Mike Weir suddenly found himself as a solo player on Thursday of the 2023 Masters after playing partner Kevin Na withdrew after 9 holes played in 40 shots. Weir won't be playing alone on Friday at Augusta National in the second round, however. The Canadian will be playing with a non-competing marker.
It won't be Jeff Knox, though. His playing partner will be Michael McDermott.
Players who would otherwise go out alone during rounds of the Masters have the option of playing with a non-competing marker -- that is, a person who plays alongside you but whose score doesn't count in any way. It's so the competing player has someone to keep their score and so they can maintain a pace to which they're accustomed and the lone player doesn't go at a speed that throws off the groups following him.
Typically at the Masters, when a player has a non-competing marker play alongside them, the man that gets the call has been Jeff Knox. However, Knox stepped out of that role and has been placed by Michael McDermott.
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Michael McDermott is an Augusta National Golf Club member who has the chops to keep up with many of the top pros.
McDermott is a 48-year-old with an impressive golf history. He made it to the round of 16 at the 2003 US Amateur and was a quarterfinalist at the 2016 US Mid-Am. McDermott has also been a champion at another of the United States' best clubs, having won the 2012 and 2017 Crump Cup at Pine Valley in New Jersey.
Knox had been in this role since 2003, and he had reached the stage of his life that it would be difficult for him to keep up with the pros from the Masters tees.
For McDermott, this would be his second Masters appearance and 16th Masters round as a non-competing marker.
McDermott can play.