[Photo: Andrew Redington]
Xander Schauffele seems to have misunderstood the term, “He’s got it in the bag.” Or at the very least, he’s taking it a bit too literally at Augusta National.
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The two-time major champion somehow found the bottom of a patron’s shopping bag on the par-5 eighth hole after an up-and-down start to his Masters during round one. It was his first missed fairway of the day, and he was eventually granted relief from the fan’s merchandise haul.
Xander Schauffele’s tee shot on the 8th hole landed in a bag from the Masters’ merchandise store. 😅 pic.twitter.com/0odl3NNy5O
— Golf Digest (@GolfDigest) April 9, 2026
“Don’t think you can buy that at the merchandise shop!” the commentary team quipped. “That’s a first for me, Shane. A patron came for the gnome, left with Xander’s golf ball.”
There’s been quite a hullabaloo regarding the Masters merch this year. Are people too focused on the gnomes? Is the commercialisation of the tournament overshadowing the actual golf? In a funny way, Schauffele’s errant tee shot sums up that very paradox.
Thankfully, Schauffele managed to escape with a par. He’s not going to let the Masters merch lunacy get in the way of the golf. Let that be a lesson to us all.
