Scottie Scheffler Adheres to Unwritten Tradition at Masters Champions Dinner Scottie Scheffler has made it clear he will not sit near the seats occupied by golf legends Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods during the Masters Champions Dinner, a tradition that has persisted even as the event has evolved over the years. The 2022 Green Jacket winner, now ranked No. 1 in the world, has attended the exclusive gathering twice as a host and has always respected the unspoken protocol surrounding seating arrangements. While the exact details of the tradition remain informal, Scheffler described it as a subtle yet significant aspect of the event. Scheffler explained that the dinner’s seating is divided into informal sections, with players naturally gravitating toward areas that align with their status and history within the sport. However, he emphasized that he would never attempt to sit in the vicinity of Nicklaus and Woods, even as the evening progresses. “There’s kind of spots where you kind of feel you’ll naturally flow into,” he said, adding that the tradition reflects a deep respect for the game’s icons. The event, held annually at Augusta National Golf Club, has long been a highlight of the Masters week, offering a rare opportunity for past champions to reunite. Scheffler, who has already established himself as a future legend of the sport, admitted the experience was both nerve-wracking and exhilarating. Hosting the dinner for the first time, he described the moment as a mix of anticipation and uncertainty. “I had no idea what it was going to be like,” he said, noting that the only certainty was where he would sit—next to the club’s chairman, Fred Ridley, and former president, Billy Crenshaw. To ease his nerves, Scheffler enlisted his wife, Meredith, to preview the setup before the event began.#scottie_scheffler #augusta_national_golf_club #tiger_woods #fred_ridley #jack_nicklaus
Where to sit at Masters Champions Dinner? Scottie Scheffler talks ‘protocol’ Scottie Scheffler has attended three Champions Dinners. If you get anxious about where to sit at Thanksgiving, imagine how you might feel as a still new-ish Masters winner approaching the table at the fabled Champions Dinner and deciding where to pull up a chair. There are no place cards or seating charts—just assorted legends and multiple-time major winners peering up from their vodka-sodas and dinner rolls and saying with their eyes, “Really, kid, you’re going to sit here?” “It’s not assigned seating, but a lot of people sit in the same chairs,” Adam Scott, the 2013 champion, said in 2023. “I like that, to be perfectly honest. I like the fact that you kind of feel like that’s your spot.” Well, yeah, once you’ve established that spot. The first year is easy, because as the defending champion and host, you’re seated by default at the head of the table, flanked by the dinner’s resident host, two-time champion Ben Crenshaw, and Augusta National chairman Fred Ridley. Year 2 gets trickier. Scott navigated his sophomore dinner appearance by fast-walking to an open spot next to his junior-golf pal Trevor Immelman, a pocket of the table where Nick Faldo also is a regular. Other players have formed their own table cliques: Zach Johnson shoulders up with Jordan Spieth, with the likes of Bubba Watson, Dustin Johnson, and Patrick Reed and old-timers Larry Mize and Bernhard Langer also in the region. Three legends—Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods, and Tom Watson—gravitate toward seats just to the left of the head. The late Fuzzy Zoeller used to favor the far end of the table, which is a little like sitting at the back of the school bus. And so it goes. Call them comfort zones.#scottie_scheffler #adam_scott #ben_crenshaw #fred_ridley #trevor_immelman
