Peter Braun Jr.

Tonight, we all wear No. 42.

I have been asked my opinion of why the greens at Augusta national are drying out so rapidly and looks so bad on TV. The first thing they say is it would never look like that when Brad Owen was there. That couldn’t be further from the truth. These are tournament conditions. I know that of all the people reading what I’m about to post less than one percent of you has PGA TOUR championship Agronomy experience so you truly won’t understand. But I’m going to post what I just wrote to a very close colleague of mine. What Augusta Greens Actually Look Like Under Tournament Setup Those greens can visually appear: • Slightly off-color or “dry” • Tight, almost sealed at the surface • Firm to the point of sounding hollow underfoot But that’s often by design, not decline. ⸻ Let’s Talk Real Agronomy (Your World) 1. Firmness vs. Health — The Fine Line Augusta pushes: • Low moisture content (VWC) • High firmness (Gmax) • Extreme green speeds (13–15+ on the Stimp) To get there, you: • Back off irrigation hard • Use heavy rolling • Possibly regulate growth aggressively 👉 Result: The plant is under controlled stress, which can look like decline but is actually peak performance conditioning. ⸻ What Could Be Different Post-Brad Owen? Let’s be real — no one at Augusta just “drops the ball.” But subtle philosophical shifts can absolutely change surface perception. 1. Moisture Management Philosophy A new Director might: • Run leaner moisture targets • Trust SubAir more aggressively • Push firmness earlier in the week 👉 Risk: • Edges and high spots get too dry • Plant loses elasticity → ball won’t hold → players complain ⸻ 2. SubAir & Firmness Aggression Augusta’s biggest weapon is SubAir. Changes could include: • More continuous SubAir use • Pulling moisture even during marginal stress periods 👉 Outcome: • Surfaces get firmer faster than roots can keep up • Optics = “dry/unhealthy” ⸻ 3. Growth Regulator Strategy If they adjusted: • Trinexapac-ethyl rates • Frequency or stacking with other PGRs 👉 You could see: • Slight color loss • Reduced recovery capacity • Tighter canopy (great for speed, risky for stress) ⸻ 4. Rolling vs. Mowing Balance If they leaned more into: • Double/triple rolling • Less mowing 👉 That can: • Increase firmness and speed • But also compact the surface layer, especially on push-up zones ⸻ 5. Nitrogen & Spoon-Feeding Adjustments Even a slight shift like: • Less frequent spoon feeding • Lower N inputs pre-tournament 👉 Can lead to: • Less “pop” in color • Reduced cushion → firmer, louder, faster greens ⸻ 6. Weather Window Misread (This is Big) Even Augusta can get caught if: • Evapotranspiration spikes unexpectedly • Wind + low humidity outrun irrigation corrections 👉 That’s when you see: • Localized dry spots • Slight wilt that TV cameras exaggerate ⸻ The Player Factor (Important Reality) Players say: “They’re unhealthy” What they often mean is: • “I can’t hold this green” • “The ball isn’t reacting predictably” • “This is borderline unfair” 👉 That’s not agronomy failure — that’s setup philosophy clashing with playability expectations. ⸻ The Augusta Standard (Why This Matters) At a place like Augusta: • “Too soft” = unacceptable • “Too slow” = unacceptable • “Slightly stressed but elite performance” = preferred They intentionally operate: Right at the edge of agronomic failure… without crossing it ⸻ My Professional Take (Speaking Your Language) If something is slightly off, it’s most likely: • A moisture threshold pushed just a hair too low • Combined with environmental conditions that accelerated stress faster than expected • Not a systemic decline or poor management It’s just Tournament Golf

3 days post 10” blizzard and temps around 0 overnight. 6” on the south side now 6’ tall piles. Field is frozen still so hopefully the sun is out tomorrow. 60° by the weekend

We’re hiring 2 PT (29hr/wk) positions at the training facility in Blaine. jobs.dayforcehcm.com/en-US/mnufc/MN…

March is keeping us on our toes

60mph winds and screening don’t match. All back up and ready for the blizzard to start. 12-18 inches of snow is about to come.

The unsung heroes. @TPCSawgrass' agronomy team is ready to go every morning before 6 a.m. to get the course in perfect shape. Let @THEPLAYERS begin!

First outdoor training session at the Training Ground. It’s brown but just fine. Winter’s not over yet though ❄️🥶 each year is different & year 5 has been a slow start

All set up for today with the help of the world's best assistant! @NutriSourcePF | #MNUFC

10/10, Would Do Again A year-long celebration a decade in the making: Welcome to our 10th season in @MLS. More » utd.mn/457OZnU

@MLB @CRichGrounds Beautiful

The Phillies and Twins will head to the cornfields of Iowa next year 🌽 Repost and reply for a chance to win this corncob baseball bat!

@HarryLigule @chuck_stccc That’s where I grew up and it’s a beautiful area but shame to see such low pay

@chuck_stccc According to their website the Board of Directors outnumber the Maintenance Staff 8-3. Problem number 1. Problem 2: the definition of "competitive". Good news though, the cost of living up there must be ZERO for 8 folks to agree upon that being a reasonable job posting.

Cloudy like November

All eyes on Allianz

No. 22, Clayton Kershaw.

Phase one of our new "Airbud" training protocol @NutriSourcePF | #MNUFC

@Twillhog75 What are the extra hashes outside the numbers for? @mronTurf and I have seen them in big games recently and can’t figure out what they are for.

Ready for Nebraska/Cincinnati tonight! The guys did a great job getting it ready from our game last Friday.

@jminceyturf @DogsOfTurf

In honor of #NationalDogDay @DogsOfTurf Drop your furry friend in the comments!

"My first job ever was mowing lawns" CEO Shari Ballard hung out with the groundscrew for a day to learn more about the work they do at Allianz Field.