You made your Masters debut in 1981 and managed to finish fourth. What surprised you about Augusta and what advice would you offer this year’s debutants – players like Han Chang-won, who gained entry into the field after winning the Asian Amateur Championship?
Prior to 1981 I had only seen Augusta National on television, so I had a preconceived notion of what it was going to be like. And when I arrived I was shocked at the undulations and magnitude of the undulations. I was shocked that you never really had a flat lie unless you were on the tee. That never came across as I was growing up watching the Masters. So that impacted me the most. It can be a nerve-wracking experience for the first timer, so it’s good to go early. Don’t go too early so that you exhaust yourself but go early and embrace it all. Enjoy the golf course and enjoy the process. You think, ‘I’m here at probably the premier major event of all time.’ You have to see if you have the mettle within to take it on.
Is there still a mystique to Augusta?
Sure there is. There’s always going to be an Augusta mystique. There’s the thrill of playing for the first time and the thrill of being in contention for the first time. If you are a player with a quality about his game, you’re going to feel it. I have the same feeling, too, with the British Open – the history and nostalgia of the event dictates that. If you have enough quality as a player to perform well and experience it all – well, it’s a unique feeling.
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