Still riding high after the Seattle Seahawks' Super Bowl victory, five-time Pro Bowl pass rusher DeMarcus Lawrence is taking in the sights at Augusta National for the first time this week. That’s kind of the thinking man’s “I’m going to Disney World!”
Despite growing up in Aiken, S.C., just 30 miles from the home of the Masters, this is the Seattle Seahawks linebacker’s first time on the sacred Georgia grounds. It definitely sounds like he’s enjoying his time at the historic event.
“This is way better than the Super Bowl,” said Lawrence to Doug Stutsman of The Augusta Chronicle while standing near the first fairway on Thursday. “Way better. I’m not working (at the Masters).”
Lawrence had chances to work(!) the tournament in the past while attending Silver Bluff High, and has had his fair share of invites over the years, but he was never able to make the trek until this weekend.
“It just never worked out,” Lawrence continued. “Until today. I can’t believe I waited this long.”
The Masters are heavily attended by famous athletes, with some of our own writers running into Wayne Gretzky and Rafael Nadal in a matter of minutes this week. We’re sure many more legends will pop up as patrons over the coming days.
Lawrence has a big salary bump coming—from just over $5 million to nearly $9 million—so if you see him at the Masters merch shop, let the man cook. He deserves every hat, jacket and gnome for keeping the Patriots away from another Lombardi Trophy.