St Andrews Golf Magazine 80th Masters Special Edition

80TH MASTERS TOURNAMENT SPECIAL EDITION

St Andrews Golf Magazine THE SEASON STARTS HERE THE PERFECT

THE BIG THREE

THE COURSE

BOBBY JONES

ST ANDREWS

MASTERS SUNDAY IN ST ANDREWS

REVISITED

FROM THE MAGNOLIA LANE TO THE CLUBHOUSE

AUGUSTA & ST ANDREWS

SEASON PREVIEW

Editor Matt Hooper Contributors John Boyne, Cristina Panama, Chloe Goadby, Mark Dickson, Tom Brockelsby, Reuben Brown, Neil Elder, Paul Laesecke, Anne Hervey, Lisa Turnbull, Kayleigh Hunter, Ruairidh McDonald, Stefanie Kenoyer, Michael Buttacavoli, Elizabeth Bethel, Colin Donaldson, Jason Womack, Marc Gentles (St Andrews Golf Travel), Garry Forrester, Alex Fleming

Photography Matt Hooper, Kevin Kirk (Recounter), Sourced from Rolex/Getty, BMW AG, Flickr, Daimler Media, Tristan Jones/LET, OMEGA Ltd, Gary Player Enterprises, IOC MEDIA, PGA Tour Latinoamerica, Sandra Gal, Maria Balikoeva, Augusta National Golf Club, Scottish Golf, Golf Australia

Design and production Matt Hooper

Publisher Matt Hooper

Special thanks go to Ewen Murray, David Livingstone, Rory McIlroy Inc. Stephen Sweeney, PGA European Tour, R&A, New Golf Club, St Andrews Golf Club, St Regulus Ladies Golf Club, St Rule Club, Thistle Club, Simon Baldwin & Julia McGregor of Destination 66, St Andrews BID, Graham Dalton, Julie Lewis, Iain Marr, Fairmont St Andrews, G1 Group, British Golf Museum, Ziggy’s, Glenn Lowery/Old Course Hotel, Crail Golfing Society, Trump International Golf Links, Cruden Bay Golf Club, Ladies European Tour, USGA, World Hickory Open Championship, Junior Ryder Cup/Neil Ahern, Arthur de Rivoire, Bradley Neil & Rodney Neil, Gleneagles Hotel, Leading Hotels of the World, IAGTO Media Team, Scottish Golf, IMG, LPGA

Directors Matt Hooper Colin Donaldson

ŠRyan Schrelber/Flickr

THE SEASON

This time last year, April 1 to be exact, the construction of the grandstands for the 144 th Open Championship began and the buzz in the town about The Open returning to St Andrews was unbelievable. We were all looking forward to golf’s greatest championship returning to the Old Course and much of the talk in the game was about Rory McIlroy completing the career grand slam at Augusta. Of Course, for Rory, that chance will remain for the rest of his career, but this year we don’t have The Open in St Andrews to look forward to, however golf as a whole has a season unlike any other to look forward to, and it starts here.

For most golfers The Masters signifies the start of the season, spring is in the air and on the links of St Andrews the gorse is beginning to bloom and the pilgrims from around the world are starting to arrive for their special round at the home of golf.

Golfers from all corners of the globe make the journey to St Andrews every year, but never in greater numbers than in a postOpen Championship year, and with golf returning to the Olympic Games this August the numbers are sure to increase over the coming years as golf’s popularity across the world grows.

The Olympic Games forms part of a truly historic year for the game around the world, beginning with one of the most highly anticipated Masters Tournaments ever. The world’s leading golfers, led by Jordan Spieth, Jason Day and Rory McIlroy, have never been more closely matched and there has arguably never been a deeper pool of talent. Augusta is the perfect stage for them all to perform on and we are set for a thrilling 80th edition of Golf’s First Major. Then in June the US Open returns to Oakmont for the 116th playing of America’s national championship, and The Open and PGA Championship follow in quick succession in a tightly packed schedule preceding the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.

Then at the end of September the Ryder Cup returns, it is scarcely believable that Gleneagles was building up to the 2014 Ryder Cup two years ago. Europe will be led by Darren Clarke at Hazeltine National, aiming to win the cup for an unprecedented fourth consecutive time. For the women their schedule is just as congested, with five majors and the Olympic Games. In the week following the Ryder Cup the European Tour returns to the home of golf, with the 16th playing of the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, and throughout the year we will be counting down to our annual pro-am spectacular with interviews and features. The local golfing scene is as packed as ever, with the highlights including the St Andrews Links Trophy, St Rule Trophy, R&A Local Clubs’ Gold Medal and Tait Medal among numerous other tournaments.

In this edition John Boyne previews the season in more detail and we have a complete calendar of the local golfing fixtures for you. We bring you an extensive preview to The Masters along with a unique course guide, and a guide to spending Masters Sunday in St Andrews. 2016 is set to be one of the greatest seasons of all-time and we hope you spend some of it here in the greatest golfing town on earth. Throughout the year our website will bring you complete coverage of the majors and all of the local events, and we hope you enjoy the 20th edition of St Andrews Golf Magazine.

Matt Hooper Editor

STARTS HERE The 2016 St Andrews golf season officially begins when April comes around and the legendary St Andrews Links courses are ready. Golf has been played throughout the winter but consistent caddie rounds for me began in March.

All change at the St Andrews Caddie Department for our 2016 golf season with new Caddie Master, Fraser Riddler, taking on the post with our previous incumbent Robert Thorpe moving onto pastures new after 9 years in the post. Fraser has returned to St Andrews where he caddied on the links for 6 years and after a 4 year stint as Caddie Master at Trump International up the coast outside Aberdeen. We wish him well.

A busy year is expected after last year’s 144th Open Championship on the Old Course last July, won by the American Zach Johnson. By all accounts the majority of advance tee times for the Old Course have been allocated and caddie requests from golf tour operators and individual golfers are expected to exceed the average of 28,000 in recent years. It is going to be full on for those caddies willing to pound the Links and I have allegedly been working on my fitness levels since the beginning of the year, managing to somehow stave off the usual additional 14lbs of weight through the winter months...held it to 6lbs this term! I attempted to stay off the bread and carbs as much as I could, not entirely successfully, and walked and golfed here at St Andrews weather permitting, the gym is not for me. Season starting weight is 182lbs and I expect to be down to 175lbs within a month, my fighting weight!

The St Andrews caddies are to get a new look this year with a bright blue bib/tunic to display our carefully honed physiques………….. Marvellous.

John Boyne previews his season ahead on the links

This will be my 15th consecutive year caddying at St Andrews, I started here in 2002. Much to my surprise I am now being regarded as one of the ‘senior’ caddies, a rather odd feeling even though I will have completed over 2,250 caddie rounds. It has been brilliant, exciting, bizarre, and mundane and you can never predict what is going to unfold over the round when you walk out to the first tee.

So what fun can I expect during the forthcoming caddie season and what unique questions are going to be asked? Here are a few choice ones from golfers past: Have any major championships been played here?

How hard do I have to hit this putt?

Do you take a credit card?

Is that Ireland over there? As we stood on the Old Course Par 3 11th tee How old is that wall? (at the 17th green) Why has the US Open never been played here?

Continues on page 6

How old is Old Tom Morris and is there any chance to meet him?

And oh so many more…..

The introduction to the golfer on the first tee on the Old Course can be a challenge, trying to squeeze out some basic information about their game - as the golfer and playing partners are generally pretty hyped-up, especially if it is their first visit to the ‘Old Lady’. I have found over the years it is best to let them get on with the photographs and backslapping, then, while there is still time, quietly glean the information about make and mark on the golf ball, the average distance of the driver and seven iron and their usual shape of shot.

When the tee peg is placed in the ground, the ball placed on top and the round begins, the truth will soon come out. Please give me a golfer that can putt!

2016 ST ANDREWS GOLF CALENDAR 22 April

St Leonards National Junior Golf

2-5 May

R&A Spring Meeting

7 May

New Golf Club Spring Meeting

15 May

R&A Local Clubs’ Gold Medal

19 May

Thistle Golf Club Spring Meeting

28 & 29 May

St Rule Trophy

3-5 June

St Andrews Links Trophy

5-9 June

Rotary International Golf Tournament

5-10 June

New Golf Club Championship

11 June

New Golf Club Summer Meeting

18 June

St Andrews Golf Club Spring Meeting

1 July

Freddie Tait Medal Final

2 July

St Regulus Golf Club Ladies’ Open

5-7 July

Boyd Quaich

30 July

St Andrews Golf Club Autumn Meeting

1-4 August

St Andrews Boys’ Open

1-4 August

St Andrews Junior Ladies’ Open

8-12 August

Eden Tournament

8-12 August

Strathtyrum Tournament

11 August

Thistle Golf Club Autumn Prizes

15 August

St Andrews Seniors’ Open

20 August

New Golf Club Autumn Meeting

26-28 August

Wee Wonders

16 September

Bing Crosby Tournament

17 September

The Town Match

19-23 September

R&A Autumn Meeting

3-9 October

Alfred Dunhill Links Championship

27 November

St Andrews v The Rest of the World

ŠRyan Schrelber/Flickr

AUGUSTA & ST ANDREWS

COURSE GUIDE

This publication may not be reproduced in part or whole without the expressed written permission of St Andrews Golf Magazine Limited. ŠSt Andrews Golf Magazine Limited 2016 info@standrewsgolfmagazine.com Advertising enquiries Matt Hooper info@standrewsgolfmagazine.com Colin Donaldson info@standrewsgolfmagazine.com

Matt is the editor, co-founder and publisher of St Andrews Golf Magazine. He began writing about golf in September 2012 and has a wealth of knowledge and experience across the golf industry. He is the chief features writer and lead journalist of St Andrews Golf Magazine. He has also written for Pro Golf Now and as an independent contractor for All Square Golf.

John is a St Andrews Links caddie, owner of Caddie Golf Tours and is a regular contributor to St Andrews Golf Magazine. His knowledge of the Old Course and the St Andrews golfing scene is a great insight for readers.

