Former ESPN Anchor Explains Bizarre Reason He Believes He's Banned From The Masters
The former SportsCenter host made a joke that may have cost him.
Kenny Mayne won't be in attendance at the Masters anytime soon, and perhaps, never again for the rest of his life.
The Masters and Augusta National Golf Club have reputations and some of the strictest rules of any establishment on the planet, and the former ESPN anchor found out the hard way that even a lighthearted joke aimed at the historic club can result in big, big trouble.
During a recent appearance on ‘God Bless Football’ with Stugotz, Mayne was asked if he had ever played Augusta National. The short answer to that question appeared to be no, but the long-version is far more entertaining, because it turns out that Mayne may be banned from the venue for life.
"I’m banned for life from Augusta, I think," Mayne explained. "I used to cover golf, I used to do the TPC Sawgrass, and I did the U.S. Open every year for, I don’t know, seven or eight years. It was me, Van Pelt, Andy North, the whole gang.
"At TPC one year, I just made some smartass comment about, ‘We’ll see you at the Masters, where we bring four saucy ladies out to play!’ Or, you know, just something stupid, right? But mentioning that I’m bringing women to play golf. And [Augusta National] called into the ESPN truck, like we’re still on the air, and the people in Augusta are literally, they somehow have the inside number to the truck. And they were like, ‘He is not coming!’
READ: Gary Player Whines About Augusta National Denying Him A Tee Time
Mayne joking about bringing some "saucy ladies" to Augusta National fits his broadcasting style and personality, but joking about bringing some female friends to play at the home of the Masters has a different edge to it, given the club's history.
Former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and financier Darla More became the first female members at Augusta National in 2012, hence Mayne's claim that his joke may have legitimately gotten him on the banned list.