Who is William McGirt?
It’s a question I’ve heard throughout the first two rounds from patrons at Augusta National as the Fairmont native makes his Masters debut.
But after posting a 3-under 69 on Thursday, the gallery started to grow Friday morning and people started to learn more about the journeyman who endured years on the mini-tour en route to earning his PGA Tour card.
The whispers turned into roars on Friday as McGirt holed-out from the bunker on the par-3 fourth hole.
People are starting to take notice.
Dan Halko, a first-time patron at Augusta from Montana, followed McGirt for a few holes during Friday’s second round — even though he’s only known about “the guy” for a “couple of weeks.”
“His appearance is really cool,” Halko said. “And the golf gods are shining on him this week.”
For Evan Spence, a college golfer from Division II Lee University in Chattanooga, Tennessee, watching McGirt offered hope that one day he may be able to play on the Tour.
“I remember him winning a tourney recently,” Spence said. “And his quote on Thursday stuck out to me.”
After Thursday’s round, McGirt said: “It’s a golf tournament. I do this every week. If you put more emphasis on this one, you’re setting yourself up for failure.”
For Spence, it was the mark of a man who knew what he wanted to get accomplished this week.
“Him and his caddie seem to have a good gameplan,” he said. “He knows how to get from position A to position B, plotting his way around the course. I don’t know his background, but I like the way he carries himself.”
John Wanner was at Hazeltine Golf Club when the U.S. won the Ryder Cup. But what does he know about McGirt?
“Just learned about McGirt today,” said Wanner, who made the trip to Augusta from Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Wanner took notice of the gallery on a few holes early in McGirt’s round on Friday.
“The gallery on Nos. 4, 5 and 6 were really cool,” he said. “He’s one of the hot guys right now. He’s playing well.”
And if McGirt keeps his name hovering atop the leaderboard over the weekend, more people will began to ask — Who is William McGirt?