St Andrews Golf Magazine

ŠDaimler Media

THE PLANETS ALIGN FOR ONE The 1975 Masters is renowned as one of the greatest Masters ever, and was immortalized by the award-winning book ‘The Magnificent Masters’ by Gill Capps. This 2014 account of what Capps calls ‘The Cliff-Hanger at Augusta’ tells the incredible story of the battle between Jack Nicklaus, Tom Weiskopf and Johnny Miller in the 1975 Masters Tournament. Nicklaus was the world’s greatest golfer, in an era before the Official World Golf Rankings, the 35-year-old from Ohio was number one on the Mark McCormack World Golf Rankings which were published each year in McCormack’s annual World of Professional Golf. Nicklaus had won 12 Major Championships, and behind him on the rankings were 27-year-old Johnny Miller and 32-year-old Tom Weiskopf. Miller had won the 1973 US Open and Weiskopf won the following Major at Royal Troon in the 1973 Open Championship.

They were unquestionably the greatest trio of that time, and to have them all contending on the final nine holes of The Masters was like a story made in heaven. The start to the 1975 season saw Miller come flying out of the blocks, with a remarkable 14-stroke victory at the Phoenix Open, and followed it up with a nine-stroke win in Tucson. Three weeks later he won again at the Bob Hope Desert Classic, by a more modest three strokes.

Miller was on fire, and had won 11 PGA Tour titles in 13 months.

Miller was one of many promising, young talented Americans taking aim at the greatest golfer in the world, Jack Nicklaus. Nicklaus had, in comparison to Miller, won the Doral-Eastern Open and the Sea Pines Heritage prior to the 1975 Masters. The undisputed world number one had won just twice in the previous season, including the Tournament Players Championship, but was still the force to be reckoned with in the game of golf. Nicklaus was an inspiration for fellow Ohio State alum Tom Weiskopf. Weiskopf was coming off a winless 1974 season which had followed his breakout year of 1973 where he won The Open and claimed four additional PGA Tour victories. It took Tom until the final event before The Masters to register his first win of 1975, at the Greater Greensboro Open, ending a 20-month wait for a title. Weiskopf had finished as runner-up at Augusta in 1969, 1972 and 1974 and was looking to make it fourth time lucky in golf’s first major.

Incredibly the week unfolded and the tournament came down to an epic contest between the three of them. Nicklaus prevailed by a single stroke, with both Miller and Weiskopf having putts at the 72nd hole to take it to a playoff. The 1975 Masters is widely regarded as one of, if not, the greatest editions of the tournament.

Now fast forward 41 years and we are set for another titanic battle at Augusta between three or more of the world’s greatest golfers. 2012 and 2014 was dominated by Rory McIlroy, winning three majors and 5 additional tournaments to establish himself as the undisputed number one in the postTiger Woods era. Then last year two men stood up and took his mantle. Jordan Spieth dominated Augusta to win The Masters and then followed it up with a gutsy win at Chambers Bay in the US Open. He narrowly missed out on a playoff at St Andrews and finished runner-up at Whistling Straits in the PGA Championship. That second-place finish moved him to world number one for the first time. The man he lost to in the PGA was Australian Jason Day, and the 28-year-old went on to win two FedEx Cup playoff events to ascend to number one himself.

The ranking flipped and flopped between the three of them in August before Spieth reclaimed the top spot with victory at East Lake in The Tour Championship. The 22-year-old Texan has held it ever since. The exploits of this young, talented trio led to talk of a modern big three, and the excitement coming into 2016 was palpable. Spieth stamped his authority all over the season-opening Hyundai Tournament of Champions, winning by 8 shots and shooting 30-under-par for four rounds at Kapalua. But very quickly the chasing pack illustrated that 2016 was going to be about more than ©Daimler Media

OF THE GREAT MASTERS 3 men. Spieth and McIlroy arrived at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship as the headline acts, but were upstaged by Rickie Fowler. Fowler then let the Waste Management Phoenix Open slip through his fingers, but showed he is up for the fight at Augusta, and on any stage in the world with the greatest players in the world. The 27-year-old finished in the top five of all four majors in 2014 and could be stereotyped as the modern Johnny Miller, with his stylish attire and attacking style.

Then at the CommercialBank Qatar Masters and OMEGA Dubai Desert Classic, two rising stars of the European Tour shone bright. Branden Grace, who was in contention for the 2015 US Open, became the first player to successfully defend the title in Doha, and England’s Danny Willett claimed his fourth European Tour victory in Dubai. In Los Angeles 2012 and 2014 Masters Champion Bubba Watson prevailed in the Northern Trust Open to move back into the top four of the rankings. The Florida Swing began with two dramatic victories in the Honda Classic and WGC-Cadillac Championship for former world number one and 2013 Masters Champion Adam Scott.

So, with the focus on the big three, there has been an emergence of serious challengers to their status, and we are now set for another thrilling chapter in Masters History. Scott, the 35-year-old from Queensland, has a recent record to be feared at Augusta, finishing 2nd and 8th before his breakout win in 2013. The Aussie hasn’t finished outside the top 40 since missing the cut in 2009. Bubba is made for Augusta, with his creativity and length, and with another early season win will surely be in contention come Masters Sunday. Fowler has the putting touch to go close and claim his first major to join Day, McIlroy and Spieth in a Fab Four.

McIlroy heads to Augusta once again bidding to claim the career grand slam, and this year, with the hype focusing more on a collective than an individual, it may be that the Ulsterman finds it easier to play like a free spirit and collect that elusive green jacket. In 2011 he led by four and let it slip dramatically, allowing Jason Day to contend for the title, which was eventually won by Charl Schwartzel. Day, McIlroy and Spieth have each led The Masters at some point in four of the last five Masters, and the Aussie will fancy his chances of winning back-to-back majors and emulating his peers.

Day has finished 2nd and 3rd at Augusta and has demonstrated the necessary qualities to become the second Australian, after Adam Scott, to don the green jacket this spring.

All of the leading players will be bidding to dethrone the current king of the game, Jordan Spieth, who has a formidable record in the season’s first major. In only two appearances the world number one has finished 2nd and 1st, and his golden putting touch will make him the favourite coming into the tournament. Despite struggling in recent events, Spieth has shown a love for the state of Georgia with wins in the 2015 Masters and Tour Championship, and will no doubt be fired up to retain his crown and join Nicklaus, Faldo and Woods as the fourth man to defend at Augusta.

We all anticipated 2016 would be dramatic and exciting, and the start of the season has surpassed that. Now the world of golf awaits the 80th edition of the annual spectacular which is The Masters. They say the season doesn’t really start until Augusta, and that The Masters starts on the back nine on Sunday, well I’m sure none of you can wait. Over the next 60 pages we bring you an unrivalled guide to the tournament, the course and if you are in St Andrews where is best to watch the most thrilling week of the golfing calendar.

Capps called the 1975 tournament ‘The Magnificent Masters’, well 2016 could well be another ‘Cliff-Hanger’ at Augusta.

Enjoy the tournament. ©Daimler Media

ŠRyan Schrelber/Flickr

ŠRyan Schrelber/Flickr

Sunday of The Masters is one of the most anticipated days in the golfing calendar.

It provides the climax to golf’s most special annual event, on golf’s most glorious golf course in golf’s most stunningly beautiful setting. Many of golf’s most iconic moments take place on Masters Sunday, and it is arguably golf’s most thrilling day.

The roars echo through the pines and dogwoods, and it is one of golf’s most-watched telecasts all year.

Careers have been made by Masters Sunday, with the likes of Tiger Woods and Jordan Spieth earning their first major titles at Augusta. And careers have been shattered by crushing defeats, like Len Mattiace losing to Mike Weir in 2003. It is a day which defines the golfing calendar.

It is also a day which inspires young people to take up the game, with Nick Faldo being gripped by the 1972 Masters on his family’s new colour television. It is a tradition of fathers and sons, and mothers and daughters sitting round the family television to watch Masters Sunday, and as Jim Nantz says it is ‘A tradition unlike any other’.

If you aren’t at Augusta then there isn’t a much better place to be than the home of golf, St Andrews. Spring has well and truly arrived and you can experience the town which Augusta National’s founder came to love so much.

In this special Masters edition of St Andrews Golf Magazine we have put together The Perfect Masters Sunday in St Andrews. A day for you to play one of the great, hidden gems of St Andrews golf, taste some of the best food, sample some true Americana and enjoy the final round of The Masters in one of this town’s most famous watering holes.

The Old Course is closed on Sundays but that doesn’t mean you can’t play golf to start your Masters Sunday in St Andrews. There are many options, from the New Course and Jubilee to the Eden and the Strathtyrum. But if you fancy something a little different, and discovering a hidden gem then head out of town towards the Fairmont St Andrews.

We played the Kittocks Course at 8am, and this allows you time to enjoy this breath-taking course in all its glory. It’s an arduous walk and by the time you are finished you will have built up quite an appetite.

We visited Q-Bar-Be-Que, on Greyfriars Gardens, for lunch and it is the perfect place for a real piece of Americana in St Andrews, on one of America’s greatest sporting days.

Then in the evening there is no better place to enjoy the final round of The Masters than the Dunvegan Hotel. Recently announced as one of Golf Magazine’s Greatest 19th Holes in the world, the Dunvegan really has an atmosphere all of its own.

So, whether you’re in town this year or next, look forward to a spectacular Masters Sunday in St Andrews, and take in all it has to offer.

With the Old Course closed on Sunday’s you still have a wide variety of golfing options to choose from, and just 4 . miles from the centre of St Andrews is the wonderful Fairmont St Andrews. This 5 star resort includes a 209room hotel, signature spa and two 18-hole, championship golf courses. The Torrance, designed by Sam Torrance, will feature in a future edition, and is the flagship course of the resort. The Torrance hosted the Scottish Senior Open for six consecutive years, along with Final Qualifying for the 2010 Open Championship when it was played on the Old Course.

The other course at the Fairmont St Andrews is the Kittocks. Originally designed by Australian Bruce Devlin and American golf legend Gene Sarazen, it opened in 2001 and the course is truly a masterpiece, and one of the great undiscovered links in the world of golf.

