s able to reaching his dream of enjoying on the PGA Tour and competing on the highest stage.

Ryan McCormick reacts through the second spherical of the Lake Charles Championship at Nation Membership at Golden Nugget March 25, 2022, in Lake Charles, La.
(Jonathan Bachman/Getty Pictures)

“For me, I form of know that my sport is a lot adequate to compete on the highest stage, and I simply form of want to remain the course and simply get slightly bit higher day by day. I be ok with my probabilities.”

The subsequent occasion on the Korn Ferry Tour is the Veritex Financial institution Championship April 13-16 on the Texas Rangers Golf Membership in Arlington.