Former golf star Paul McGinley has let slip on a few Masters secrets as the 2025 edition gets underway. Augusta is set to be heaving over the next few days as golf’s most glittering names tee-off in an effort to get their hands on the much-desired green jacket.
They will be followed around by approximately 40,000 patrons who will go through the famous Augusta gates over the tournament weekend. And McGinley – who twice played at the Masters during his career – has given fans a sneak peak at the amount of work that goes into making the tournament the showpiece event on the PGA Tour.
It involves a novel way for patrons to keep themselves hydrated, as well as buy merchandise. Speaking to The Sun, McGinley said: “Every year you go back, something new happens that makes it work even more seamlessly. To give you an example, there is a merchandising area where you can buy beer and cold drinks. It’s in the middle of the golf course. Historically, they needed refills during the day.
“So one off-season they built a huge refrigerated area underneath and then were able to bring all the drinks in overnight before the following day’s play, kept them cool and minimised the numbers of carts driving down.
“Another thing is the merchandising tent, well it’s a building that has extended over the years. There are probably 40,000 patrons attending every day and everybody wants to buy merchandise because it’s the only place you can get stuff with the Masters logo on it – they don’t have a shop and you can’t buy it online.
“Firstly, they don’t rip you off with the prices. They’re very moderate prices. They’re really good quality. There is always a queue, it’s like a line at Disney. But then you get to the checkout and pay. Then you move to the next counter.
“That’s UPS or FedEx and you just give your address. They take all of the stuff from you and ship it that night.
“So by the time you come back from Augusta, all your stuff is back in your house and you don’t have to lug it around the golf course during the day.”
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McGinley twice played at the Masters during his career. He finished T18 in 2002 on his debut before missing the cut four years later in 2006.
The former Ryder Cup captain will now represent part of Sky Sports’ coverage of the 2025 edition. Away from the secrets he’s revealed, fans will also be keen for merchandising tips as they attempt to get a hold of the collectible gnomes.
They have been available at Augusta since 2016 but with only 1,000 available each day, they have become much sought-after collectible items.
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