Ryder Cup role beckons again - but will it be as player this time? Martin Dempster's Masters Diary

The Swede was the last person added by Luke Donald to his list of vice captains for last year’s match at Bethpage Black.

That came after he’d just missed out on a playing place after showing some great form in the final few weeks of the qualifying campaign, including a win in the Betfred British Masters.

Noren, who played on a winning Ryder Cup team in Paris in 2018, is a stuffy competitor and, after making the cut here, he shot his first score in the 60s - a three-under 69 - in the third round.

“First off and we had almost no wind, but you could see on the last few holes that it was getting a little bit baked out,” he said of the greens under a hot sun.

Bryson bunkered by Augusta sand

Bryson DeChambeau talked in his pre-event press conference about how he is building his “own personal clubs” - and he certainly needs a better sand wedge.

In the opening round, the two-time US Open champion twice failed to get out of a greenside bunker at the 11th to take a triple-bogey 7, claiming the sand was softer than he expected.

Then, on Friday, he came to the 18th knowing that even a bogey would secure his place in the final two rounds only to get stuck in the sand again.

His first attempt caught the lip of the bunker and dropped back into it. He got out with his second attempt this time only to see his ball end up off the front of the green and took 7 again.

After two encouraging efforts in 2024 and 2025, the LIV Golf man found himself heading home early and, boy, would that sting.

“Obviously I'm playing well and I feel like my game's in the best place of its career, outside of maybe Greenbrier when I shot 58,” he’d said heading into this week.

Since saying in 2020 that he felt the par for him here was 67 as opposed to 72, DeChambeau is 122 over his imagined figure. Oops!

Other LIV Golf players to bow out early included 2022 Open champion Cameron Smith, who has now missed six straight cuts in majors.

It’s a rich-man’s game as Masters money revealed

Money doesn’t really matter when it’s a Green Jacket that is up for grabs, but, nonetheless, a pot of gold will also get to the 2026 Masters champion.

Announced as the third round was taking place, the prize pot for the 90th edition will be $22.5 million, with $4.5m going to the winner.

Those who missed the cut receive $22,500 as a decent compensation while the lowest cheque someone who made it to the weekend will walk away with is $55.350.

The prize fund for The Open last year at Royal Portrush was £17m, with the winner, Scottie Scheffler, earning $3.1m.

Golf’s biggest prizes are on the PGA Tour, where the season-ending Tour Championship boasts a $40m pot while The Players Championship carries a $25m purse.

Yip, it’s a rich-man’s game for those at the very top of the ladder!