Through the first two rounds of The Masters, the 90-ish players in the field (95 for this year’s tournament) all go off in groups of three. Once the cut is made after the second round on Friday, though, we then get the Top 50 players and ties playing the weekend and doing so in pairings. What can obviously happen then, however, is that we get an odd number, which was the case in the 2025 Masters Tournament.

Tom Kim was ostensibly the final player to make the cut at The Masters this year and was set to kick off the Saturday third round action in a group of himself. However, so to not give him either a competitive advantage or disadvantage of playing alone, Augusta National Golf Club called on what is known as a marker — which is a non-tournament player who will be paired with the solo player to help maintain pace and keep things honest. Michael McDermott is the marker playing with Kim on Saturday.

But who is Michael McDermott and how did he get this gig that allows him to play in The Masters, even if his score doesn’t count? Let’s see what we can find out about the man with the most coveted job in golf, perhaps.

What is a marker in golf and at The Masters?

We have to start here with what a marker at The Masters actually is. As mentioned, a marker plays with someone in a pairing when there are an odd number of players remaining in the field. Part of that is to avoid any advantages or disadvantages of playing solo in a round, but it’s also for scoring and recoring purposes. In professional golf, playing partners keep one another’s scores, which is obviously not possible if you’re playing solo. So that’s their primary responsibility — but they also get the tremendous opportunity to play alongside a pro in a professional tournament, which is even cooler in a major such as The Masters.

Who is Michael McDermott, The Masters marker?

First and foremost, Michael McDermott is a member at Augusta National Golf Club, which is what first puts him in position to be the marker at The Masters. While the 50-year-old’s day job is being the CEO of Kathmere Capital Management (a financial management institution in Pennsylvania), he’s also one heck of a golfer. From 2000-08, he was the Golf Association of Philadelphia Player of the Year, has competed in the U.S. Amateur, and is in the St. Joseph’s University athletics Hall of Fame for his golf career there.

McDermott is also actually new to the gig, taking over for golf cult hero Jeff Knox in 2023. Knox became so popular that there would actually be a celebration among golf fans whenever he would get the opportunity to play at The Masters.

But back to McDermott, he’s definitely a golf nut. In addition to being a member at Augusta National, he’s also reportedly a member at Pine Vally and Merion, two of the most prestigious clubs in the United States. Furthermore, the +1.8 handicap as of 2023 and the USGA index has professional-caliber length off the tee, routinely putting it more than 300 yards out into the fairway. So any player paired with him as a marker is actually going to have some competition.

Has The Masters marker ever beaten the pro he’s playing with?

While McDermott and markers at The Masters or any tournament don’t keep an official score, they obviously will still keep track of their rounds. And Knox in particular actually did beat several professionals in his career as the marker for Augusta National. Perhaps his most notable exploits were beating Rory McIlroy in a round in 2014 but also besting the likes of Sergio Garcia, Larry Mize, and Jim Furyk as well.

However, it should be noted that Knox and other markers at The Masters do have an advantage: They’re members at Augusta. Ostensibly, they are course specialists and, while the tournament comes to this venue every year, having the opportunity to learn the nuances and play essentially only this course is a distinct advantage.