The setting of the Kittocks is utterly fantastic, with phenomenal views across the Eden Estuary, back towards the town and the North Sea. At just shy of 7,200 yards from the back tees, this track is fit to host any professional tournament, and did so in 2007 and 2009 when it welcomed the Euro Pro Tour. The Kittocks does however have several tees and it is playable for all levels of golfer.

The Kittocks was voted among the 50 best Modern Courses in Great Britain and Ireland by Golf Week Magazine in 2010, but after you have played it you may well agree with us that it deserves even greater recognition.

Reuben Brown and I played the course from the more forgiving yellow tees, with our more talented playing partner, Tom Brockelsby challenging his skills from the white tees. The course begins gently with a 504-yard par five. The hole has a generous fairway and a drive down the right side will set you off and running nicely.

The course begins inland and the second hole certainly doesn’t have the feel of a links course, with a large pond on the left side, but at 345-yards from the yellow tees this is a great risk-reward hole for the longer hitters. It is a second good birdie chance to start your round before the Kittocks really bares its teeth.

The third hole is a superb downhill par three measuring 125 yards and it wouldn’t be out of place on any great links course on this coastline. The green is angled at 45 degrees and is protected by steep run-off areas on all sides, along with two deep pot bunkers at the front right.

Up next is arguably the signature hole of this magnificent course. The par four 4th hole measures a massive 477 yards from the championship tees and the drive is only half of the task at this daunting hole. Your second shot must carry a deep gorge short of the green, which you have to carry to have any chance of making par. Your approach could be from anything between 150 and 200 yards and distance control is key.

The fifth hole is a wonderful par five (green pictured) and only the longest hitters can consider taking it on in two. A semi-blind drive only adds to the challenge. Two deep bunkers lay in wait for a drive leaked to the right and a shot left of centre is required from the tee. If you do reach the flat spot in the fairway you can consider threading a second shot through the narrow entrance to a wellprotected green. The view from the green is breath-taking, with vistas across several holes, St Andrews Bay and of Tentsmuir Forest.

The sixth hole is another classic, short par three. Playing just 119 yards from the yellow tees, the hole borders the Kittocks Den and any shot pulled left has a chance of clearing the stone wall and ending in disaster. The wide, but shallow green is protected by two bunkers front and back.

The seventh is an absolutely wonderful links hole, with classic railway sleeper adorned bunkers to the right and the rocky Fife coast to the left. At 381 yards from the yellow tees the hole doesn’t intimidate with length, but accuracy is critical on both the tee shot and approach. This hole features a classic links double green and it is difficult to leave a short putt with your approach.

The eighth hole features the first steep climb of the round, with the green perched significantly above the fairway, and rough either side to gobble up errant tee shots. This 351yard par four plays at least a club more for the second shot than the distance may suggest.

The ninth hole on the Kittocks evokes memories of the wonderful fifth hole at Royal Portrush. The hole heads for the North Sea, doglegging from left to right. The hole plays a little shorter than the 419 yards on the card as it plays from a significantly elevated tee, but finding the fairway is vital as deep rough lines both sides. Distance control with your second shot is vital as anything long will be on the beach.

The tenth hole is a risk-reward 292-yard par four, with the hole sharing the same green as the seventh. The fairway angles severely from left to right and the bigger hitters will certainly fancy their chances here.

The eleventh is arguably the hardest par five on the course, playing severely uphill from the tee to a fairway angling from right to left, and an out of bounds wall on the left side. If you somehow manage to successfully find the plateau you will still have over 250 yards to a very wellprotected but flat green.

The twelfth hole (pictured) is a straight hole which requires length and accuracy off the tee. Your drive needs to find the more generous right side, missing the fairway bunker on the left, which stares you in the face from the tee. It is advisable to play an extra club for your second as the green appears closer than it actually is.

The thirteenth hole is a stout par three which requires a mid to long iron. This green is shared by the first hole.

The fourteenth is the first of two successive holes which run along the edge of the Kittocks Den and is a demanding par four measuring 450 yards from the championship tees. If you’re playing well and feeling confident the best line is right of centre, but any pushed drive on this line will find serious trouble. A decent drive will leave you around 160 yards to a green which hugs the stone wall bordering the Kittocks Den. The fifteenth is a 406-yard hole of two halves. An uphill tee shot, best line is the left side, and a severely downhill second shot to a green which affords wonderful views of the Kittocks Den. Depending upon the wind the second shot can play a little less than the yardage. A long drive could find the downslope and leave you a very short approach.

The sixteenth is another gem of a par three which hugs the cliffs.

This 150-yard hole has a green which is sat against the stone wall and distance control can be tricky here.

There are many holes which could lay claim to being the best on the Kittocks Course, but without question the most photographed is the wonderful 17th. This 409-yard par four runs along the cliffs, and features a gorge some 30 yards short of the green. The drive is fairly generous, however anything to the right will fly over the stone wall and wreck your round. A good drive will leave you some 170 yards into a subtly sloping green from back to front. We would advise taking a little more club to ensure you clear the gorge. The view here is truly spectacular.

The concluding hole of this masterpiece heads straight back to the clubhouse, and at 420 yards from the yellow tees it certainly isn’t a quiet finish. Ponds left and right lay in wait for a wild drive, and distance judgement is hard to a slightly elevated green.

Whilst the course of St Andrews Links may garner more fame, and the Torrance may be played more, there is a strong case for saying the most complete golfing experience in St Andrews is the Fairmont Kittocks. A must play for your St Andrews Bucket List!

A piece of Americana in the home of golf

By Matt Hooper with Neil Elder

Masters Sunday is arguably one of the greatest days in the American sporting calendar, and for visiting Americans to the home of golf this April where better to soak up the atmosphere of home than Q-Bar-Be-Que? The restaurant opened on 13 July 2015, in the week of The Open Championship here in St Andrews, and is owned by Iain Marr. Iain is steeped in the game of golf, having been a tour operator, and sales and business development for a number of 5 star hotel, golf courses and resorts. As part of his previous career he travelled extensively, all over the world. He spent a great deal of time in the US, which is where he got the taste for BBQ. Every trip he would take he would track down the best BBQ restaurants.

Iain and a friend got together about 4 years ago and started talking about the possibility of creating a BBQ place in St Andrews; it made perfect sense given the number of Americans that not only travel to St Andrews for golf, but the number of American students we have in town.

Whilst St Andrews and Scotland has had a great influence on America, America has also had a significant influence upon St Andrews. Thousands of American golfers make the pilgrimage to the home of golf each year, and many hundreds of students have made the University of St Andrews their destination of choice for higher education.

Given the number of American visitors and residents in St Andrews it is somewhat surprising that, before Q-Bar-Be-Que, we didn’t have a genuine American-themed restaurant or bar in the town. Of course the Americans are coming to St Andrews for the quintessentially Scottish experience, but Q-Bar-Be-Que is sure to be a success.

Q-Bar-Be-Que is located on Greyfriars Gardens in the heart of St Andrews, next to Topping and Company Bookstore, and on the main route for golfers walking from the Old Course into the town centre. Golfers aren’t the only target clientele for the restaurant, but they certainly are a priority group for owner Iain.

“We will have our kitchen open until 22:30 in the height of the summer, which will give those golfers with late tee times at The Old Course, Kingsbarns, Carnoustie and other local courses somewhere to come and enjoy a quality meal without feeling rushed.

I remember how hard it was to get my clients fed after golf if they were teeing off at 6pm, so being open so late will be a nice bonus.

The only real alternatives were fish and chips or room service; I am hopeful we can change that this year.

I already have a couple of promotional deals going on with some tour operators, which brings in some golf trade, my aim is to make sure the entire golf travel industry knows all about us and adds us to their preferred restaurant lists!”

We visited for lunch and we were highly impressed by both the food and welcome, but above all the atmosphere. It really did have the feel of a BBQ house in the United States, and you could actually, for a small time, forget that we are on the east coast of Scotland.

The lunch menu is extensive, and along with daily specials, QBar-Be-Que offers a wide variety of dishes for the diner.

There are 2 American members of the Q-Bar-Be-Que team, both from Texas. One of the most popular dishes is Pulled Pork and Spare Ribs, we sell a lot of them. Their burger is also incredibly popular, and they have developed a reputation for our steaks too; huge aged highland T-Bones and rib eye on the bone.

I had The Dirty Deuce Burger, which, as all of the dishes on offer, is reasonably priced at £8.95. The Dirty Deuce is a Pork and Beef double burger, with cheese and a pickles and burger sauce. It really hit the spot and despite the numerous ingredients you could taste all that was included.

Neil, head chef at the New Golf Club of St Andrews, had the Tacos which included Turkey and Beef (the meats change daily) and they had just the right amount of smoke and spice, and the toppings complimented the dish very well.

Neil felt that the restaurant was quirky, with an open kitchen so you could see the smokers in action. It is just what St Andrews was needing with a totally different atmosphere to other restaurants.

Obviously, being a BBQ house in Scotland, the techniques for smoking have to be learned, but according to Iain the local chefs are picking up the techniques well. Iain has an uncompromising dedication to making the restaurant become a must for all visitors to St Andrews.

There really isn’t a better place to take lunch in St Andrews on a Masters Sunday!

Dunvegan Hotel and Bar and you will find me, my long suffering golfing wife, a few caddies and local St Andrean golf partners happily ensconced in this famous little St Andrews golf pub. Situated on the corner of Golf Place, it is a mere 120 yards from the 18th green of the Old Course.

British television coverage of the Masters is via Sky Sports and their coverage begins properly after 8pm. Choose your moment to descend upon the Dunvegan enjoy the atmosphere generated by dedicated golfers and stoked by the enthusiasm of Sheena and Jack Willoughby, the owners of the Hotel.

Delicious food is generally served up to 9:00pm and the beers, wine and spirits will be flowing way into the wee small hours.

Golf in St Andrews is something rather special and for our visiting golfers who have carefully choreographed their dates to coincide with the Masters weekend at Augusta National it is a masterstroke!

