When it comes to any and all things Masters, Lee Westwood really does know what he’s talking about. Since his first appearance in 1997, the 48-year-old Englishman – he turns 49 two weeks after this year’s ‘toonamint’ concludes – has done just about everything in golf’s socalled ‘rite of spring.’ Apart from donning golf’s most famous garment, the Green Jacket, of course.
He’s played alongside the best two players of all-time at Augusta National in Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods. And this month he has a chance to surpass both as the oldest player to win the coveted Green Jacket when he makes his 21st start at Augusta National.
Runner-up in 2010 and 2016, the former World No. 1 pulled up third in 2008 and has recorded three other top-ten finishes. Only four times in his 20 previous drives up Magnolia Lane towards the famous clubhouse has he missed the halfway cut..
To discuss all of the above and a bit more, Westwood recently sat down with Golf Australia’s John Huggan to chat about the Masters.
Your Masters debut came in 1997. Everyone talks about how exciting that is. Were you the same?
The first time I went to the Masters was the first time I had ever been to the United States. I played in Cordoba, Argentina two weeks before. It was a tournament organised by Eduardo Romero. Darren (Clarke) and I went down there. Ironically, that was the first time I had ever played with Angel Cabrera, who would go on to win the Masters in 2009.
Anyway, I flew from there to Buenos Aires, then to Sao Paolo. The tournament had finished on the Saturday, so I went to the Brazilian Grand Prix. As you do. One day later, I flew from
