Mize sees end coming to his long run at Augusta
AUGUSTA — With Matt Kuchar missing the Masters for the first time in a dozen years, the number of former Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets in the field are down to two — Stewart Cink and 1987 champion Larry Mize.
However, for the 63-year-old Mize, his days in the tournament may soon be numbered.
“I definitely won’t go past next year,” he told the Augusta Chronicle. “I don’t think so.”
Mize is the lone Augusta native to ever win a green jacket. Like for many of the older players, the course has become too long for him to compete. Mize has not made a cut at the Masters since 2017, and he has not had a top25 finish since 2000.
Mize flirted with a second title in 1994. He held the first-round lead and was two back of Tom Lehman heading into the final round before finishing third, three shots behind champion Jose Maria Olazabal. Mize’s only other top-10 was a sixth-place finish in 1992.
Competing next year would allow Mize to play in 40 consecutive Masters.
“It’s time,” he said. “I’ll be 64 next year, and I’m fine with that. It’s been an unbelievable ride.”
The 48-year-old Cink is playing in his 20th Masters this year, making the field thanks to his win in the RBC Heritage last spring. Last year, he finished tied for 12th at Augusta, which was his best showing since finishing third in 2008.
Kuchar is missing the Masters for the first time since 2010, coinciding with his drop out of the top 50 in the Official World Golf Rankings, but he almost found a way to get into this week’s field. He needed to win last week’s Valero Texas Open to earn an invitation, but he finished second by two shots to J.J. Spaun.
While the number of Yellow Jackets may be contracting, the amount of Bulldogs continues to expand. Georgia has six representatives playing this week, which matches 2015 for the most in any one year at Augusta National.
The contingent is led by twotime Masters champion Bubba Watson and followed by Brian Harman, Hudson Swafford, Kevin Kisner, Russell Henley and Sepp Straka. Of the group, only Straka is making his first appearance in the tournament. He earned his spot by winning the Honda Classic for his first PGA Tour victory.
Georgia could have had a seventh player in the field, but Harris English is still recuperating from hip surgery he had in February.