Combining the combination of golf on the Old Course and New Course then giving the sticks a final flourish at the scenic Kittocks Course with its views across St Andrews Bay and the spires of the ‘Auld Grey Toon’ will cap a great few days.

Joy’s artwork of every Open Champion since 1860. This room also has a television to assist with any overspill from the main bar.

The pub is a homage to golf with memorabilia, framed pictures of old and new golfing heroes adorning every wall and ceiling space!

After lunch at Q-Bar-B-Que thoughts turn to the final day’s play in the Masters at Augusta National.

It has two large widescreen televisions and 4 standard widescreen monitors ensuring that no action can be missed from any area of the bar.

My destination of choice to watch the final throes of the tournament action is the

A side room hosts legendary local artist and golf historian David

The weekend of April 6 and 7, 2011 will be one I will never forget. It was when I arrived in St Andrews to begin my first season as a St Andrews Links Caddie and it was the weekend of Golf's First Major, The 75th Masters. That weekend the weather was absolutely spectacular, nice and warm with brilliant sunshine and the journey up from my home town in Wiltshire, England to the East Coast of Fife was fantastic as I was starting a new chapter in my life and career. I was especially looking forward to moving in, unpacking and going to meet one of my best friends, his wife, father and uncle in town to watch the third round of The Masters and enjoy a few drinks in the best golfing scene you will find in any St Andrews bar.

The Dunvegan Hotel is just a 120-yard walk from the 18th green of the Old Course and is by far the best bar for watching golf in within St Andrews, it has an atmosphere unlike any other with many golfers having played during the day choosing to spend their evenings sat drinking, eating and watching the golf on the HD televisions. The Hotel was acquired by Jack and Sheena Willoughby in 1994, both are avid golfers and as such the golfer is made more than welcome with staff getting to know the customer and more than willing and able to talk golf with you. Numerous celebrities and world golfing stars have frequented the bar over the years and to be in there both nights of Masters Weekend truly was something very special, especially for the 2011 Masters.

Rory McIlroy and I share a great friend, and he (the friend) made for hilarious and painful viewing over the weekend with the ups and downs of one his best friends on the verge of winning a first Major championship and Green Jacket. Rory began the weekend at 10-underpar, two strokes clear of Jason Day at the top of the leaderboard and three clear of Tiger Woods, the 21-year-old was on the verge of fulfilling his immense early potential by claiming one of the biggest titles in sport. Saturday is known as moving day and plenty of players attempted to challenge McIlroy's position at the top with Angel Cabrera and Adam Scott posting 67's to move up the leaderboard, but a steady 70 from the Northern Irishman including a critical and inspired downhill putt at the 17th gave him a four-stroke lead at the close of the third round.

On the face of it he held a commanding advantage, but even though he was four ahead of the rest only four strokes covered the next sixteen players on the leaderboard and four players were tied for second. Any slip from McIlroy and there were many quality golfers ready to pounce. Were we set for the crowning of golf's new king? Would a star come roaring through to upset the Ulsterman? Either way we were set for another exciting conclusion to Golf's First Major, but nobody at that stage knew just how exciting.

Masters Sunday began for myself with going to the local Morrisons store to buy some food and essentials on my first morning as a St Andrews resident, again there was glorious sunshine and warm temperatures on the Fife coast. Spring had well and truly arrived. My friend, his father and uncle were playing golf at the nearby stunning links of Kingsbarns, so I spent the afternoon walking around town familiarizing myself with St Andrews, I had been there many times before I moved there but it is always special walking around the historic streets of the Home of Golf. Once the guys had finished playing golf I went to meet them at the Dunvegan for what everyone hoped would be an exciting and happy time watching Rory McIlroy become Masters champion. The sense of anticipation was immense.

The drama and excitement of Masters Sunday began at the first hole on an evening that will live long in the memory for anyone who was in the Dunvegan on that April night. Immediately you knew something very special was set to occur when Charl Schwartzel, another outrageous young talent, pushed his approach to the first green and then played a sublimely rolling chip into the hole for a quite amazing birdie to cut the deficit on McIlroy to three shots. Rory opened in exactly the fashion he would have had nightmares about overnight reaching the green safely enough but taking three nervous putts to make an unsettling bogey and within seconds his lead was gone, Charl Schwartzel had joined him at the top. In great rounds there is almost always a moment of truly outrageous brilliance and for Schwartzel this came at the third hole, he spun his approach to the 350-yard par four third hole for an eagle to start 3-under for the first 3.

But unfortunately for Rory it wasn't just Charl Schwartzel coming after him, the Ulsterman showed weakness and the best players in the world circled like a shark around a helpless swimmer in the sea, and soon they would devour him. Four-time Champion Tiger Woods made birdies at the 2nd, 3rd, 6th and 7th to offset a bogey at the 4th to pull to within three of Rory and Charl at the top, by now my friend was clearly tense as he watched one of his closest friends struggle in the early stages of the final round. The 21-year-old made a par at the par five second hole before missing a golden opportunity to make birdie at the third, his six-foot putt slid by in a sign of real nerves and tension created by his and Schwartzel's start, now it really was game on. He parred the fourth and then an almighty cheer from the 8th where Tiger Woods played a superb second shot to within ten feet of the hole and rolled in the putt for eagle, this brought him to ten-under and tied with Schwartzel who had made a bogey at the fifth, one stroke behind Rory at the top.

Then came the mistake which really set the tournament alight from McIlroy at the fifth, he drove into the left fairway bunker and attempting a daring recovery shot the ball crashed into the lip, the ball managed to get out of the trap but would then find the bunker through the green and wound up taking bogey to fall into a tie with Woods and Schwartzel.

Tiger had made up seven shots on Rory and suddenly 5 or 6 players had the chance to claim the green jacket. But finally something positive came for Rory at the seventh, rolling in a fifteen foot birdie putt to take the lead on his own again and when Woods made a bogey at the 12th and McIlroy had daylight once again. It didn't make things any easier for the Irishman who made poor pars at both the eighth and ninth, still Rory held the lead with 9 holes to play on Masters Sunday.

And if you had offered that to him at the start of the week he would have bitten your hand off. That is of course if you hadn't have seen the first three days when he played peerless golf and led the field a merry dance, the front nine was a struggle and the tension was building, and about to explode with one swipe of his driver.

A quick, out of rhythm swing pulled the ball miles to the left and it hit the trees and went further left, so far left it was in the front garden of the cabins, most people didn't even know that they were in bounds. Rory recovered to put himself back in play but followed this with a pulled wood down to the side of the green where he would proceed to hit the trees again and wound up taking seven on a par four to fall to 8-under and seventh place.

A four-putt double-bogey at the 12th and a pulled drive into the hazard on 13 wrecked any hopes McIlroy had of holding on to a chance of victory, it was sheer hell for Rory stood drooped over his club on the 13th tee and it was just as bad for all of us in the Dunvegan, especially my friend. It was at this point that he decided he couldn't watch anymore and he left the Dunvegan with his wife, uncle and father bitterly disappointed at what had transpired.

I stayed on to watch one of the truly great finishes in Masters History.

As McIlroy exited stage left Tiger Woods posted the target in the clubhouse of 10-under-par, setting the mark which the remaining contenders had to match or pass on a wild last six holes. Angel Cabrera, Luke Donald, Adam Scott, Jason Day, Geoff Ogilvy and Charl Schwartzel all had the opportunity to seize the chance of glory at Augusta, and at one stage there was a five-way tie for the lead. But it all came down to three Australians and a South African.

No Australian had ever claimed the green jacket so for there to be three in with a chance at the same time was quite extraordinary, Geoff Ogilvy made 5 birdies in a row to get himself involved in the huge tie for the lead but he couldn't get beyond 10-under-par and had to settle for the same score in the clubhouse as Tiger Woods.

Adam Scott birdied the 14th to break the tie but was joined by Schwartzel, who made a good birdie from the back of the 15th green to reach 11-under with three holes to play. Scott then evoked memories of Nicklaus '86 further with a superb tee shot at the par three 16th to set up another birdie to reach 12-under. The South African however would just not be denied.

Schwartzel played a decent tee shot on the 16th and rolled in the putt from 15 feet to match Scott and would then repeat the trick at the 17th and 18th to take a quite remarkable victory with a round of 66 and a historical finish. Nobody had ever made four birdies to finish to win The Masters Tournament, Schwartzel birdied 15, 16, 17 and 18 to go along with his remarkable start he had a truly unbelievable finish to end one of the truly great Masters of my or anyone else's lifetime. It was as heart pumping as it was heartbreaking, it was thrill-a-second stuff from the first hole to the last and it was the exact example you would want to give of The Masters to an alien who had landed on planet earth that April Sunday afternoon.

There really was an incredible atmosphere in the Dunvegan that night, with visitors from America and across the world mixing with locals, all of whom have a passion for the game. It was much like being in a pub watching an international football match, but remained a carnival atmosphere that was respectful.

It certainly is the ONLY place to watch Masters Sunday in St Andrews.

ŠRyan Schrelber/Flickr

Bobby Jones achieved all he could achieve in life and in golf, he was synonymous with excellence and class in all he did, and was known the world over but in the whole world only two places remain synonymous with him – St Andrews and Augusta.

Born in Atlanta, Georgia on March 17, 1902 Robert Tyre Jones Junior was born into a family of relative wealth, his father was a Lawyer.

Despite this it didn’t mean he had an easy childhood or life, suffering from health issues for most of his life. He was diagnosed with Syringomyelia at the age of 46.

Jones was clearly a talented golfer at a very young age and indeed proved this by winning the Georgia State Amateur Championship at the age of 14, as well as qualifying for the quarter-finals of the US Amateur in the same year. He qualified for the US Open at the age of 18 in 1920 and would make his first visit to the home of golf, St Andrews in 1921 for The Open Championship.

The 1921 Open was the 12th to be played over the Old Course at St Andrews and was won by Naturalized American Jock Hutchison, who was born in St Andrews. But it was infamous for “an act which would have quickly been forgotten if committed by an ordinary player”, in the words of legendary golf writer Henry Longhurst. Jones, having played the front nine in 46 strokes reached the short par three 11th hole and found Hill Bunker, which guards the left side of the green, with his tee shot. After taking multiple swipes at the ball without extricating himself

from it the prodigy picked up and ripped his scorecard up. He continued to play but was no longer part of the competition.

