they used to warm up a long time ago. Such a big,
open area, I was surprised by that.
“I played a practice round with Greg Norman,
and we poured some water on the 16th green
tth t dit ll d of the green, the water,
nto the green at all. That was
91
was in 1991. Ian Woosnam
id when I qualifi ed to play
the US Amateur in ‘90 was
mer and play a practice
was one of the highlights
se Doc Gri n (Palmer’s
sistant) set it up and we
o spend a Tuesday here at
a. Those are moments that
cherish.”ANIRBAN LAHIRI
Masters debut: 2015
“I think the fi rst thing that
you is how dif erent it is
from what you see on television,
because that’s where I’ve seen Augusta. I’d never
been here. So some of those tee shots, standing
on the tee are more than fi ve yards wide. It
sometimes looks not even fi ve yards wide when
you look at it on television, like standing on the
18th tee, for instance.
“It’s just so dif erent to actually be hitting those
shots rather than watching those shots. It’s quite
dif erent obviously. It’s quite amazing and it’s a
great feeling.”
CRAIG STADLER
Masters debut: 1974
“My fi rst Masters I was still an amateur and I
was paired on Thursday with Jack Nicklaus in a
twosome at 2:45 or something like that.
“Staying up in the Crow’s Nest, got up about
7:00, read the paper, went out about 8:30, hit balls,
took a shower, read the other paper, went out and
putted, came back, had something to eat and hit
balls again.
“Long story short, I think I hit balls for the
fourth time before I could fi nally go and walked
up to the 1st tee and he was standing there by the
table. Walked up to the table and just as I went to
introduce myself, he turned around, I introduced
myself and he looked me right in the eye and he
says, ‘Well, I know who ya are.’
“I just went, really? This guy knows who I am?
And I was done (laughs).
“As tradition goes here, past champions or
current champion tee of fi rst. He teed of first,
I teed of second, and I teed of second on every
single hole. Didn’t beat him a hole, 67 to 79, we
were done.”TOM WATSON
Masters debut: 1970
“Well, when I played my fi rst Masters in 1975, as
a pro, when I kind of started having the game – I was
just trying to make the cut when I first started out.
“Getting back to as an amateur, I played as an
amateur in 1970. I had the cut possibly made.
Shot 77 the fi rst round and didn’t play very well.The second round, I think I had it a couple under
par going into No.13. And I hit a drive around the
corner, just miles. I had a 6-iron to the green ...
6-iron, birdie, three-under-par, the cut was 147.
Now I’m under the cut.
“But I pushed it in the water and made 7. Made
double. And I still hate that hole (laughs). I hate,
hate doing that. It cost me when I was an amateur
making the cut here.”RORY MCILROY
Masters debut: 2009
“The night before my first ever Masters round I
was just nervous. I couldn’t sleep. It’s diferent.
“You know, you come to Augusta as much as
you want, but once you step on that 1st tee and it’s
the first hole of the Masters, it’s a little diferent. It
seems like that bunker on the right gets bigger and
it seems like those trees on the left come in a
little bit more and seems like the fairway is
non-existent.
“But it’s a great feeling, just the rush, the thrill
of playing in your first Masters.
“Luckily, I’ve been able to come back; they
have let me in every year since, so that’s nice. I
thoroughly enjoy the week. No matter if you win
or lose, it’s one of the highlights of the year.
“And that first tee shot ... it is probably the only
first tee shot of a tournament these days that I stillYOU KNOW, YOU COME TO AUGUSTA
AS MUCH AS YOU WANT, BUT ONCE YOU
STEP ON THAT 1ST TEE AND IT’S THE
FIRST HOLE OF THE MASTERS, IT’S A
LITTLE DIFFERENT.
–RORYMCILROY
AUGUSTA 2018Craig Stadler
watches Jack
Nicklaus play
first, again,
during their
round in 1974.golf australia | APRIL 2018 55