DE PERE, Wis. (WFRV) — When the Aubry family purchased Mr. Golf in 2017, they knew one of their priorities was finding the right person to take care of their customers’ clubs. And, almost immediately, Mr. Golf co-owner Jeff Aubry knew respected golf technician and long-time friend Tony Doan was the man for the job.
“Tony’s a great character,” Jeff’s son Grant said. “My dad met him about 30 years ago, and they’ve been golf buddies ever since.”
Jeff even went as far as calling Tony ‘the best [golf technician] in the area.’
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“Without him, everyone’s clubs would remain broken,” Grant said. “He’s very important to us.”
So important, in fact, that when Tony is out of town, customers are told to just wait to get their clubs fixed. And this week… he’s definitely out of town.
Tony is at the Masters. Not just this year, but every year. And, if that sounds unusual, it’s because it is.
Getting tickets to the Masters Tournament is notoriously difficult. Over two million people apply annually for the few thousand available spots, making it one of the toughest tickets in sports. With estimated odds of winning the official Masters ticket lottery at roughly 0.5%–1%.
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So, how does Tony go every single year? That question led to a story much deeper than golf.
“It all started with my dad,” Tony said.
Tony’s father, Carl, was stationed at Fort Gordon in Augusta, Georgia, and later became the Marshal on Hole 4 at Augusta National Golf Club until 1992.
Carl Doan (second from the right)
When the family eventually moved to Wisconsin, one thing didn’t change: their family spring tradition.
“Every year, our vacation was going to the Masters,” Tony said. “It was a family deal.”
Because of Carl’s service to the tournament, the family received something incredibly rare—two family passes to the Masters. Passes Tony still uses to this day.
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Year after year, he makes the trip back to Augusta, walking the same grounds that have meant so much to his family over the years.
“He had gone down until a few years before he passed,” Tony said. “And then I just kept going because it’s an opportunity you just can’t pass up.”
For most fans, the Masters is a bucket-list event. For Tony, it means just a little bit more. It’s a second home. It’s a tradition. And, it’s what keeps him connected to his family.
“It’s a little bit of everything to me,” Tony said.
