How do you conquer Augusta? Here’s what the Masters favourites say about the greatest test in golf
Nearly a century on from the first Masters tournament, Augusta National remains a true test of psychology, strategy and skill which takes decades to understand
Sitting in a tidy pile at home, Matt Fitzpatrick still has the notebook he used at his first Masters tournament in 2014. During a practice round that year, Justin Rose gave him a little piece of advice: never go flag hunting on the first hole. “Hit it centre of the green and leave yourself 20 feet every time, you’re never going to go wrong,” Fitzpatrick recalls.
“That’s still in my book. ” Fitzpatrick just missed the cut, aged 19, and he’s been on a journey to understand Augusta ’s quirks ever since. Experience is the key that unlocks Augusta National, as a player begins to understand each green’s intricacies, each knuckle, each wrinkle, each innocent crater that carries the ball away into some impossible valley.
There is a reason no debutant has won since Fuzzy Zoeller in 1979, nearly half a century ago. What does it take to win The Masters ? The first hurdle to overcome is the unique psychology of simply playing golf at Augusta.
It has been said to feel almost sacrilegious, hitting drives down hallowed fairways like crashing drums in an ancient cathedral. Strict rules and stiff traditions all add to the tension. Robert MacIntyre said he is still “on edge” walking around the grounds, telling The Guardian : “You walk across certain bits of grass and think: ‘Am I allowed to do this?!
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