Bryson DeChambeau’s risky pre-Masters move, Jim Nantz's heartbreak and a tour pro’s drastic anger management solution

Welcome to another edition of The Grind, where we’re just happy there are no tariffs on social media embeds. Otherwise, we’d be in big trouble. Luckily, the price of watching golf on TV hasn’t gone up, either. Yet. So let’s (try to) forget about the market going red lately and focus on some red numbers being posted instead. Because there was even more drama and action playing out on golf courses around the world than there was in that memorable “White Lotus” finale on Sunday. Don’t worry, no SPOILERS here. Let’s get to the golf.

WE’RE BUYING

Brian Harman: The Champion Golfer of the Year for 2023 got back into the winner’s circle for the first time since his dominant victory at Royal Liverpool. And unlike there, Harman didn’t have to hear any blowback about his love of hunting.

Harman only shot 75 on Sunday at TPC San Antonio, but that’s all he needed for his fourth PGA Tour title due to windy conditions that produced the second-hardest round of the year thus far on the PGA Tour with a scoring average of 74.803. Even more difficult, however, was Harman playing with the knowledge that the family friend who attempted to save his 6-year-old son while swimming in Florida last fall was recently moved to hospice care. "I'm playing with a heavy heart today," Harman said after his round. "Miss Cathy went after my boy in the water, she's not doing so good, and just thinking about her all day." Let’s all keep Miss Cathy in our thoughts as well.

Carla Bernat Escuder: Congrats to the Kansas State senior on pulling off somewhat of an upset by winning the Augusta National Women's Amateur. The 21-year-old bogeyed the penultimate hole, but made a solid par on 18 to beat 16-year-old Asterisk Talley by a shot.

“I felt like an underdog from the very beginning of the tournament,” Bernat Escuder said. “But I wasn't looking at the people that was behind me. I was looking at the ones on top of the leaderboard because that helps me play better.” Good for you, Carla. And now there are going to be a lot of young women looking up at you.

Marc Leishman: Remember him? The six-time PGA Tour winner finally captured his first LIV title and he did it in dramatic fashion at Doral. Leishman found himself in trouble on the course’s tough finishing hole, but after a nifty punch out, his clutch up and down gave him a one-stroke victory:

Pretty impressive—especially considering the 41-year old beat all of two people in his last LIV start in Singapore while finishing four shots behind Anthony Kim. As Viktor Hovland recently said after an unexpected win, “Stupid, stupid game.”

WE’RE SELLING

Marc Leishman: First, no offense to the Aussie, but someone like Bryson or Rahm or Phil or Sergio winning at Doral on Sunday during a not-so-star-studded week on the PGA Tour would have been a feather in LIV’s cap. Instead, all those bigger names faltered in the final round. Leishman’s victory also gave golf fans a sad reminder of the splintered pro game. Here’s a guy who has nearly won majors and used to always be a dark horse at Augusta National and even with this win, he’s not even in the Masters field and hasn’t played in any majors since 2022. Not that he can be too broken up about those facts after winning $4 million.

Putting tape over your mouth: That’s what Ryan McCormick did during a Korn Ferry Tour event in an effort to curb his angry outbursts on the course. No, for real. Pretty drastic!

McCormick missed the cut so it didn’t wind up helping. We’re guessing he still blurted out a few choice words once he got back to his car.

This April Fool’s joke: Check out this wife who prank called her husband on April Fool’s to tell him his tee time had been canceled. When he was five minutes from the course after a 45-minute drive:

That’s just cruel. Although she did one heck of an acting job on that. Funny enough, my buddy Steve’s wife, Charlie, texted him something similar and had him freaking out momentarily. So this kind of stuff is going around. Good thing my wife doesn’t read my column. I don’t want her getting any ideas for next year.

ON TAP

The Masters is here! The Masters is here! Golf’s biggest week has arrived and the buzz is palpable. Or maybe that’s the buzz I’m feeling from having a couple Crow’s Nests beers. That’s right, I made my way down to Augusta National early this year and I’m ready to have a big week. And to finally win the Masters Monday media lottery. Look, I’ve tried not jinxing it for so many years and where has that gotten me? So, this year, I’m going to try to speak it into happening.

