Augusta National member plays with Paul Casey as noncompeting marker

The numbers fell in Jeff Knox’s favor again in this Masters Tournament, meaning he got a welcome call from Augusta National Golf Club on Friday night.

The Augusta resident was told the club would need his services as a noncompeting marker for Saturday’s third round, going off in the first group of the day.

A noncompeting marker is needed when there is an odd number of players in the field after the cut is made Friday. Fifty-three made the cut this year, meaning Knox has now been a marker in eight consecutive Masters.

Photos: Jeff Knox plays third round with Bubba in 2016

“That’s got to be a record,” said Knox’s playing partner Saturday, Paul Casey. “I pointed that out to Tiger (Woods) on the putting green and he said, ‘Yeah, even I haven’t done that.’”

Knox, 55, is an Augusta National member who holds the course record from the members tees with 61, shot in 2003. His job as a marker is to provide company, maintain a rhythm to the round, and keep his playing partner’s card.

Casey, the world's 13th-ranked player, had never drawn Knox as a marker.

“He’s very good; he’s a proper stick,” Casey said of Knox, who will play with 2000 Masters champion Vijay Singh today. “He birdied 11. It was a brilliant birdie. Great putting stroke. Even Tiger said to me on the putting green, ‘He’s seriously good.’”

Indeed, Knox beat Rory McIlroy 70 to 71 in 2014 when they were paired together in the third round. Since that round, Knox has always picked up on at least one green so he doesn’t have a true score. On Saturday, he picked up a tap-in on No. 2 and on his final putting attempt on No. 18.

As an Augusta National member, Knox is not allowed to talk to the media. Witnesses said he shot around 76, but Casey thought it was more like 75.

“He played better golf than a lot of the pros will play today,” Casey said.

Indeed, Knox outplayed all of them on the 11th hole. He was the only one to make a birdie.

“It was great stuff,” Casey said. “It was great fun, It was an absolute joy. I’ve played with markers before, but that was the best experience I’ve ever had with a marker.”

The pleasant pairing rubbed off on Casey, who shot 69 after rounds of 74-75.

“It was because of him,” Casey said.

Part of that was because they played briskly. Casey likes to play quickly, and he and Knox zoomed around the course in three hours, 35 minutes.