Jones was renowned for his flashes of bad temper on the golf course, a burning passion within him and he could not accept playing so badly. Myth has it that he said he would never return to St Andrews, but indeed he did and when he did so he would leave an indelible mark on the Old Course and the town.

Jones won his first major championship at Inwood Country Club in the 1923 US Open, victorious in an 18-hole playoff over Scotland’s Bobby Cruickshank. He then won the US Amateur championships of 1924 and 1925, and won his first Open Championship at Royal Lytham and St Anne’s Golf Club in 1926. He followed that up by winning the US Open of that year at Scioto Country Club in Ohio.

The scene was set for his return to St Andrews in the 1926 Walker Cup. The Americans were victorious by the narrowest of margins, 6-5, but this was the week that Jones mastered the subtleties of links golf. He won a singles match over 36-hole by 12 & 11, and he was part of a victorious foursomes game too.

When Jones next returned to St Andrews he would demonstrate a mastery of links golf unlike any ever seen before, by an American or any other golfer for that matter.

Truly great sporting performances can be counted using very few fingers, one of these such performances came from Robert Tyre Jones Jr. at the 1927 Open in St Andrews.

Rounds of 68, 72, 73 and 72 over the then par 73 layout saw Jones win by six clear strokes and record the lowest four rounds ever played at any Major Championship at the time.

Aged 25 Jones returned home to a hero’s welcome and the media called him “Golf’s Wonder Man”. Three years later he would return to St Andrews in a bid to win the one major title that had eluded him in his career – The Amateur Championship.

Bobby Jones’ Major victories

He set out in 1930 to do the impossible, win the complete set of major titles. The US Open and Open Championship, along with the US Amateur and Amateur Championship.

1925 U.S. Amateur

The Amateur Championship at St Andrews was the first step along the path to immortality. As destiny would have it Jones would sweep all before him and conquer the oldest Amateur championship in the game, beating fellow American Eugene V Homans in the final by the score of 8&7.

1926 Open Championship

He would go on to win The Open at Royal Liverpool, the US Open at Interlachen and the US Amateur at Merion.

The called it the “Impregnable Quadrilateral”.

The closest thing to it since? Tiger Woods winning four in a row, concluding at Bobby Jones’ Augusta National in the 2001 Masters – but it was over two years, not in one calendar year.

With all that he could achieve in the game achieved Jones honoured his commitment to his family to retire, at the tender age of 28.

1923 U.S. Open 1924 U.S. Amateur 1926 U.S. Open 1927 Open Championship 1927 U.S. Amateur 1928 U.S. Amateur 1929 U.S. Open 1930 Amateur Championship 1930 Open Championship 1930 U.S. Open 1930 U.S. Amateur

Following his retirement from tournament golf Jones needed something other than his work as a lawyer to occupy him and put his passion into, that something was Augusta National Golf Club. Bobby met Dr Alister Mackenzie at the 1927 Open in St Andrews and when the time came to find a designer for his course there was only one man Bobby wanted.

The architect of Cypress Point and Pasatiempo Golf Clubs on the California coast, Mackenzie shared many thoughts in common with Jones as to how a golf course should look and play.

Bobby wanted Augusta National to be his homage to St Andrews, a strategic course with room off the tee to enable all level of golfer to enjoy their round. But the course would make the golfer think, just like the Old Course.

It is a well-used phrase by the Old Course caddies to American visitors that “Left is Right and Right is wrong”, but for a talented golfer to succeed at St Andrews they must challenge this theory and challenge the trouble in order to have the best angle of attack into the greens.

Bobby Jones’ and Alister Mackenzie’s goal was to “reward the good shot by making the second shot simpler in proportion to the excellence of the first.”

"A course which is constructed with these principles in view must be interesting, because it will offer problems which a man may attempt, according to his ability."

"It will never become hopeless for the duffer, nor fail to concern and interest the expert. And it will be found, like old St. Andrews, to become more delightful the more it is studied and played."

This is so true of both the Old Course and Augusta National for different reasons. At Augusta the golfer is wowed by its beauty but in general with few exceptions it takes a few attempts for a player to succeed in The Masters because they have to learn the best way to attack the golf course.

On the Old Course many players have taken several attempts to appreciate the qualities of the course, Lee Westwood once famously said that it wouldn’t be in his top 200 in the world.

Westwood then won the 2003 Alfred Dunhill Links Championship and came second at the 2010 Open Championship.

There are some six holes at Augusta which bare huge similarities to holes on the Old Course at St Andrews.

The 3rd, 4th, 5th, 7th, 14th and 17th along with others where if you took the trees away you may feel as though you were on the east coast of Scotland, not on the site of the former Fruitland’s Nursery in Georgia

The 3rd hole at Augusta is likened to the 12th at the Old Course and Jones’ long term journalist sidekick OB Keeler said "You remember that perilous little plateau green on the twelfth at St. Andrews? Well, this green will be quite similar; and you know it's not so simple, even after a big drive on the twelfth at St. Andrews to get the ball anywhere near the flag."

Nothing could be truer, the 12th hole, for its short length on the Old, is one of the most difficult on the course dependent upon the location of the pin. Even with a short club in your hand making birdie is extremely difficult. The 3rd at Augusta embodies this.

3rd hole, AUGUSTA NATIONAL

©Augusta National Golf Club

12th hole, Old Course, St Andrews ©Matt Hooper

4th hole, AUGUSTA NATIONAL The par three fourth hole is said to pay direct homage to the 11th at the Old Course.

Jones’ once said that none of the par three’s at Augusta should require a wood from the tee, if only he had left a letter for Hootie Johnson and Billy Payne. The fourth now plays an eye watering 240 yards from the tips

.

©Augusta National Golf Club

11th hole, Old Course, St Andrews ©Matt Hooper

The fifth hole was said to be mimicking the key aspects of the road hole at St Andrews, featuring a semi-blind drive and demanding second shot to a two-tier green. Original plans for Augusta even included their version of the valley of sin, this was removed after the 1938 Masters.

5th hole, AUGUSTA NATIONAL

ŠAugusta National Golf Club

17th hole, Old Course, St Andrews ŠMatt Hooper

Much of the inspiration for the seventh hole at Augusta came from the 357-yard 18th on the Old Course. Originally the seventh measured around 340 yards and in the correct conditions was driveable for the longest hitters, just like the home hole in St Andrews.

If the golfer elects to play the seventh at Augusta more conservatively they have to attack the green from the ‘proper’ position, just like the final hole on the Old.

7th hole, AUGUSTA NATIONAL

18th hole, Old Course, St Andrews

©Augusta National Golf Club

©Matt Hooper

Incredibly the view from behind the fourteenth at Augusta and the sixth on the Old Course is almost identical, minus the trees. Both greens have subtle slopes and a high false front, and you could easily transplant the bunkerless 14th at Augusta into a classic links of Scotland.

14th hole, AUGUSTA NATIONAL

ŠAugusta National Golf Club

6th hole, Old Course, St Andrews ŠMatt Hooper

Some of the inspiration from Old to Augusta isn’t that obvious, and much of it is strategic. The 17th at Augusta draws some strategic inspiration from the 14th on the Old Course, with a well-placed mound at the front of the green.

17th hole, AUGUSTA NATIONAL

©Matt Hooper

©Augusta National Golf Club

14th hole, Old Course, St Andrews

The original idea for the club was to have a national membership of invited friends of Bobby and his founding partner Clifford Roberts, of course this has now been expanded to include several high profile members from around the world. The club initially approached the USGA about hosting a US Open but the governing body decided that the extreme summer heat would make this impossible.

So Jones and Clifford devised their own plan to stage an invitational for the best golfers around and the Augusta National Invitational Tournament was born. First played in 1934 with a field of 72 players the tournament quickly rose to prominence in the golfing calendar. Now the only thing as special in golf as The Masters is an Open Championship at St Andrews.

6 years following Jones’ Amateur Championship win at the home of golf he made an impromptu return to St Andrews in 1936 for a social round on the Old Course.

Word quickly spread and thousands gathered around the first tee to welcome Bobby back.

Shops shut spontaneously and as many as 6,000 people followed his every shot around the links.

There is no doubt that Bobby Jones is still the most popular overseas golfer every to step foot in St Andrews.

And this was confirmed in 1958 when he returned with the United States team for the

World Amateur Championship. Unknown to him on arrival Jones was to receive the highest honour he could outside of his native America, Freedom of the Burgh of Fife.

The ceremony took place in Younger Graduation Hall in St Andrews on 9 October 1958. It was at the ceremony that Jones uttered the famous words "I could take out of my life everything except my experiences at St. Andrews, and I would still have had a rich and full life.”

Three cheers for Bobby were sung out by the 1700 people in attendance that day, they had a mutual love and admiration for each other and Jones became one of theirs.

In 2004 a movie depicting the life of Bobby Jones was produced and much of it is set in St Andrews. “Bobby Jones Stroke of Genius” ends with Jones and OB Keeler at the site of what would become Augusta National and Jones saying that it was to be his homage to St Andrews. In 1958, the same year of his Freedom of the town, Jones was awarded the status as Honorary Member of the New Golf Club, following Old Tom Morris and Sandy Herd, preceding Arnold Palmer.

So the links between Augusta National and St Andrews run deep, Jones left his remarkable prints on both the home of golf and the home of what has become the greatest golf tournament in the world.

A look back to the days of Palmer, Player & Nicklaus and a look at the modern big three of Spieth, McIlroy & Day and how the icons of the game always peak at Augusta

By Matt Hooper ŠAndrew Redington/Getty

The Augusta National Invitational was created

by Bobby Jones as a gathering of his golfing friends, many of which were among the best on the planet. Ever since that first edition in 1934 the very best have, for the most part, prevailed over the rest at Augusta.

The Masters has the smallest field of all of the majors, featuring the elite of professional and amateur golf. The Augusta National Golf course is also pretty much the only course used for a major championship which has minimal rough, if any at all.