Random tournament fact: One of my favorite random golf facts is that Nick Faldo won three Masters despite only recording three top-10s at Augusta National. Meanwhile, poor Rory McIlroy has finished in the top 10 here in seven of his past 11 starts and is still searching for that elusive first green jacket.

RANDOM PROP BETS OF THE WEEK

—I will, actually, finally win the Masters media lottery: 1 MILLION-to-1 odds

—Rory will, actually, finally win the Masters this week: 7-to-1 odds

—I will enjoy more Crow’s Nests than Rory this week: LOCK

TWEET OF THE WEEK

PHOTO OF THE WEEK

That’s Ellie Kim with her father after winning the Girls 7-9 division of the Drive, Chip and Putt. And that’s going to be me hugging one of my daughters at Augusta National one day. If I can get either to watch on TV for more than one minute, that is.

VIRAL VIDEO OF THE WEEK (DRIVE, CHIP AND PUTT DIVISION)

Shout-out to Hudson Justus for making BOTH putts in the Drive, Chip and Putt on Sunday:

But the even better video of the 13-year-old was this emotional reaction after:

Good for you, young man. There are a lot of grown men who would cry tears of joy if they holed putts like that on 18 this week.

VIRAL VIDEO OF THE WEEK (ANWA DIVISION)

We’ve seen plenty of hole-in-one videos through the year (yours truly’s, included), but this one is extra special because it comes at Augusta National (on the Par 3 Course) and the angle is so cool:

We also love that Tommy Fleetwood follow-through. Congrats, Andie. A lot of people out there will say this doesn’t count as an ace, but I’m sure you don’t care.

VIRAL VIDEO OF THE WEEK (WILDLIFE DIVISION)

This gator at Kiawah’s Ocean Course might be the biggest gator I’ve ever seen:

On video, that is. If I saw that in person, I’m not sure I’d make it. Also, if that lady is looking for another Kiawah tat, look no further.

THIS WEEK IN PUBLIC DISPLAYS OF AFFECTION

It was a Cougars sighting that made the legendary Jim Nantz get teary-eyed:

Then again, seeing Duke lose—especially like that—had a lot of people crying tears of joy. Anyway, the legendary broadcaster, who called his final Final Four two years ago, delayed his trip to Augusta National so he could watch his alma mater Houston compete in the Final Four—and it was certainly worth the trip. Although, two days later, Nantz went from the ultimate high to the ultimate low with that heartbreaking loss in the national championship game. Sorry, Jim. I was rooting for you—and betting on your lucky sweatshirt—so I feel a bit of pain too (My bad for jinxing it!). Jim is one of us when it comes to rooting for you alma mater, but he'll still have a great week at Augusta National because he's the ultimate pro's pro.

THIS WEEK IN CELEBRITY GOLFERS

Bryson DeChambeau tried catching a pass from NFL star QB Matthew Stafford … and it looked like it hurt:

To do this so soon before the Masters shows that Bryson will do anything to produce content. What a wild man, but you gotta tip your cap to him.

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

“So aim just kinda like at the fat guy.” —Andrew Novak is hilarious. Look at how his caddie cracks up during this funny conversation.

Hey, it's probably a better strategy than aiming at a skinny guy.

THIS AND THAT

Congrats to Madelene Sagstrom on winning the T-Mobile Match Play in Vegas for her second career LPGA Tour title. Hopefully, for her sake, she was too tired to take that $300,000 check to the casinos after. … The PGA Tour rejected a $1.5 billion reunification offer from Saudi Arabia’s PIF. So much for all that merger talk. … Frank Nobilo is replacing the legendary Verne Lundquist in the 16th tower. Congrats, Frank, but you’ve got big shoes a big mic to fill. … Angel Cabrera will be back at the Masters for the first time in six years after winning his first tour-sanctioned event in 11 years. Not the most heartwarming comeback, but it is what it is. … And, finally, congrats to this 4-handicapper who shot 64(!):

Talk about firing a career round. Also, call the handicap police on this guy. I know my friends would if I did this.

RANDOM QUESTIONS TO PONDER

Have I already shot my career round?

Where will the next season of “White Lotus” take place?

How much is my beloved Mexican Coca-Cola going to cost now?