The Masters golf: Student goes to Augusta to report on event

Will Hewlett, 21, is a second-year sports journalism student at Solent University, Southampton. His lecturer was able to provide him with a 'once in a liftime' work opportunity to report on the Masters in Augusta.

Solent’s Sports Journalism Lecturer, Peter Auf Der Heyde, has been reporting on the Masters for many years, but was about to pull out this year, due to ill health. 

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Around the same time, Will Hewlett, was watching a Netflix docu-series called 'Full-Swing', which follows professional golfers. 

Will said: "There was an episode on the Masters, which I always loved watching with my dad, and we always said how cool it would be to go there one day.

Will Hewlett at the Masters (Image: Solent University)

"A thought sprang to mind - One of my lecturers, Peter, had told me he'd been going for many years - when he first told me in my first year my jaw literally dropped. So, I emailed him, saying that I knew it was a longshot, but was there any chance he could get me into the Masters or point me in the direction of someone who could?

"A few days later, I was sat doing some course work and Peter saw me, sat down and said, ‘are you serious about wanting to go, because it could actually happen?’"

Will responded: "Well, obviously."

Keen to see if he could give one of his students the opportunity to take his place, Peter requested to change his credentials over to Will.

Two weeks later, Will got the email saying, 'Congratulations, we would like to welcome you to the 2024 Masters'. 

While he was there, Will reported for South African publication City Press - producing articles, interviewing the players, as well as writing features. He joined journalists from around the world at press conferences and even managed to bag a five-minute interview with golfing legend Gary Player.

Speaking about his experience, Will said: "I wasn't that nervous really, I am a confident guy and the skills I’ve gained over the last two years at Solent University put me in a position where I didn’t feel out of my depth alongside the experienced journalists there.

"Sitting in the press conferences watching the greats like Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy was fascinating. And my first proper interview couldn't have gone any better or been any bigger. I pulled Gary Player to the side, and he talked to me like we were friends. He’s a really great guy, and the skills I learned from university made me feel like an experienced journalist in front of the big professional players."