AUGUSTA — The 25th annual Mayor’s Masters Reception was held at Augusta Common the night of April 6.
True to tradition, numerous individuals, from an NFL cornerback to a caddie of 750 tournaments to a local (but nationally recognized) doctor were honored, as were the CSRA high school sports teams to win championships over the past year.
Augusta Mayor Garnett Johnson; J.D. McCauley, North Augusta assistant city administrator, standing in for North Augusta Mayor Briton Williams; Aiken Mayor pro tempore Ed Girardeau, standing in for Aiken Mayor Teddy Milner; and Doug Duncan, Columbia County chairman were hosts to this year’s reception.
The first practice round for this year’s Masters Tournament is Monday, April 8. One of those honored this weekend was a caddie to a three-time Masters champion.
Caddie Fanny Sunesson was recognized during the 2024 Mayor's Masters Reception.
“She is the most highly decorated female caddie — I'm gonna say, caddie, in the game of golf,” Johnson said of Fanny Sunesson and her 35-year career.
During those 35 years, Sunesson caddied more than 750 tournaments and became the first female caddie to win a major men’s golf championship. She caddied for Nick Faldo when Faldo won two of his three Masters titles. Sunesson is now a golf performance coach, commentator and consultant on golf course design.
“This is a huge honor for me,” she said. It was her parents, she said, who told her to “go out and believe in myself and caddie, and I’m very glad I did. I love the game of golf, and I love Augusta. It’s my home away from home.”
Kansas City Chiefs cornerback Jaylen Watson, a two-time Super Bowl champion and Augusta native (he graduated from Lucy C. Laney High School), was also honored by Mayor Johnson with a key to the city of Augusta: “You’re welcome any time, sir,” Johnson said.
Dr. Joseph Hobbs, center, was recognized during the 2024 Mayor's Masters Reception.
Watson vowed to three-peat.
Augusta’s own Dr. Joseph Hobbs, one of seven Black students at the Medical College of Georgia when he graduated in 1974, was given the Distinguished Service Award for his work in medicine at the local, state and national level.
“This is a titan in our medical community; he’s a giver,” Johnson said.
Hobbs said he was grateful to build his career in Augusta and that it was one that “permitted me to touch people across the country.” Hobbs said the award given him was really an award given to everyone who “touches the lives of children, who go through our public school system, who have aspirations to do great things.”
The North Augusta boys golf team, coached by Travis Spears, was recognized for its 2023 state championship win.
Also recognized for state championship wins were the Westminster Men’s 8-Man football team, the Westside High School Men’s Basketball team, the Curtis Baptist Men’s Basketball team, Greenbrier High School Women’s Flag Football and Golf teams, Harlem High School Men’s Baseball team, Augusta Christian School Men’s Basketball and Baseball teams and Cheer team and South Aiken High School Women’s Volleyball team.
Parker’s Kitchen, which in recent months has begun opening its convenience stores in multiple locations throughout the CSRA, sponsored this year’s reception. All funds raised from the reception are returned to the community, and this year's beneficiary was Masters City Little League.
The nonprofit ball club on Phinizy Road has for 50 years provided kids ages 4 to 18 with skills development in baseball and life — according to the club’s mission statement, the kids are coached in the “qualities of citizenship, discipline, teamwork and physical well-being" with the main goal being to “develop superior citizens rather than superior athletes.”
