ESPN sent Jason Kelce to Augusta National dressed as a caddie, armed with 18 sandwiches and instructions to mingle. What the network got back was a viral moment, and it’s not a good one, though! They got a wave of golf fans questioning out loud why a 6-foot-3 former NFL lineman was there at all.
“I got my Augusta National chair. I got my cooler, about 18 sandwiches in here.”
For many viewers back in their living areas, that was already enough.
My favorite part about the Masters Par 3 Tournament is watching Jason Kelce eat sandwiches! Please get this off my fucking screen pic.twitter.com/C9XFWRk0Pg
— Johnny Drama (@FinanceDrama) April 8, 2026
The Masters Par 3 Contest is significant. It is one of golf’s most intimate traditions, built around family moments, quiet humor, and the course itself doing the talking. Inserting a larger-than-life NFL personality into that setting, particularly one being broadcast prominently, felt to many viewers like a tonal mismatch that ESPN chose not to avoid.
To his credit, Jason Kelce was not just snacking. He caddied for 24-year-old PGA Tour winner Akshay Bhatia, lay flat on the green to read putts, and even took a swing himself.
He called a putting line for Bhatia with the confidence of someone who meant it:
“Just give it a little ‘Tush Push,’ and it’ll be on, I promise ya.”
The ball missed, but Kelce owned it.
“That was on me,” he said.
Notably, the former football player wasn’t the only one. Kevin Hart was also present as a celebrity caddie.
After he retired from the NFL, Kelce joined ESPN and has since become a regular on the network’s shows. During Christmas broadcasts, he dresses up as Santa Claus. Well, that formula works for football. But Augusta National is an entirely different scene, and voices coming from the internet suggest so.
Jason Kelce’s time on screen wasn’t liked by many
The sandwich moment and Kelce’s on-air presence drew swift reactions across social media, with users making clear they felt the broadcast had drifted from what makes the Masters special.
“My favorite part about the Masters Par 3 Tournament is watching Jason Kelce eat sandwiches! Please get this off my f***ing screen,” one fan wrote.
The Par 3 Contest has been around since 1960, when Sam Snead won the first one. Since then, it has been known for having players’ families caddie for them on nine holes at Augusta National. That low-key, family-oriented tradition is what made a camera cut to an NFL player eating sandwiches seem so strange to viewers.
“Whoever thought adding Jason Kelce to the Par 3 Contest was a good idea should be fired immediately,” another fan commented.
Kelce was not just present at Augusta; he was front and center in ESPN’s coverage, a network that has been actively expanding his on-air role since he retired from the Eagles.
And it looked like many agreed to it, with another comment highlighting the same:
“I cant get away from these f—– people, and it fill me with rage, folks.”
It wasn’t just fans who were displeased; golf journalists also expressed their dislike. USA Today’s Lauren gave measured criticism on X:
“The Par 3 Contest has always been about family, laughter, and tradition. Augusta doesn’t need to be turned into a stage for celebrity spectacle. Jason Kelce and Kevin Hart are great in their lanes, but this week, and especially today, isn’t about personalities. It’s about the place, the history, and the game itself. When outside noise gets layered in, it chips away at what makes Augusta National feel different in the first place. Just my $0.02.”
She wasn’t alone in it, though. Another user shared the same sentiment:
“Why in the world did they let him into a caddie bib? Absurd.”
“I have Jason Kelce fatigue. Kinda wish he would go away,” a user posted.
Since retiring, Kelce has appeared regularly across ESPN platforms, hosting shows and taking on multiple broadcast roles across different sports. But it seems like patience is running thin.
“We can’t have anything nice anymore. Thanks, ESPN. Di—” read another reaction.
ESPN’s approach landed poorly with core golf viewers, even as the network’s broader strategy of using the 38-year-old as a crossover personality continues.