Despite this it demands perfect execution of all facets of the game, and on this incredible canvas the greatest artists in the game usually paint the most perfect of pictures.

Throughout the history of The Masters, the green jacket has seldom been won by an outsider or a million-to-one shot, like the other three majors have.

Many editions of The Masters have produced epic duels between the greatest players in the world, but perhaps one of the greatest such occasions was the 1965 Masters.

Arnold Palmer, Gary Player and Jack Nicklaus came to Augusta in April 1965 having won the last five Masters titles, and six of the previous seven. They were the greatest golfers in the world, and Augusta was almost their personal playground.

Over the first two days they lived up to their billing, much the same billing has been given

to Spieth, Day and McIlroy this year, and they tied at the top at 6-under-par. The scene was set for one of the great weekends in golf, and it was but only for Nicklaus. The 25-year-old shot a stunning round of 64 to take control on the third day and then powered to a record ninestroke victory in the final round.

Well firstly they have dominated the world number one spot now for the last 88 weeks, each reaching number one a minimum of three times in that period.

His total of 17-under-par eclipsed the previous low mark held by Ben Hogan, and has only since been tied by Raymond Floyd and surpassed by Tiger Woods and Jordan Spieth (-18). It was in many ways the performance which elevated Nicklaus’ career above his great rivals.

But thirdly and most importantly, they all love Augusta National, and like all of the great players, they tend to peak here, despite only one of them winning it.

After the 1965 Masters Palmer never won another major, and Player, although a winner of a further six majors, could never scale the heights reached by Nicklaus.

But that Masters is symptomatic of what Augusta and this tournament is about. The greatest golfers in the world performing on the greatest stage in the world.

Rarely, if ever, does the green jacket get put on the shoulders of a rank outsider, indeed an Amateur has never won the tournament. This is in contrast to all of the other three majors, which have been won by relative unknowns, amateurs and even club professionals.

This year the modern ‘Big Three’ of Jordan Spieth, Jason Day and Rory McIlroy come to Augusta as the standout contenders for the title. Why?

Secondly they have won 7 of the last 19 majors, and five of the last 6.

In 2011 McIlroy dominated for 54 holes, taking a four-stroke lead into Sunday, before a heartbreaking collapse in the final round to finish in a tie for 15th place. However he has come back to perform consistently at Augusta, finishing 8th and 4th in his last two starts.

Jason Day finished second in 2011 and third in 2013, and has shown he has what it takes to contend consistently on this course.

And Jordan Spieth has made the greatest start to a Masters career that has ever been seen.

He tied for second place in 2014 and romped away from the field for his first Major in 2015.

The best quick 1-2 ever seen in sport.

Augusta isn’t the place where a single great player peaks, it tends to be the place where they all peak together. And with the outrageous talents of these three there is little doubt that history can repeat itself on this occasion and on many occasions in the future.

MASTERS RECORD 2014 T-2 2015 CHAMPION

CAREER RECORD 2015 MASTERS & U.S. OPEN CHAMPION WORLD NUMBER 2 HELD #1 for 26 WEEKS 7 PGA TOUR WINS 9 OFFICIAL WINS

©Augusta National

MASTERS RECORD 2011 T-2 2012 Withdrew 2013 3 2014 T-20 2015 T-28

CAREER RECORD 2015 PGA CHAMPION WORLD NUMBER 1 HELD #1 for 6 WEEKS 9 PGA TOUR WINS 11 OFFICIAL WINS

©Montana Pritchard/PGA of America

MASTERS RECORD 2009 T20 2010 CUT 2011 T-15 2012 T-40 2013 T-25 2014 T-8 2015 4

CAREER RECORD 2011 U.S. OPEN, 2012 & 2014 PGA AND 2014 OPEN CHAMPION WORLD NUMBER 3 HELD #1 for 95 WEEKS 11 PGA TOUR WINS 18 OFFICIAL WINS

©OMEGA Ltd

Can Fowler, Watson, Johnson, Rose and co. cause an upset in the year’s first major?

By Matt Hooper ©Dan Perry/Flickr

MASTERS RECORD 2011 T-38 2012 T-27 2013 T-38 2014 T-5 2015 T-12

CAREER RECORD 3 PGA TOUR WINS One of the reasons why the 80th Masters is so highly anticipated is not just because of the so-called Big Three, it is because of the form of the chasing pack.

6 OFFICIAL WINS

Rickie Fowler, Bubba Watson, Adam Scott, Branden Grace, Louis Oosthuizen, Charl Schwartzel, Danny Willett and Jason Dufner have all won somewhere in the world this year, to name but a few.

Many of those names have tremendous records around Augusta, and if they continue their form from the season so far this week truly could be spectacular.

ŠRolex/Chris Turvey

MASTERS RECORD 2008 T-20 2009 42 2011 T-38 2012 CHAMPION 2013 T-50 2014 CHAMPION 2015 T-38

CAREER RECORD 2012 & 2014 MASTERS CHAMPION 9 PGA TOUR WINS 10 OFFICIAL WINS

MASTERS RECORD 2009 T-30 2010 T-38 2011 T-38 2013 T-13 2014 CUT 2015 T-6

CAREER RECORD 9 PGA TOUR WINS 9 OFFICIAL WINS

©Omar Rawlings/Flickr

MASTERS RECORD 2003 T-39 2004 T-22 2007 T-5 2008 T-36 2009 T-20 2011 T-11 2012 T-8 2013 T-25 2014 T-14 2015 T-2

CAREER RECORD 2013 U.S. OPEN CHAMPION 7 PGA TOUR WINS 15 OFFICIAL WINS

©ESPN Images/Phil Ellsworth

MASTERS RECORD 2005 CUT 2006 T-32 2007 CHAMPION 2008 T-20 2009 CUT 2010 42 2011 CUT 2012 T-32 2013 T-35 2014 CUT 2015 T-9

CAREER RECORD 2007 MASTERS & 2015 OPEN CHAMPION 12 PGA TOUR WINS 13 OFFICIAL WINS

©Keith Allison/Flickr

MASTERS RECORD 2002 T-9 2003 T-23 2004 CUT 2005 T-33 2006 T-27 2007 T-27 2008 T-25 2009 CUT 2010 T-18 2011 T-2 2012 T-8 2013 CHAMPION 2014 T-14 2015 T-38

CAREER RECORD 2013 MASTERS CHAMPION HELD #1 FOR 11 WEEKS 13 PGA TOUR WINS 29 OFFICIAL WINS ©Rolex/Chris Turvey

MASTERS RECORD 2015 T-38

CAREER RECORD 4 EUROPEAN TOUR WINS

©Omega Dubai Desert Classic

MASTERS RECORD 2013 T-18 2014 CUT 2015 CUT

CAREER RECORD 7 EUROPEAN TOUR WINS 10 OFFICIAL WINS

©CBQM

MASTERS RECORD 2009 CUT 2010 CUT 2011 CUT 2012 2 – Lost in play-off 2013 CUT 2014 25 2015 T-19

CAREER RECORD 2010 OPEN CHAMPION Runner-up in 2012 Masters and 2015 Open in play-offs 8 EUROPEAN TOUR WINS 13 OFFICIAL WINS

©Tour Pro Golf Clubs

2016 MASTERS ODDS JASON DAY 7-1 Rory McIlroy 17-2 Jordan Spieth 10-1 Bubba Watson 10-1 Adam Scott 12-1 Rickie Fowler 16-1 Dustin Johnson 18-1 Phil Mickelson 20-1

Justin Rose 25-1 Russell Knox 300-1

ŠRyan Schrelber/Flickr

ŠOliver Gunning/Flickr

The New Golf Club of St Andrews is fortunate enough to count 4-time Masters champion Arnold Palmer, and Augusta National Golf Club founder Bobby Jones as two of its four honorary members. As such the club is linked to the world’s most beautiful golf course and one of the world’s most prestigious clubs.

It came about because my father (Orthopaedic Surgeon, now retired) was giving a lecture in Charlotte, North Carolina. His friend Dr Ed Hanley is an

“

Ed's best friend and golfing partner at Quail Hollow was the former Secretary of Augusta National, a chap called Jay Johnson (not to be confused with Hootie) who at that time was in his early 80s but is now sadly deceased.

So we drove down to Augusta and were guests of the Secretary for the day. Customary proceedings are you play the big course and stay in a cabin overnight on day one with dinner in the clubhouse.

Last May its annual club championship was won by Mark Dickson, in 2008 Mark fulfilled the dream of most golfers and played Augusta National. Over the next 25 pages he guides us through this golfing heaven on earth, and shares his incredible experiences.

For most people getting some money, new golf clubs or even a car for their 25th birthday would be cause for excitement, so you can imagine just how excited I was when my father told me that we were going to play Augusta!

first afternoon (This truly is a superb course).

Then on day two play the par 3 course before going home.

eminent Orthopaedic Surgeon in Charlotte and a member of Quail Hollow.”

“We therefore based ourselves in Charlotte and played Quail Hollow on the

However on this occasion, Arnie (i.e. Palmer - Jay's best pal from university days at Wake Forest) was coming to Augusta to be Jay's guest so we weren't able to stay overnight.

Fancy that - ousted by the King himself!

”

“

Driving down Magnolia Lane was an unimaginable experience. Time stood still for the 30 seconds or so it took to drive down it.

That is, after you have the customary passport check at the main gate. Once security are satisfied - you are permitted to cruise down the tunnel created by magnolias towards the gleaming yellow of sun creeping through at the clubhouse end.

It was the realisation of a lifetime dream ever since my father bought me a copy of 'Best shots of the Masters' on VHS in 1990 when I was 7.

I must have watched that video 200 times.

I knew every hole and every winner of the tournament dating back to 1974. I had the feeling it was going to be the best day of my life.

�

“

When we reached Founders Circle, at the end of Magnolia Lane, and saw the clubhouse I was thinking I've reached the Holy Grail - it doesn't get any better than this for a golfer

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©Daimler Media

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Dad, Ed Hanley and I were the 3 playing members of the group. The fourth, Jay, came round with us in a buggy. He had a shoulder injury which prevented him from playing. We all had caddies, decked out in their famous white boiler suits and my dad's caddie had caddied in 25 Masters. We arrived at the range, hit some balls and then we met our caddies before walking through to the first tee.

