Laura Rutledge has worn many hats for ESPN’s NFL and college football coverage. She’s an excellent host and sideline reporter. And she’s really come into her own as the glue that keeps NFL Live together.
And now, she’s adding another accomplishment to her impressive resume.
This year at the Masters, a dream comes true for Rutledge as she joins ESPN’s coverage of golf’s biggest event.
“So, growing up in Georgia, the Masters has always been something that my family has watched and we’ve loved,” she said. “This is truly a bucket list event for me. I’ve been so fortunate; I can’t even believe all the amazing events that I’ve been able to be a small part of. But to be here and to get to experience is truly once in a lifetime and a bucket list item that I never thought that I’d actually complete.”
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Rutledge will host Welcome to the Masters, a two-hour program leading into the live coverage of the first two rounds, starting Thursday and Friday at 3 p.m. ET. She’ll also host SportsCenter segments from the ESPN set-up at Augusta National.
Despite her impressive sports broadcasting experience, golf is new territory for the multi-talented Rutledge. To prepare, she’s enlisted the help of her ESPN colleagues.
“So, to prepare for working on golf for the first time, I have leaned on my colleagues in a big way,” Rutledge said. “Tom Engle, who’s gonna be producing Welcome to the Masters, has been so kind and giving with his information. Our research team has been amazing. We’ve done weekly calls and really more than that, honestly, with Engle, Matt Garrett, so many people that have been so willing to share information with me and spend time with me talking golf, listening to a lot of podcasts, watching a lot of golf and really just embracing a sport that I’ve always loved, but have been a spectator really. And to be able to talk about it for the first time means a lot to me.”
[ESPN Front Row on X]
About Sam Neumann
Since the beginning of 2023, Sam has been a staff writer for Awful Announcing and The Comeback. A 2021 graduate of Temple University, Sam is a Charlotte native, who currently calls Greenville, South Carolina his home. He also has a love/hate relationship with the New York Mets and Jets.