AUGUSTA, Ga. — The Jacksonville Jaguars’ No. 1 fan on the PGA Tour can’t wait for the 2026 season to open.
Harris English thinks it will be a continuation of the Jags’ closing stretch of eight victories in a row to win the AFC South and post a 13-4 record, a remarkable turnaround from one of the most devastating losses in team history when they blew a 19-point fourth-quarter lead to the Houston Texans.
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“It’s just how they picked themselves off the mat,” said English, a five-time PGA Tour winner who went to high school in Chattanooga, Tenn., with Jacques McClendon, the agent for Jaguars coach Liam Coen. “They could have gone two different ways from that bad loss and they turned it around, took it the other way and started winning a bunch of games, and were super-competitive. It was awesome to see.”
English attended the Jaguars’ Monday night victory over Kansas City and then the playoff loss to the Buffalo Bills. He’s been at training camp practices and frequently texts with Coen, talking football and golf.
English admitted that the next two seasons might be difficult, with the team playing to a limited capacity (around 43,000 seats) at EverBank Stadium and then in Orlando in 2027.
“I love the direction Liam, [general manager James] Gladstone, [executive vice-president Tony] Boselli, obviously the ownership with Shad Khan, they have the right seats on the bus for everybody,” English said. “I’m super excited about where they’re doing. With the stadium redo and playing in Orlando the next year it’s going to be a little tough, but they got a good team and they’re going to keep trudging along.”
PGA Tour player Harris English of St. Simons Island, Ga. (right) talks with Jacksonville Jaguars coach Liam Coen (left) and Vice-President of Football Operations Tony Boselli (center) during a Jaguars training camp practice on July 28 at the Miller Electric Center.
Cameron Smith hopes a break will help
Ponte Vedra Beach resident Cameron Smith’s impressive run at Augusta National ended last year with his first-ever missed cut in the Masters.
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He’s hoping a change of routine will help. The 2022 Players champion, who is a member of the LIV Golf League, Smith played in the Miami stop the week before the 2025 Masters but LIV did not schedule an event the week before the season’s first major championship this year.
“It’s always nice to have a week or two off before a really big week,” he said. “You kind of feel fresh. No matter if the week before was a big event or a small event, you’re still putting all your effort into it and trying to play well. It always takes something out of you. So it’s nice to come in here fresh.”
Smith is making his ninth start in the Masters. He was the first player in tournament history to post four scores in the 60s in 2020 when he tied for second behind Dustin Johnson, which kicked off a stretch of five tournaments in which he finished among the top 10 four times.
Cameron Smith of Ponte Vedra Beach hits his tee shot at the 15th hole of the Augusta National Golf Club on April 6 during a Masters practice round.
Smith shot 71-78 last year to miss the cut.
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Mason Howell ready to be a Dawg
There are five alumni of the University of Georgia golf program in the field this week for the Masters ― and one future Bulldog who was already basking in some adoration of UGA fans among the Augusta National patrons.
Mason Howell, the reigning U.S. Amateur champion, will enter Georgia next fall. But he’s already been taken under the wing (or paw?) or former Bulldogs such as English, who invited Howell along for a practice round on April 6 with Jacob Bridgeman.
“Being able to play with Harris and Jacob today, obviously two big names … drew a decent-sized crowd,” said Howell, who has spots in the Masters, U.S. Open and British Open by winning the Amateur last year at the Olympic Club. “Being here at the Masters playing in front of this many people, it’s awesome. Really looking forward to the future because I hope I’m out here every single year, but today was a lot of fun and a good start to the week.”
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Howell is treating himself to the full amateur experience, including bunking at the Crow’s Nest, the loft apartment at the Augusta National clubhouse reserved for amateur participants in the tournament.
He’s also going to have a few vocal supporters in tow, family and friends from his hometown in Thomasville, Ga., less than a five-hour drive from Augusta. Howell is already hearing “Go Dawgs” every time he walks into the golf course and has made sure to wear a belt with a UGA buckle during his practice rounds.
“It’s kind of a lot to handle,” Howell admitted. “It’s a long week, but I’m keeping it to nine [holes] a day, focusing on myself, and then whenever Thursday comes, I know I’ll be pretty nervous but excited at the same time. If I keep a smile on my face, I think the rest will take care of itself.”
PGA Tour
Event: Masters Tournament, April 9-12, Augusta National Golf Club, Augusta, Ga.
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Purse: $21 million in 2025 ($4.2 million and 750 FedEx Cup points to the winner, 2026 purse to be announced).
Defending champion: Rory McIlroy
TV: ESPN (April 9-10, 3-7:30 p.m.); CBS (April 11-12, 2-7 p.m.).
Area players: Ludvig Åberg, Michael Brennan, Nico Echavarria, Harris English, Brian Harman, Zach Johnson, Andrew Novak, Vijay Singh, Cameron Smith.
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: It’s Masters Week for Harris English, but Jaguars always on his mind
