It’s been 29 years since Sandy Lyle won the Masters. It didn’t feel that way after Friday’s second round at Augusta National (writes Dan Kilbridge, Golfweek).
“It feels like an eternity right now,” Lyle said with a laugh. “But it’s gone very quickly. It’s frightening to think that (next year will be) my 30th Masters playing since I won it. That’s my 37th year actually playing in the Masters. It’s gone very quickly, but that’s a good sign you’ve enjoyed the experience. It’s kicked my butt many-a-times, but I’ve kicked its butt many of these times. At least once, anyway.”
Fellow Scotsman Russell Knox hasn’t yet had the pleasure, missing the cut in his second Masters appearance at 8 over.
“My putter just let me down again,” said Knox, who birdied three of his last four holes to shoot 4-over 76 Friday. “The course is so hard and so difficult, I just wasn’t able to get any momentum going. … I had so many chances for birdie or for par to really kind of get things going and I just wasn’t able to make them. (But) I didn’t play poorly.”
Knox chipped in for par at No. 17 after two straight birdies and nearly holed out with a 6-iron on No. 18.
“Tee-to-green, of course I don’t have it (all) figured out, but both years tee-to-green I’ve definitely played well enough to make the cut,” Knox said. “It just sucks.”
Significant wind gusts again played a factor Friday and Lyle’s driver wasn’t very cooperative. Lyle finished 15-over and shot 8-over 80 on Friday to miss the cut. Lyle was just 9 over for the week through 10 Friday, but the always-difficult par-4 11th hole was in particular butt-kicking form.
“The 11th hole was just a horror story,” said Lyle, who made a quintuple-bogey 9. “Poor tee shot, back into the trees. Chip out, then go into the water with, whatever it was, the fifth shot, then a quick nine. Boom, boom, boom, just like that.”
The 1988 Masters champion was one of several players who saw the whipping winds at Augusta National get the better of him. Lyle said it’s been quite a few years since he’s seen the course play this difficult.
“Tough day at the office, but it’s tough for everybody out there right now,” Lyle said. “The driving probably cost me dearly today and over the last two days. I drove the ball so well last year here. … (This year), wrong place, wrong time, and I never had any kind of feeling playing a nice second shot.”
Lyle will be back to play and celebrate the 30th year anniversary of his major victory here next spring. In that regard, Knox knows he has a long way to go.
“I’ve played with Sandy a couple times back at home,” Knox said. “He’s such a great guy and he can still play. It’s great that a Scotsman was able to win it. Hopefully I can make the weekend first, and then contend.”
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