1 00:00:03,320 --> 00:00:06,120 Welcome back to Linked by Golf, the podcast exploring the joints 2 00:00:06,120 --> 00:00:09,520 of people linked by the game. I'm your host, Josh McGuire and 3 00:00:09,520 --> 00:00:11,960 the NIST Masters Week episode. I'm thrilled to bring you one of 4 00:00:11,960 --> 00:00:14,720 England's greatest ever amateur golfers, Gary Wilson, home. 5 00:00:14,880 --> 00:00:17,440 Gary takes us through his incredible experience of leading 6 00:00:17,440 --> 00:00:20,000 the Masters, playing alongside Mr. Arnold Palmer. 7 00:00:20,240 --> 00:00:26,360 Let's go over to Gary. Gary Wilson home, Welcome back. 8 00:00:26,480 --> 00:00:29,040 Third time we've caught up and last time we're going to focus 9 00:00:29,040 --> 00:00:32,080 on the Masters. And your Masters appearances 10 00:00:32,080 --> 00:00:34,680 came from one in the the Amateur Championship, which we've talked 11 00:00:34,680 --> 00:00:38,960 about already in a little bit of detail, but obvious talk through 12 00:00:39,240 --> 00:00:42,280 those Masters experiences in 92 and 2004. 13 00:00:42,280 --> 00:00:44,440 Gary, I'm sure the last news would love to hear. 14 00:00:46,080 --> 00:00:50,520 Well, you're now touching on probably my favorite subject. 15 00:00:51,400 --> 00:00:57,920 It's the the best experience that I've ever had, particularly 16 00:00:57,920 --> 00:01:01,120 the first time for lots of different reasons. 17 00:01:01,120 --> 00:01:07,000 But obviously I played for England for the first time in 88 18 00:01:07,120 --> 00:01:15,600 and you know, it was quite a big jump for me to go from somebody 19 00:01:15,600 --> 00:01:19,440 that was just playing for England to now all of a sudden 20 00:01:19,680 --> 00:01:25,120 going into much more loftier circles, particularly, you know, 21 00:01:25,120 --> 00:01:29,240 the Masters Open, things like that, which by winning the 22 00:01:29,240 --> 00:01:36,280 amateur at Ganton allowed me to explore, you know, how good I 23 00:01:36,280 --> 00:01:42,120 could become I suppose, and certainly give me notoriety 24 00:01:42,120 --> 00:01:46,480 etcetera. So it's funny because I just 25 00:01:46,480 --> 00:01:50,240 moved down to Bristol, I was working for a solicitors 26 00:01:50,240 --> 00:01:55,200 practice called Ulsters, which David Powell, who was the head 27 00:01:55,200 --> 00:02:00,240 of the practice, he was a very keen golfer, very keen golfer, 28 00:02:01,160 --> 00:02:04,880 played for Gloucestershire and they've had a Welsh 29 00:02:04,880 --> 00:02:07,320 international, Keith Jones as their number one. 30 00:02:08,639 --> 00:02:11,840 And he decided he was going to turn professional. 31 00:02:12,120 --> 00:02:18,160 And I played David in the Midlands Southwest game and we 32 00:02:18,160 --> 00:02:22,760 chatted, got on very well and he then approached me to say I'd 33 00:02:22,760 --> 00:02:25,680 like to offer you a job at the practice. 34 00:02:27,600 --> 00:02:34,880 You know, it was debt recovery which was amused me because I 35 00:02:35,480 --> 00:02:39,000 really got a great deal of experience on any of those sorts 36 00:02:39,000 --> 00:02:41,480 of aspects. But anyway, down I went to 37 00:02:41,480 --> 00:02:44,600 Bristol and I joined Bristol and Clifton Golf Club. 38 00:02:45,840 --> 00:02:50,800 I was, it was a proper job but I was in England International and 39 00:02:50,800 --> 00:02:56,560 they gave me time off to represent England and obviously 40 00:02:57,000 --> 00:03:01,160 I'd gone up to to Ganton playing quite well. 41 00:03:01,160 --> 00:03:03,760 Great summer course was burnt dry. 42 00:03:04,560 --> 00:03:08,480 So it's helping me because I wasn't the longest but my short 43 00:03:08,480 --> 00:03:12,240 game was was great and the golf course suited me absolutely down 44 00:03:12,240 --> 00:03:17,640 to the ground and things just worked in a way that I've missed 45 00:03:17,640 --> 00:03:20,080 out on. The the Walker Cup selection 46 00:03:20,600 --> 00:03:25,240 that year, which was at Portmanic and Great Britain 47 00:03:25,240 --> 00:03:28,960 Islands, have been beaten fairly soundly with a very strong team 48 00:03:30,680 --> 00:03:33,320 from the US, including Phil Mickelson. 49 00:03:33,920 --> 00:03:42,520 And it was in an era where every sort of other year the the 50 00:03:42,520 --> 00:03:45,120 Amateur Championship was played after the Walker Cup. 51 00:03:45,880 --> 00:03:50,000 So we had actually, for the last time, as it turned out, the 52 00:03:50,280 --> 00:03:54,640 whole of the US Walker Cup team except Phil Mickelson, who'd 53 00:03:54,640 --> 00:04:01,200 gone home to play in some tournaments and there was some 54 00:04:01,200 --> 00:04:03,480 big benefits and there was a little bit of a Hoo ha, because 55 00:04:03,480 --> 00:04:07,760 he, he, I can earn more money at home and he didn't realise that 56 00:04:07,760 --> 00:04:10,240 you're not really allowed to. It was quite funny. 