Texas Forever. At least that’s the feel in Augusta National’s Champions Locker Room.
According to 1971 winner Charles Coody, he and the late Byron Nelson are sharing a locker with defending champion Scottie Scheffler. Coody confirmed on Monday that he was contacted by Augusta National following the 2022 Masters to see if he would switch from sharing space with 1959 winner Art Wall to being alongside Scheffler and Nelson.
“I said, ‘As long as Scottie’s OK with it, that’s great with me,’” Coody said. “I’m a team player.”
Nelson, from Fort Worth, was the first Texan to conquer Augusta in 1937. Then, the floodgates opened. A Texan finished first or second in 16 of 17 tournaments from Nelson’s triumph to Jackie Burke’s miracle in 1956.
The torrid pace eventually cooled, as the state went winless from 1956 until Coody fended off Jack Nicklaus and Johnny Miller in 1971. In the decades since, Ben Crenshaw held the baton with victories in 1984 and 1995 before passing to Jordan Spieth (2015), Patrick Reed (2018), and Scheffler.