Phil Mickelson Once Recalled Behind-the-Scenes at Augusta National That Didn't Seem Real

Apr 7, 2026, 7:30 PM CUT

Oct 26, 2022; Miami, Florida, USA; Phil Mickelson speaks during a press conference before the LIV Golf series at Trump National Doral. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports

Phil Mickelson has seen it all in golf. But a story he shared about Augusta National proves even veterans can be shocked. A falling tree during a practice round led to a maintenance response that Mickelson described last year as something that 'didn't seem real.'

“Two weeks prior to the tournament, I'm playing the 11th hole, I'm back lining up my tee shot, and I see this tree on the left fall over right in the middle of the fairway, crash down, like right by the group in front of us.”

Now, Augusta National already has an incredible year-round crew. That same crew gets reinforcements around The Masters. And while all majors bring in extra hands, there are none that draw more volunteers than the Masters. Even then, Mickelson wasn't ready for what he was about to see.

“There were a number of workers, like, piling in, racing to this tree, firing up the chainsaws, started cutting this thing down.” Mickelson emphasized the crew's rapid pace.

“And the tree was being, the entire tree was being brought away and by the time I got done, get back to AT&T and I looked down. They're re-sodding the fairway. Nobody knew, you couldn't tell two days later this had happened.”

The army of maintenance crew got to work, and it shouldn't be surprising to fans who know of the course. After all, Augusta National has roughly $50 million as part of its maintenance budget. That's almost triple that of any top facility.

Mickelson was impressed by Augusta's ability to handle the situation.

Augusta Being Unique

Augusta’s uniqueness springs into a lot of aspects. The SubAir system of Augusta keeps the greens consistent. Even the “sand” in its bunkers isn't sand. Instead, Granulated quartz has been used for its exuberant white colour.

The etiquette at Augusta ensures patrons adhere to the course’s standards. The No Cell Phone policy and The Chair Policy demand formality from the patrons. Even running and loud talking are forbidden.

In exchange for their cooperation, Augusta National presents the patrons with concessions at extremely low prices. With the most expensive item being just $6 and the signature Pimento Cheese costing only $1.50, the fans love their time at Augusta.

Written by

Avishek Sarkar

Edited by

Siddharth Shirwadkar