'I Don't Feel Welcomed' - Legendary Augusta Caddie On Masters Snub

The 76-year-old says this year will be his last at Augusta National

Ben Crenshaw and caddie Carl Jackson hug on the final green of Augusta National at the 2015 Masters
(Image credit: Getty Images)

Legendary Augusta National caddie Carl Jackson insists he won't return to the iconic Georgia venue after being made to feel unwelcome.

Jackson, 76, was first hired by Augusta when he was 14 and went on to caddie for Ben Crenshaw's two Masters wins in 1984 and 1995. He was back on Crenshaw's bag for this year's par-3 tournament but, as reported by the Augusta Chronicle, wasn't granted a credential for the first men's Major of the year.

Instead, the veteran of 54 Masters tournaments had to rely on a ticket obtained by Crenshaw to gain access.

"I don’t feel welcomed here," Jackson said. "It feels like they want me to go, so that’s what I’ll do. You know, they can’t take my memories. It’s in my blood. The history, it’s in my blood."

Crenshaw, who first featured in The Masters as an amateur in 1972, played in the tournament 44 times, making his last appearance in 2015. 

"We’ve experienced it all. We had great triumphs and our share of disasters, but we walked every step together," Crenshaw said of Jackson. "This man right here isn’t just my caddie. He made me learn."

Another well-known figure who wasn't invited to this year's Masters is Greg Norman. In the build-up, Augusta National chairman Fred Ridley said he didn't want the LIV Golf CEO's presence to detract from the on-course action.

"The primary issue and the driver there is that I want the focus this week to be on the Masters competition, on the great players that are participating, the greatest players in the world," Ridley said.

Norman described the snub as "petty" but admitted he'll still be glued to the TV.

“Funnily enough, I haven’t been invited,” the Australian told Telegraph Sport. “As a major winner I always was before, but they only sent me a grounds pass last year and nothing, zilch, this time around. I’m disappointed because it’s so petty but of course I’ll still be watching."

Norman added that he expects the LIV contingent in the field to storm the final green if one of them wins the Green Jacket.

Andrew Wright
Staff Writer

A lifelong golf fan, Andy graduated in 2019 with a degree in Sports Journalism and got his first role in the industry as the Instruction Editor for National Club Golfer. From there, he went on to enjoy a spell freelancing for Stats Perform producing football reports, and then for RacingNews365 covering Formula 1. However, he couldn't turn down the opportunity to get back into the sport he grew up watching and playing and now covers a mixture of equipment, instruction and news for Golf Monthly's website and print title.


Andy took up the game at the age of seven and even harboured ambitions of a career in the professional ranks for a spell. That didn’t pan out, but he still enjoys his weekend golf at Royal Troon and holds a scratch handicap. As a side note, he's made five holes-in-one and could quite possibly be Retief Goosen’s biggest fan.


As well as the above, some of Andy's work has featured on websites such as goal.com, dailyrecord.co.uk, and theopen.com.


What's in Andy's bag?

Driver: Callaway Mavrik Sub-Zero (9°)

3-wood: TaylorMade Stealth 2 Plus (15°)

Driving iron: Titleist U500 (17°)

Irons: Callaway Apex Pro '19 (4-PW)

Wedges: Titleist Vokey SM9 (50°, 54° and 58°)

Putter: TaylorMade Spider X

Ball: TaylorMade TP5x