JUSTIN THOMAS
Masters debut: 2016
“My first invite got sent to my home home, in
Louisville. So my parents got it in the mail before
I left for Kapalua and they brought it. To see it
in person was pretty cool. I have it framed in my
house. First Masters, it’s definitely something I’ll
never forget.
“Even when you already know you are in,
getting the invite never gets old. Augusta is
Augusta and the Masters is the Masters. It’s
pretty sweet.
“My first experience ever playing the course
was a surprise. I knew about the severity of the
greens but I think until you see it in person and
you walk on them, I think is incomparable to
anything you can see on TV.
“Until you go walk on 6 green and you hit that
putt up that slope to that back hill and you realise
how slow that is, or you get to 7 green and realize
that the depth of that green is like the size of this
table in front of me. It’s just little things like that
that until you actually see it you don’t realise.”HENRIK STENSON
Masters debut: 2006
“The first time around Augusta ... it was hard.
“There’s so many impressions and you know,
it’s a beautiful place and so much to take in.
Possibly the first couple of years, you try and over
prepare once you’re here. It’s a long week, if you’re
coming in early and you’re playing all the practice
rounds and work hard on the range; and then by
Thursday, you’re kind of, okay, is this when we’re
going to start.
The last five or six times now, I feel like I’ve
been comfortable on the golf course. It is a very
dicult golf course, especially if the wind is up.
“But at the same time, it’s easy to give it too
much respect sometimes, too. So you’ve got to find
that balance, and I feel like I have that. Like I said,I’m just trying to make s
give myself a better chanADAM SCOTT
Masters debut: 2002
“The first time I
experienced Augusta w
aweekbeforemyfirst
Masters, so obviously
it was very peaceful
out there.
“My first memory
was walking on to
the golf course side
of the clubhouse and
I couldn’t believe how
open the area was in
front of us with the 18th
green and the 9th green
and then down in the
valley there, which I bel
was the old range whereIP
PRACTIC
WITH
NORMAN
POURE
WATER ON
GREEN A
AND IT R
THE G
–ADAM
Anirban Lahiri was struck by
the difference between what
you see on TV and reality.Adam Scott tees off for a
practice round with Greg
Norman in 2002.54 APRIL 2018 | golf australia