There are a handful of hard-and-fast rules at Augusta National Golf Club that you’re not allowed to break, no matter who you are.
Arizona State golf coach Matt Thurmond found that out the hard way on Monday.
Attending this year’s Masters with star pupil Jose Luis Ballester, a two-time All-American at ASU, Thurmond was on the practice range talking to Sun Devils alum Kevin Yu when an Augusta National official tapped him on the shoulder.
His crime: wearing shorts.
Augusta’s strict dress code resulted in Thurmond getting kicked off the grounds. He admitted his mistake in a post on social media.
‘Strolled onto the Augusta range today with my coach badge,’ Thurmond wrote on X. ‘Got removed for wearing shorts. First bogey of the week.’
Thurmond took reponsibility for his mistake, and fortunately packed some pants in his suitcase.
He’ll be back out there when Ballester, a 21-year-old amateur from Spain, tees off on Thursday in his second career major. He also competed in the 2023 British Open.
The reigning U.S. Amateur champion will be paired with Justin Thomas and defending Masters champ Scottie Scheffler for the first two rounds of this year’s tournament.
