On the week of April 10, I focused on only one thing. And, no, it wasn’t my AP Calculus AB class or nailing down a summer job.
Instead, I was laser-focused on the Masters tournament in Augusta, Georgia. And when I say laser-focused, I mean I figured out how to find CBS and turned on my cable TV for the first time in three years to watch the tournament.
Noah Khan’s cover of Ray Charles’ “Georgia on My Mind,” has been stuck in my head, and my TikTok For You page is feeding me just as many inspirational, awe-inspiring edits of the Augusta course as pimento cheese sandwiches are served to Augusta National patrons.
Back at home, the Latin Masters Pool, an annual tradition, is beloved by current students, faculty, alumni, and family members. Run by golf-obsessed Upper School math teacher Zach McArthur, the competition never fails to make for a memorable four days about 900 miles away from the course.
To put it in the words of Mr. McArthur himself, “Friendly competition, close observation of the rounds’ scores, exciting daily emails, and prizes for the top ten. The Latin Masters Pool is a great reason to come back to school after spring break.”
Mr. McArthur preaches to the choir with that description. The daily emails and opportunity to win a prize are the light at the end of the senioritis-filled quarter four tunnel I’ve found myself in.
My newfound obsession with the Masters may seem quite strange. But honestly, I’m embracing it! I’ve gone headfirst down the rabbit hole of the Latin Masters Pool like Rory McIlroy’s chip-in for an eagle on day three at hole two.
I can’t stop checking the pool’s live leaderboard. I’ve downloaded the official Masters app (and have been getting a slightly absurd amount of notifications). I find myself speaking as if Rory McIlroy can not only hear me, but would want my golfing advice, while simultaneously praying for the downfall of Bryson Dechambeau and other top golfers, hoping it will help my chances of moving up in the standings of the pool.
The Latin Masters pool, despite its neck-to-neck competition, is an opportunity for our community to come together.
Let’s be real. Where else are 155 teenagers and adults joining together to celebrate an 89-year-old golf tournament? How else will you find such quality friendly competition? When else do you receive such amusing emails that you will actually want to read? Emails free of surveys, Canvas notifications, or instructions from the deans about how the excused attendance form should only be filled out by a parent and how leaving your backpack in a walkway is a fire hazard (no hate Bhenny and Ms. Merrell—I read every email you two send!).
Mr. McArthur spends about three hours composing each email, totaling around 12 hours of meticulous research, interviewing, and typing. This year’s poetically crafted and page-turning emails totaled a whopping 3,969 words and included over 55 videos, images, and links.
That dedication doesn’t go unnoticed, because rarely (honestly, not since senior of the week emails got discontinued) does the chime of a Gmail notification put a smile on my face like ZMac’s daily Masters Pool update.
So for the Latin students who think I’m crazy for my dedication to the Latin Masters pool, you are absolutely right. However, I can’t recommend a better way to spend your time than watching, plotting, and participating in it. That endorsement says a lot, because I continue to be reeling from my rough finish (45th place) in this year's pool. A long, long fall from my top 11 position that I held for about 20 minutes on Saturday.
My advice: Don’t choose your team based on alphabetical order or by which names sound the funniest or who has the best outfit in their Instagram profile picture. Embrace the magic that is the immaculately manicured course, the thinking behind the no cell phone policy, and the spirit of sportsmanship that fills the fresh Georgia spring air—and Latin’s hallways all the same.
