Rece Davis, Scott Van Pelt recall iconic Lou Holtz Augusta National story

Lou Holtz passed away at the age of 89 on Wednesday, leaving behind a legacy built as a college football coach and longtime ESPN CFB analyst.

Scott Van Pelt and Rece Davis paid tribute to Holtz on Wednesday night’s SportsCenter, sharing a story of Holtz and the strategy he used while playing at Augusta National, as well as what it was like to be his friend.

“I doubt this will make air, but I’m asking it because the story is so good not to ask,” Van Pelt said. “[Holtz] was a member at Augusta National. I’m told that Lou would lay up on 12. Now, 12 is a par 3, but Rae’s Creek is in front of there, and he couldn’t carry it. So I’m told he’d punch it down there, and then he’d chip it up there, and more often than not, he’d roll it in and make a three. And the reason I love the story is because it’s coaching—it’s realizing what you’ve got to work with and figuring out a way to win.”

“The story is true,” David confirmed, before sharing details of the round they played together. “He was playing at the time when he wasn’t supposed to be playing, Scott. He just had neck surgery, and they told him he could chip and putt, but of course, he wasn’t having that.

“Lou would punch it right down the middle, 130-140 yards, and he’d get up and down, and he’d run off and leave the rest of us. And he won a bet with Mark May—Mark May and Jay Bilas played with us—and he won a bet with him on that day, just friendly competition, and as he was going to have a photograph after the round of Mark handing him the five dollars or whatever it was, Lou said wait a minute and he went into the clubhouse in the back and he got his neck brace and put his his neck brace back on so it would look like that he beat Mark wearing a neck brace.”

You can watch the full segment here:

.@nothefakeSVP and @ReceDavis remember the legendary football coach and ESPN analyst Lou Holtz. pic.twitter.com/LsGp0eE5ei

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) March 5, 2026