Youth patrons now getting a Masters history lesson 

Kell Hinson briefly stopped as he reached the Masters Tournament scoreboard and peered across the No. 1 fairway.

“I can’t believe this is my last year,” he said. “I’m going miss being a junior patron so much. Some kids look forward to going to the beach or skiing, but this is all I want. This is my favorite week of the year.”

The Evans teen turned 16 in January, making him ineligible for the Junior Pass Program in 2020. He has collected a pin each April since 2013, and he was surprised Thursday when he arrived at the front gate.

This year, in addition to receiving a commemorative pin and ticket, each patron 16 and younger was given a Junior Patron Passport – a 30-page history of the Masters that includes facts, trivia and a “Champion Spotlight” on Arnold Palmer.

“Look at this,” said Kell, who began quizzing his family on facts about The King. “Did y’all know Arnold Palmer competed in a record 50 consecutive Masters? Did y’all know he was the first to win four times?”

Not far from Hinson, 10-year-old Tim O’Connell was flipping through the passport with his grandfather Jack, 73. The elder O’Connell, who has been to 38 Masters, beamed with excitement as he scrolled the pages with his grandson.

“Kids are so into technology these days, so this is just fantastic,” he said. “I can’t think of a better way to teach my grandchildren about the Masters. We’ll be reading this together for weeks.”

Inside the passport are nine tasks that junior patrons can complete throughout their day on the course. When exiting the tournament, they are asked to show their passport at the information desk across from the practice area, where they receive a medallion for their accomplishment.

“What a phenomenal way to teach kids about Masters history,” said Michael Turner, whose daughter, Cameron, 12, was a junior patron Thursday. “All she wanted to do at breakfast was look at this passport. She has learned a ton already, and so have I.”

The Junior Pass Program began in 2008, allowing an accredited patron to bring in one junior, age 8 to 16, free of charge each tournament day. According to Augusta National, the program was created to forge lasting memories in the minds of current and aspiring young golfers.

“This is so cool,” Cameron said of the passport. “I can’t wait to get another one next year because I think it will talk about the women’s (amateur) championship. I was here Saturday, and now that’s what I want to be when I grow up.”