I made my way through the archway of the clubhouse to the golf course and walked into the vast expanse of green. I had no idea quite how much sprawling meadow there was between all the holes. As I made my way to the practice putting green, I was able to pick out certain parts of the course - the approach up to the 9th green from the fairway below and the 1st tee shot. Then the 18th green came creeping into view followed by the glorious view that is the 10th fairway from the tee with the hundred foot pines in the background. At that point I realised I was completely by myself in this hallowed arena.

So I putted for 5 minutes in wonderment at my surroundings. Then an elderly chap came ambling over to the first tee - he was part of the group ahead of ours. He and I exchanged pleasantries. He was keen to hear I was a former student of St Andrews University and when I asked him what he did for a living he said he was the owner of the Pittsburgh Steelers. Fair play.

When it was our turn to stand on the first tee I thought of all the greats of the game that had stood there before me. In what was quite a surreal experience it was one of the few occasions where I felt utterly nerveless on a first tee and totally in control. So I smashed the ball past the bunker on the corner of the fairway and we were underway.

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1st Tea Olive Par 4 445 yards The first hole is a slight dogleg to the right and plays uphill, the best way to play the hole is to use a driver/3wood off the tee up the left side with a slight fade. This will eliminate the fairway bunker and leave a straightforward mid iron approach to the green. It is potentially a birdie hole but you must avoid the sand - some of the longer hitters will simply carry the bunker.

I hit solid driver down left half of fairway leaving 130 yard wedge to the green, which pitched straight over the flag, then trickled off the back and into the hollow beyond the green. I managed to get up and down for the par.

2nd Pink Dogwood Par 3 575 yards The second hole is a downhill, dogleg right par five which may be reachable in two for the longer hitters. The big hitters will enjoy this tee shot as it presents the chance to curl one round the corner of the dog leg and leave a long iron to the green.

You must avoid the well placed bunker at driving distance on the right side of the fairway. The back left pin is harder to access and you must miss on the correct side. If the pin is in the back left your miss must be to the right.

I hit a good drive just left of the bunkers, drawing down the hill. This left me 4 iron from 215yds downhill to what is arguably one of the finest vistas on the course, onto the front portion of the green. I then lagged the first putt up the hill to the Sunday back right pin position, but, suddenly struck with the realisation that this was a chance to make my first birdie at Augusta National, powered the 4 footer through the break and settled for the par.

3rd Flowering Peach Par 4 350 yards The third hole is a classic short par four, with a small elevated treacherous green.

Some players will try to get as close to the green from the tee as they can but this might be at the expense of sufficient spin to control their next shot.

So with a front pin, some players might lay back to their preferred wedge yardage and try to make a 3 that way. If the pin is at the back this gives more scope for driver and a pitch.

I hit driver leaving a short pitch to the flag in the back right portion, and made a twoputt par.

4th Flowering Crab Apple The fourth hole is a brute of a par 3, and pays homage to the 11th on the Old Course in St Andrews. It has a large green with large undulations and has 2 tiers.

The main challenge is the wind, which can change at any moment, it swirls a lot on this particular part of the course.

I played a well struck 4 iron 220yds to the top tier, the pin was on the front right of the green in the lower level. I made a good two-putt down the hill for par.

Par 3 240 yards

5th Magnolia

Par 4 455 yards The fifth is one of the unsung holes at Augusta. It is a magnificent dog leg left par four with deep bunkers on the left side of the dogleg. It has a large sloping green with a back bunker for bold approach shots.

Par is a great score here. You should play the driver out to the right with a slight draw then hit the green, trying to leave yourself with an uphill putt.

I hit a long drive into perfect position, then went against the caddie's advice to float a wedge in and opted for a running pitch, which duly ran through into the back bunker. I was unable to get up and down, and made my first bogey.

6th Juniper Par 3 180 yards This is a beautiful downhill par 3 which requires short to medium iron off the tee.

The green has a huge spine diagonally through it from front to back separating two tiers, the high tier is to the back right, low tier front left. When the pin is back right it is a very small target.

Distance control is key here.

I hit a 7 iron to the back of the green and took two putts for a par.

7th Pampas

Par 4 450 yards One of the most controversial changes at Augusta over the years has come at the 7th, extending now to 450 yards. It is a very tight tee shot and if you miss the fairway here it is one of the toughest par 4s on the course.

You need to get a long drive away here to leave a mid to short iron to an elevated green surrounded by bunkers. Some pros might sacrifice 20-25 yards just to get it in play with their 3 wood. Accuracy is key and if you miss the fairway, 6 could be on the cards.

We played from the forward tees, and I hit driver, leaving a short pitch to 6 feet, and my putt horseshoed out for the birdie, resulting in another par.

8th Yellow Jasmine The second par five at Augusta plays uphill with a late dog leg left. You need to avoid the fairway bunker off the tee then it is all uphill to a long kidney shaped green.

You don’t want to miss the green left, it will leave a very hard up and down.

Unfortunately I pulled drive into trees left, but managed to make a good 1 iron escape shot to right side - almost over to the 9th fairway, then hit a solid 60 yard pitch and took two putts for an adventurous par five.

Par 5 570 yards

9th Carolina Cherry Par 4 460 yards The ninth hole is a dogleg left par four and plays downhill. Invariably the approach will be it from a steep downslope – we all remember Greg Norman catching his approach heavy and the ball coming up short and spinning off the front. You must carry the ball beyond the pin to ensure you are putting for your third! A 5 here could be a momentum killer heading into the back 9.

I hit a great drive onto the flat part of the fairway leaving a 9 iron up the hill to 18 feet beyond the hole, then made nice twoputt par.

10th Camellia This is the most beautiful driving hole on the course with the tall pines in the background. Most players will favour a right to left shot with a 3 wood as they want to avoid hitting through the fairway into Bubba territory. Then it is a mid-iron off a slightly uphill lie into a long thin green. Distance control is important unless you are comfortable with a 90 foot putt like the one Crenshaw drained in 1984.

I continued the good driving display – with the driver drawing round the corner into perfect position. I hit a lovely Pitching Wedge from 140 yards to the back of the green, the pin was in the back centre then drained a side-hill, left to right twelve footer for the birdie. My first birdie at Augusta!

Par 4 495 yards

11th White Dogwood Par 4

505 yards This is a long hole at over 500 yards and a good drive leaves you with a mid to long iron into a well-protected green with water always in your mind. A four here will generally make progress against the field.

I smashed a drive over the top of the hill, leaving an 8 iron to back of green. The pin was at the front right, and I drained the 30 foot sidewinder for another birdie. Having just glimpsed amen corner for the first time, the adrenaline was now pumping

12th Golden Bell Par 3 155 yards The twelfth is the hardest 155 or so yards in all of golf. Judging the wind is tricky, the flags on 11 and 12 often blow in opposite directions.

The green is wafer thin and sits obliquely from front left to back right. I suggest aim for the middle of the green and play the yardage.

And don't be tempted by the Sunday pin!

I played a cautious and little bit nervy 8 iron to the front edge of the green and made a cagey 2 putt for the par 3.

Phew! Absolutely delighted.

A photo on the Hogan bridge is compulsory !

13th Azalea Par 5 510 yards The thirteenth is another superb risk reward hole. It features a 90 degree dog leg left with Rae's creek in play off the tee and with all approach shots as it winds its way up the left side of the hole and in front of the green.

The approach, unless you're Bubba, will be off a difficult uphill lie (for right handers) in the fairway which complicates matters.

The green is well surrounded by bunkers too. A par might see you lose ground in the final reckoning.

Blocked the driver into the pine straw.

Then enjoyed the walk over the Nelson Bridge to the fairway. I went for it Mickelson style out of the straw with a 1 iron, into Rae's creek. Then made a good up and down for the par 5.

14th Chinese Fir Par 4 440 yards There aren’t any bunkers on this challenging dog leg right to left but it features probably the most undulating green on the course. It has terracing down sharply from left to right with a steep false front. My tip - don't hit it into the hospitality area in the right hand forest. Most players will hit a 3 wood off the tee into position for a short iron approach I blocked the driver right into the forest, which sadly resulted in a lost ball! Then made a par with the second ball after a good 3 wood, 8 iron and two putt up the slope to the back left pin. I made 6.

Disaster!

15th Firethorn Par 5 530 yards This is a straight par 5 reachable in two for most players. The lay-up will leave an extremely difficult pitch from a steep downslope to an elevated green.

Conversely the chip from the back of green is no gimme with the green sloping sharply from back to front. A par here might see you lose ground on the leaders on Sunday.

I smashed a drive down the left side, leaving me slightly blocked out by the trees. My second was a 3 wood which drew over the back of the green. I played a nice flop shot to 10 feet but frustratingly me putt lipped out and I had to take the par.

I especially enjoyed walking over the Sarazen Bridge to the green here at 15, dedicated to the man who hit 'the shot heard round the world' in 1935.

16th Redbud This picturesque par 3 has a large pond to the left side of the hole throughout its 170 or so yards. The green features a large slope separating a small right upper tier from a large lower tier. This hole has been responsible for many Masters Memories, such as Nicklaus’ long putt in ’75, his birdie in ’86 and Woods’ chip in in 2005.

I hit a nice fading 6-iron to 12 feet, and rolled in the putt for a third birdie of the round. What a feeling!

Par 3 170 yards

17th Nandina

Par 4 440 yards With Eisenhower’s tree no longer in play this tee shot is straightforward leaving a mid to short iron to a large green.

Approaches leaked to the right will funnel into the run off area and leave a difficult up and down. The hole features a fast green which slopes from back to front.

I hit a good drive past Ike's tree, and played a wedge onto the front portion and spun off the green. I managed to get up and down for the par.

18th Holly The home hole features a very narrow tee shot through the chute of trees which will generally favour a slight fade. You must avoid the two bunkers in the fairway set at driving distance. Then you face the famous approach into the two tiered green.

