Once Seve had opened the door to European success at Augusta in 1980, the continent enjoyed a steady stream of victories over the ensuing 13 years, with all other members of Europe's 'big five' of the 1980s and early 1990s (Sandy Lyle, Nick Faldo, lan Woosnam and Bernhard Langer) getting in on the Green Jacket action.
As the 1990s progressed, another young Spaniard, with Seve as mentor and friend, sparked talk of the 'big five' now being a 'big six'. Jose Maria Olazabal already had ten European Tour titles to his name when he teed it up at Augusta in April 1991. Four days later, only a final-hole bogey stood between him and Woosnam's winning score - an agonising near miss that merely served to strengthen his belief that he, too, could join them.
Three years later, he did just that, before a career-threatening medical condition derailed him just as he was hitting his prime. All of which made his second victory in 1999 such a memorable and emotional one. Augusta National clearly holds a very special place in his heart, and here, in his own words, the two-time champion shares some of his behind-the-scenes thoughts and memories about the course and the tournament...
Unrivalled beauty
Denne historien er fra April 2023-utgaven av Golf Monthly.
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Denne historien er fra April 2023-utgaven av Golf Monthly.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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My golfing year
Rob Smith looks back on his packed 2024 diary and reflects on the many and varied adventures of a dedicated golf course writer
Clubs with two 18-hole courses
Each of these venues is home to two fine and occasionally very different layouts
Blackmoor
The A3/M3 corridor heading south-west out of London is graced with many cracking heather-lined courses that rank among the best in the country.
How should I adjust for compacted sand?
At this time of year, we face a lot of bunker shots from compacted sand and need to make the necessary adjustments to change how the club enters the sand.
Johannes Veerman
The winner of December's Nedbank Golf Challenge shares his thoughts on some of the best ways to lower your scores
PUTTING MATS
While you may think all putting mats are created equal, there are many factors a golfer should consider before taking the plunge, from price and size, to speed and the number of different features a product offers.
OZARKS NATIONAL
This outrageously attractive course, which opened in 2019, is one of five brilliant and very different designs at the expansive Big Cedar Lodge resort in Missouri.
FOR THE LONG RUN"
Ludvig Aberg has made quite a start to his professional career, with his eyes now set on climbing higher still in 2025 following a slight pause for surgery last September
PLAYERS TO WATCH IN 2025
There is perhaps greater strength in depth in both men’s and women’s elite golf today than at any point in time.
A GRAND ESTATE
Goodwood in West Sussex may be steeped in ancestral history, but about 20 years ago it elected to take its golf offering down a very different route...
