get nervous at; the one
that you get butterflies
and your heart races a
little bit faster than it does
usually. So, yeah, still get
that same feeling I did as a
rookie back in 2009.”PATRICK REED
Masters debut: 2014
“I got in early for my first Masters and played
Saturday and Sunday, so I was to see how the golf
course played compared to when I had a chance
to play in college (Augusta State University). The
only thing that seemed diferent was the greens
were a lot firmer and a lot faster.
“The first drive down Magnolia Lane was
amazing, that’s for sure. I wanted to reverse and
do it again (laughs) but I had to keep going so
I could get out there and practice. Every time
driving down, you get a big smile on your face and
you realise that this time it’s diferent because
the first three times I did it was as an amateur
and now I’m doing it as a professional playing at
Augusta in the Masters.”TOMMY FLEETWOOD
Masters debut: 2017
“My first time to Augusta was when I came to
watch in 2014. I kind of came with the intentions
of being there the following year and finished 51st
in the world that year, so I just missed out.
“But watching and playing is a completely
diferent – it’s very diferent and there was places
I wanted to get to when I was watching. Sort of
the 12th green and 13th tee were the ones. Whenyou’re watching it, it’s so busy behind the 12th tee,
and they look like the most tranquil place on the
planet and that’s where I really wanted to get to.
So having been there and played the holes, that’s
been the biggest moment for me so far, actually
getting to where I kind of envisioned myself being.
“Back in 2014 I just wanted to see it. I think
whoever you speak to just says not just how
the golf course, but the surroundings, the club,
everything takes a little bit of getting used to.
Augusta, it’s in everybody’s mind and everybody’s
dreams and it’s just that place that you know that
you want to go to, so it’s a little bit surreal whenyou fi rst go. I had a chance to go, and I thought,
I’ll go, because I just want to see what it’s like and
when I do come, I might not be as awestruck.
“But it doesn’t quite work like that; when you
get to the golf course, it’s still the same feelings.
“It doesn’t disappoint when you arrive, and
you drive down Magnolia Lane. Like I say, the
main things for me, my biggest excitement was
walking over the bridge to 12 and standing on
the 13th tee. Those were the two places when I
watched I couldn’t get to and I was desperate to
get there. So those were my biggest ... that’s what I
was most excited about.”AUGUSTA 2018Tommy Fleetwood first visited
Augusta as a spectator before
making his debut last year.Rory McIlroy
was full
of nerves
playing his
first hole in
the Masters
in 2009.56 APRIL 2018 | golf australia