Welcome to FTW Explains, a guide to catching up on and better understanding stuff going on in the world. Did you hear the name Michael McDermott at the 2025 Masters and wondering who the “marker” is? No worries. We’re here to help.
It’s that time again at the Masters: an odd number of players made the cut.
And that could mean that Tom Kim — who just made the cut at +2 with a bunch of other golfers — could be playing solo on Saturday.
But he won’t. And that’s because he’s going to be joined by a marker. Don’t worry, we’ll explain it all for you.
What is a marker at the Masters?
So at Augusta, a member of the club is deemed the official “marker.” If there’s an odd number of players who are teeing off on a given day, the marker might be asked to play to keep up the pace with a golfer.
The marker’s score doesn’t count, but we’ve heard of the marker playing better than some of the pros out there.
Who is Michael McDermott, the marker at the Masters in 2025?
He’s from Pennsylvania and he’s really good at golf.
What happened to Jeff Knox, who famously was the marker at the Masters for years?
Jeff Knox was an absolute legend.
Has the Masters marker ever beat the pro he’s played with?
Yes, there’s been talk that Knox outscored some of the pros from time to time.