Your second shot must find the correct tier here and plays all uphill. It is hard to believe the sheer elevation change rising up to the 18th green - TV does not do this justice. It can be a birdie hole if you find the fairway.

We played off the forward tees here - so smashed the driver Woosie style (1991 final round) over the bunkers into the vast expanse of fairway beyond. I then played a 9 iron to the back tier, and took two putts for the par and a round of 72.

What a thrill to play so well around this iconic golf course, I shall take the birdies at 10, 11 and 16 to the grave with me. An incredible experience.

Par 4 465 yards

Following the round we retired to the clubhouse for a quick pint of Sweetwater and the famous Augusta National southern fried chicken.

We were then given a tour of the clubhouse from the secretary starting with the Crow's Nest, followed by the Champions' Locker Room where I was able to peer inside Jack's and Tiger's lockers, among others, and see their very own Augusta green jackets hanging within.

Then on to the large room upstairs in the clubhouse where President Eisenhower's table from his White House office is housed.

Finally a trip into the dining room to see Bobby Jones' winning set of clubs from his completion of the Grand Slam in 1930.

The only club missing was Calamity Jane, his putter, which I went on to see at Peachtree some years later.

Finally a tour of the new driving range with the secretary in his personal buggy and a beer with the caddies in the new caddie shack recently constructed.

This truly was an experience of a lifetime and something I will cherish for the rest of my golfing days.

Much of the hype heading into Augusta this year surrounds the so-called Big Three of Jordan Spieth, Rory McIlroy and world number one Jason Day. But the 2016 Masters will also be special this year because it marks the 30th anniversary of the first publication of the Official World Golf Rankings. Originally known as the Sony Rankings, they were the brainchild of the godfather of the original Big Three, Mark McCormack.

McCormack, the first major sports agent in the world, launched his IMG Empire by signing Arnold Palmer, and then followed this by signing Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player. McCormack is one of the most significant individuals in shaping the world of professional golf which we see today.

In 1961 he first published the World of Professional Golf, a yearly golf annual which still retains popularity to this day. It is the ‘Rothmans’ of golf, if you like. Inside he devised a World Rating System, to rank the world’s leading 25 golfers each year.

This system was based over three years, with the most recent years carrying more significance. His system was unique in the game, and awarded points for high finishes in tournaments right across the world, not just in America.

The rankings accurately reflected the best player for the year and the best player in the world, over a period of time.

The rankings were, albeit unofficial, the comprehensive guide to the greatest golfers in the world, and they prompted the R&A to look at their exemption criteria, and what they could do to enhance the field of The Open Championship.

In 1986 the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews officially launched the World Golf Rankings, primarily as a way of determining the field for The Open. Sony came on board as title sponsors and on 6th April the first set of rankings were published. Heading into the 1986 Masters Tournament the first official world number one was Germany’s Bernhard Langer.

Langer had won the 1985 Masters and 2 additional tournaments in Europe, as well as the Sea Pines Heritage on the PGA Tour.

Seve Ballesteros and Sandy Lyle filled the number two and three spots, and the likes of Tom Watson and Greg Norman were also in the first ever world top 10. That week Jack Nicklaus was ranked 33rd in the world, of course he went on to stun the world and win a sixth Masters title. He overcame both Seve and Norman on a thrilling Sunday at Augusta. The 1986

tournament was validation of the world rankings, with 2 of the world’s top 6 featuring heavily in the first major of the year.

Norman went on to win The Open that summer, and take a grip on world number one for over 12 months from September.

10 years later the rankings came under the control of the newly formed International Federation of PGA Tours, renamed as the Official World Golf Ranking.

The system has evolved over thirty years, and there has been some controversy over various number ones and changes on the list, but invariably the ranking doesn’t lie. In the era of Tiger Woods’ domination there was little doubt he was the number one, and the ranking accurately emphasized by how much the 14-time major champion was better than the rest.

An even more glowing compliment to the world ranking system is that 28 of the last 30 Masters have been won by a player ranked among the top fifty in the world.

This shows how accurate and relevant the system is in modern professional golf.

It is something we have Mark McCormack to thank for and something which the world of golf should celebrate this spring.

World Number One’s at The Masters

2007 Tiger Woods

T2

1997

Tiger Woods (13)

1986 Bernhard Langer

T16

2008 Tiger Woods

2

1998

Mark O’Meara (14)

1987 Greg Norman

T2

2009 Tiger Woods

T6

1999

Jose Maria Olazabal (34)

1988 Greg Norman

T5

2010 Tiger Woods

T4

2000

Vijay Singh (8)

1989 Seve Ballesteros

5th

2011 Martin Kaymer

CUT

2001

Tiger Woods (1)

1990 Greg Norman

CUT

2012 Luke Donald

T32

2002

Tiger Woods (1)

1991 Ian Woosnam

WIN

2013 Tiger Woods

T4

2003

Mike Weir (10)

1992 Fred Couples

WIN

2014 Tiger Woods

DNP

2004

Phil Mickelson (8)

1993 Nick Faldo

T39

2015 Rory McIlroy

4th

2005

Tiger Woods (2)

1994 Greg Norman

T18

2006

Phil Mickelson (4)

1995 Nick Price

CUT

Masters champions of the World Ranking era

2007

Zach Johnson (56)

1996 Greg Norman

2nd

1986

Jack Nicklaus (33)

2008

Trevor Immelman (29)

1997 Greg Norman

CUT

1987

Larry Mize (36)

2009

Angel Cabrera (69)

1998 Tiger Woods

T8

1988

Sandy Lyle (3)

2010

Phil Mickelson (3)

1999 David Duval

T6

1989

Nick Faldo (5)

2011

Charl Schwartzel (29)

2000 Tiger Woods

T5

1990

Nick Faldo (2)

2012

Bubba Watson (16)

2001 Tiger Woods

WIN

1991

Ian Woosnam (1)

2013

Adam Scott (7)

2002 Tiger Woods

WIN

1992

Fred Couples (1)

2014

Bubba Watson (12)

2003 Tiger Woods

T15

1993

Bernhard Langer (5)

2015

Jordan Spieth (4)

2004 Tiger Woods

T22

1994

Jose Maria Olazabal (10)

World Number 1

4/30

2005 Vijay Singh

T5

1995

Ben Crenshaw (33)

Top 10

18/30

2006 Tiger Woods

T3

1996

Nick Faldo (9)

Top 50

28/30

The world in 1986 Margaret Thatcher was UK Prime Minister

Soviet Union launches Mir Space Station

PIXAR animation studios open in California

World Cup in Mexico featuring the ‘hand of god’ and ‘goal of the century’ by Maradona First broadcast of the Oprah Winfrey Show The Challenger Disaster Channel Tunnel announced Unemployment in the UK rises to 3.2million British Gas is privatised

Cary Grant died

Greg Norman wins The Open at Turnberry

Lady Gaga was born

Ronald Reagan was US President

British Prison Riots

Usain Bolt was born Top Gun released

Introduction of the GCSE to English schools

First UK broadcast of Neighbours on BBC1

Nigel Mansell wins British Grand Prix

Liverpool beat Everton 3-1 to win FA Cup

Jack Nicklaus wins The Masters

Opening of the M25

Alex Ferguson appointed Manchester United Manager

Alain Prost defeats Mansell by just 2 points to win F1 World Championship

Liverpool win the double for the first time in their history, also winning the league championship for a 16th time Raymond Floyd wins the US Open at Shinnecock Hills Ivan Lendl wins Roland Garros

Bob Tway wins the PGA Championship

Boris Becker wins Wimbledon

Ivan Lendl wins US Open

Guide to

coverage of The Masters

Monday 4 April, 5pm

Tuesday 5 April, 2pm

ON THE RANGE

ON THE RANGE

Sunday 3 April, 2pm 5.30pm

Wednesday 6 April, 2pm

7pm

ON THE RANGE

PAR 3 CONTEST

Masters Special: Nicklaus ‘86

Masters Special: The Rise of Jordan Spieth

Monday 4 April, 8pm Masters Special: Drive, Chip and Putt 11pm 11.30pm

Thursday 7 April, 7pm

Friday 8 April, 9am

THE MASTERS DAY 1

Masters Breakfast

Masters Films: 1987 The Magnificent Masters, 1975

Tuesday 5 April, 6am

Masters Films: 1989

7am

Masters Films: 1996

12pm

Masters Films: 2004

1pm

Masters Films: 2012

7pm

Saturday 9 April, 9am

6pm

Masters Films: 1980

THE MASTERS DAY 2

Masters Breakfast

6.30pm

Masters Films: 1983

7pm

Masters Films: 1998

8pm

Masters Films: 2002

Wednesday 6 April, 6am

Masters Films: 1990

7am

Masters Films: 1997

8am

Masters Films: 2011

9am

Masters Films: 2005

7pm

8pm

THE MASTERS DAY 3

THE MASTERS DAY 3

Sunday 10 April, 9am

6pm

10am

Masters Films: 1985

Masters Breakfast

THE MASTERS DAY 4

10.30am

Masters Films: 1988

11am

Masters Films: 2007

5pm

Inside The PGA Tour

5.30pm

European Tour weekly

10.30pm

Masters Films: 2015

6.30pm

Monday 11 April, 7pm

THE MASTERS DAY 4

HOW THE MASTERS WAS WON

Guide to

coverage of The Masters

Monday 4 April, 10pm 2016 MASTERS PREVIEW

Tuesday 5 April, 1.15pm OFFICIAL MASTERS FILM 2015

Wednesday 6 April, 11.45pm (Scotland) 2016 MASTERS PREVIEW

Thursday 7 April, 9pm THE MASTERS DAY 1

Friday 8 April, 6.30pm

9pm

MASTERS DAY 1 HIGHLIGHTS

THE MASTERS DAY 2

Saturday 9 April, 1.30pm

7.30pm

THE MASTERS DAY 2 HIGHLIGHTS

THE MASTERS DAY 3

9pm THE MASTERS DAY 3

Sunday 10 April, 6.30pm

9pm

THE MASTERS DAY 4

THE MASTERS DAY 4

St Andrews Golf Magazine