Rapper Snoop Dogg has said that while the Masters may be the most prestigious tournament in golf, it suffers from a coolness deficit, something he plans to change when he brings his brand of "hip hop flavour" to the staid tournament.
While the Super Bowl, World Series and NBA Finals draw throngs of movie stars and musicians, the only celebrities at golf tournaments are the ones on the greens, he said during a press conference.
So the LA musician, who has sold more than 35 million records worldwide, is taking it upon himself to change the game.
"Now is the time for golf to get hip," he said. "That's why I'm here."
The idea of a rapper adding his provocative voice to the effort might seem as odd as the hip-hop legend singing inside Milan's La Scala opera house, but he said it was necessary for the sport to reach its full potential.
There will no doubt be some growing pains on both sides.
The marijuana aficionado may not find Augusta National, where smartphones are considered contraband, particularly laid back if he decides to indulge in one of his favourite pastimes while on the grounds.
"They don't allow that kind of green on the greens," he joked.
The 193cm rapper is easy to spot at Augusta National, even though most of the thousands of spectators are unlikely to have any of his songs on their playlists.
He said he respects golf, but said the game would be much improved if it reached out to minorities in cities that have little access to the game.
"If golf was pushed and promoted in the inner cities, there would be more Tiger Woods," he said.
"This sport can be mastered by anyone. And if it was taught and presented to them, there would be a lot of guys in this Masters that look like me."
He cited Venus and Serena Williams, two tennis champions who learned on the courts of crime-ridden Compton, California, as an example of the transformational impact outreach to minorities can have on a sport.
"No one was pushing tennis in the 'hood until the Williams family made it," he said. "And now look at how many young, black woman tennis players around the world are inspired by them."
