It’s also the stuff of sports writing dreams — especially for a seasoned editor turned professor seeking a teachable moment.

Such were the stakes this past Sunday for Nick Pietruszkiewicz, assistant professor of journalism and the interim director of sports communications at Quinnipiac, who for the past three years has shared with his students what he calls “Lessons from Augusta.” A credentialed contributor to Masters.com, the former ESPN golf editor sends email dispatches to his classes at the end of each round of the Masters Tournament to foster discussion about the day's storylines.

“It’s like the Roosevelt quote — I want to be ‘the man in the arena,’” said Pietruszkiewicz. “I don’t want to tell my students stories from when I was doing it 25 years ago. I want to see how the job works right now. I want to see the different storytelling devices people are using. I want to see how they ask questions — good or bad. What are the ethical dilemmas that come up? How would you handle this situation or that?”

Since he started teaching journalism courses at Quinnipiac in 2012, Pietruszkiewicz has always stressed the importance of taking readers on a ride for which they can’t purchase a ticket. There are narrative arcs and angles only a press pass will permit you to see, and it’s the journalist's job to enhance the view from the couch.

This past week provided some of the best lessons yet. 

McIlroy’s journey since winning his fourth major championship at the age of 25 is well documented. Now 35, he endured numerous heartbreaking near-misses before sinking a short birdie putt to win the tournament in a sudden-death playoff, making him the sixth professional golfer to achieve all four legs of the career grand slam: the Masters, the U.S. Open, the PGA Championship and the Open Championship. 

“It’s what you want, one of the best players in the sport doing something he hasn’t done before,” said Ethan Hurwitz ’24, MS ‘25.

Along the way, McIlroy gave fans and media members rare glimpses of vulnerability. He’s a generational talent with down-to-earth charm. Sunday’s victory — and the display of raw emotion that followed — resonated on a human level. Even for non-golf fans. 

“We talked in class about how there’s not always a ton of action in golf, so you have to find the stories that go beyond the actual sport and look at the individual athletes and their quirks,” said Amanda Dronzek ’26, MS ’27. “You have to look deeper to find the best stories.”

Indeed, some of the best stories at such a fabled venue happen beyond the boundaries of the course. Smartphones are famously off-limits at Augusta National, a 95-year-old club in Georgia awash in tradition and nostalgia. The Wall Street Journal wrote a compelling piece about how spectators were blissfully unaware of the stock market’s volatility.

Pietruszkiewicz penned a touching portrait of Jack Nicklaus, the greatest champion in the history of the tournament, preparing to hit the ceremonial tee shot on Thursday. Granted unparalleled behind-the-scenes access, Pietruszkiewicz rendered in rich detail the minutes leading up to the 85-year-old legend’s big moment.

“All the stuff that Professor Pietruszkiewicz would teach us about taking people where an audience can't go, he always taught it in theory, but that story in particular, the way he wrote it— he showed us exactly what he's been teaching, which is always a cool thing,” said Connor Coar ’24, MS ’25.

Another one of the pieces Pietruszkiewicz published was a shot-by-shot breakdown of McIlroy’s rollercoaster Sunday, complete with embedded videos and social posts. The round was a microcosm of the Northern Irishman’s winding path to all-time great status. He alternated between moments of sheer brilliance and mind-numbing miscues. For the week, he recorded four double bogeys (two shots over par for a hole), a dubious, if ultimately harmless, distinction for a champion.

“Nick has a way of localizing or centralizing the narrative for his students. It’s what makes him great,” Hurwitz said. “And I think because of how incredible the weekend at the Masters actually was, and the types of stories that came out of the tournament as a result, that approach is only elevated.”