Snoop Dogg on a mission in Augusta to make golf cool

(Reuters) Rapper Snoop Dogg this week said that while the US Masters may be the most prestigious tournament in golf, it suffers from a coolness deficit, something he plans to change when he brings his brand of “hip hop flavor” to the staid tournament.

While the Super Bowl, World Series and NBA Finals draw throngs of movie stars and musicians, the only celebrities at golf tournaments are the ones on the greens, he said during a press conference.

So the L.A. musician, who has sold over 35 million records worldwide, is taking it upon himself to change the game.

“Now is the time for golf to get hip,” he said. “That’s why I’m here.”

The idea of a rapper adding his provocative voice to the effort might seem as odd as the hip-hop legend singing inside Milan’s La Scala opera house, but he said it was necessary for the sport to reach its full potential. It may be a tall task. He is trying to do something Tiger Woods also tried to do – without a great deal of success if you look at the crowd of middle-aged white men who make up the vast majority of Masters patrons.

There will no doubt be some growing pains on both sides.

The marijuana aficionado may not find Augusta National, where smartphones are considered contraband, particularly laid back if he decides to indulge in one of his favorite pastimes while on the grounds.

“They don’t allow that kind of green on the greens,” he joked.