Jeff Knox never won the Masters. He never even played in the tournament. But for 21 years, he walked at Augusta National with the players who did, and sometimes he even scored better than them.

Knox was the club’s official marker. His job was to step in when there was an odd number of players after the cut. It sounds simple, but in reality, it became something much bigger.

He lived 2.3 miles from the course and played it constantly. While touring pros arrived at Augusta having seen it maybe seven times in competition, Knox had walked those fairways hundreds of times. By 2003, he knew it well enough to shoot 61 in a member round.

That kind of familiarity is hard to game plan against. Rory McIlroy learned that in 2014, when Knox shot 70 to his 71 on a Saturday at the Masters.

"I'd take him over anyone in the world on those greens, hands down," McIlroy said in Golf Magazine. "He knows every blade of grass. That's so key."

McIlroy finished birdie-birdie and still lost by one, and Knox made a bogey on the last and still won.

Jeff Knox Earned Respect From Everyone He Played With

Players who went out with Knox often came back talking about him. Paul Casey, who was paired with him in the 2018 Masters, summed it up well.

"He'll be sorely missed because players have always enjoyed playing with him," Casey said. "It will be a tall task to match how good Jeff was."

Their round together took just over three hours and ten minutes. Knox played to level par. Casey shot 69. Kevin Kisner went further in Golf Magazine.

"If the PGA Tour played every event at Augusta National, Jeff Knox would be on Tour," Kisner said. "He doesn't miss inside of eight feet."

Even Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson sought his putting advice before the Masters.

Knox beat McIlroy on Saturday in 2014, then beat 1987 Masters champion Larry Mize the very next day. Club member Michael McDermott has since taken over the marker role. Augusta made no announcement. Knox asked for none.

What do you think about Jeff Knox's story at Augusta National? Let us know in the comments!

Read more at Daily Club Golf!

Written by

Sneha Abraham