Tradition and beauty go hand-in-hand at The Masters.
Screaming two words that have nothing to do with golf appears to go against everything that makes Augusta National Golf Club so unique, while also breaking a course rule.
But if you’ve watched golf in recent years, fans randomly shouting over-the-top things has increasingly become common place.
Nick Faldo, who won three Masters, hopes that golf’s most prestigious tournament gets rid of a certain phrase.
“I think they should ban when they scream smashed potato,” Faldo, an analyst for Sky Sports’ coverage of The Masters, exclusively told talkSPORT.Â
“But there’s security in the crowd. And if you get a little carried away, you’ll get a little, ‘Please respect.’ “
While the six-time major winner referred to the scream as ‘smashed potato,’ the generally recognized term is best known as ‘mashed potatoes.’
And it is screamed with pure fire when a golfer hits a tee shot.
“Mashed potatoes guy and Baba Booey guy should be escorted out in handcuffs,” a fan tweeted.
“Anyone yelling like that at a golf event should be kicked out,” a second fan posted.
“It’s the equivalent of asking a band to play Free Bird,” a third fan wrote.
“In no particular order, mashed potatoes, get in the hole, Baba Booey, and sweep the leg Johnny — ban them all,” a fourth fan said. “All should come with a two-strike warning. First strike is a year long ban. Second strike is a lifetime ban.”
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The two-word scream that Faldo can’t stand appears to have originated in the golf world in 2011.
The fact that it involved Tiger Woods only helped the popularity of the supremely odd phrase, which randomly returns on social media and often goes viral.
Woods nailed a tee shot at the 2011 Chevron World Challenge.
As his club struck the ball, a classic ‘ping’ sound could be heard on TV.
“Oh, this is a beauty,” an announcer said.
“There’s the stinger,” a second announcer followed.
Seconds later, ‘Mashed potatoes!’ was shouted.
“What was that?” an announcer asked.
“Did somebody scream, ‘Mashed potatoes?’ “
Many fans hated it.
“Shouting stupid things is what it’s all about for them,” one fan posted. “The golf is merely a sound stage. They’re not fans, they’re morons.”
Others loved it.
“I can’t stop watching this video LOL,” a fan wrote.
“Best laugh I’ve had in a while. LOL Mashed Potatoes!!!!!!!!” a second fan posted.
The Masters has a unique set of rules, which includes not being allowed to run or sit on the grass.
“Where’d you ever hear of a golf tournament where you can’t sit on the grass?” said Bob Bubka, talkSPORT’s voice of golf.
“No sitting allowed at The Masters on the grass.”
While Faldo would prefer for the ‘smashed potato’ scream to be banned, he was filled with overall praise for a secretive tournament that dates back to 1934.
“Some things they do so well, which I absolutely love,” Faldo said.
“It’s just basically the players inside the ropes — it’s you and your caddie. I mean, the still photographers have to go to zones, they’re not actually inside the ropes.
“There’s no advertising boards. It’s just a beautiful golf course. It’s pristine from wall to wall. The outer walls that you don’t see — I’ve toured with obviously television driving around — you don’t see a wire, a piece of litter. I mean, it’s at zero.
“You will not see anything out of place, which I think is astonishing, fantastic.”
Except for someone potentially screaming ‘mashed potatoes’ among the brightly colored azaleas and perfectly trimmed green grass.
The 2025 Masters runs through Sunday.