57 00:04:10,600 --> 00:04:15,000 But anyway, well, sort of. But Phil was the only one that 58 00:04:15,000 --> 00:04:18,279 hadn't come across to Ganton from Ireland. 59 00:04:18,680 --> 00:04:27,360 And the way the draw had worked after the stroke play, it meant 60 00:04:27,360 --> 00:04:31,840 that, funnily enough, virtually, virtually all the Americans win 61 00:04:31,840 --> 00:04:34,200 1/2. It's just the way it works 62 00:04:34,200 --> 00:04:36,760 sometimes. So I didn't actually have to 63 00:04:37,280 --> 00:04:39,760 play an American up until the final. 64 00:04:40,440 --> 00:04:46,360 And anyway, to cut a Long story short, I played some sublime 65 00:04:46,360 --> 00:04:49,960 stuff, particularly in the final against Bob May, who was 66 00:04:50,960 --> 00:04:57,520 probably the best American of that that week from the point of 67 00:04:57,520 --> 00:05:01,040 view of the Walker Cup. So it was quite a feather in my 68 00:05:01,040 --> 00:05:05,000 cap, but obviously quite tough for him to keep going for two 69 00:05:05,000 --> 00:05:09,840 whole weeks. And although I went down early, 70 00:05:11,240 --> 00:05:14,360 it I I sort of called my way back and then actually played 71 00:05:14,640 --> 00:05:18,880 probably some of the best golf. I think that the middle eighteen 72 00:05:18,880 --> 00:05:21,640 holes from the 9th in the morning till the 9th in the 73 00:05:21,640 --> 00:05:26,200 afternoon, I, I shot 6 under with a double bogey, which is 74 00:05:26,200 --> 00:05:29,240 quite hard to beat, obviously in match play. 75 00:05:29,760 --> 00:05:34,680 So I then get taken back to the clubhouse. 76 00:05:34,680 --> 00:05:38,400 You know, it starts to dawn on me that I'm getting into the 77 00:05:38,400 --> 00:05:42,520 Masters and I get a bit giddy about it because to be honest, 78 00:05:42,520 --> 00:05:46,720 it's, it's, it's always been the one tournament that to me 79 00:05:48,160 --> 00:05:54,240 romanticized golf at that level. So to get the opportunity and 80 00:05:54,240 --> 00:05:56,960 you've heard the stories of obviously other amateurs that 81 00:05:56,960 --> 00:06:00,040 have been able to, to play the Masters. 82 00:06:00,040 --> 00:06:02,960 And you know, it's that one tournament you see the same 83 00:06:02,960 --> 00:06:06,120 course every year. It's a bit like the players now, 84 00:06:06,120 --> 00:06:09,800 but the Masters always was that that course. 85 00:06:09,800 --> 00:06:14,360 You actually only used to get to see the back nine in those days. 86 00:06:14,360 --> 00:06:18,640 But I just obviously couldn't wait now. 87 00:06:18,640 --> 00:06:23,520 I was then in Bristol. There were various people that I 88 00:06:23,520 --> 00:06:26,800 was associating with. Like there was a guy who was a 89 00:06:26,800 --> 00:06:30,040 travel agent. He got me a business class 90 00:06:30,040 --> 00:06:35,720 flight out to Atlanta. And then because he was 91 00:06:35,720 --> 00:06:39,120 travelling in between Britain and the States quite a lot, he 92 00:06:39,120 --> 00:06:43,200 sort of showed me round. So I I got to see a lot of the 93 00:06:43,200 --> 00:06:47,160 sights and sounds and opportunities to play golf 94 00:06:47,680 --> 00:06:50,760 through him organizing it. So I was very lucky. 95 00:06:51,160 --> 00:06:55,480 You know, we played the Atlanta Athletic Club and we played the 96 00:06:55,480 --> 00:07:02,160 Golf Club at Georgia, which was an amazing 2 course design. 97 00:07:03,520 --> 00:07:07,240 And you know, it was still a new club in those days. 98 00:07:07,240 --> 00:07:09,000 They were building the clubhouse. 99 00:07:09,000 --> 00:07:10,880 But the golf courses were phenomenal. 100 00:07:11,400 --> 00:07:16,000 So I was getting some great golf and then I went to Birmingham, 101 00:07:16,000 --> 00:07:22,920 AL and played Shoal Creek, and I stayed with a fantastic guy, a 102 00:07:22,920 --> 00:07:26,600 real entertainer. So I was hosted by him. 103 00:07:27,440 --> 00:07:32,080 And I can remember the weather hadn't been terribly good that 104 00:07:32,080 --> 00:07:34,160 previous week. And you know, I was sort of 105 00:07:34,160 --> 00:07:37,200 thinking, Oh my God, you know, if it's going to be as hard as 106 00:07:37,200 --> 00:07:39,920 this, I'm going to, you know, basically blow my brains in if 107 00:07:39,920 --> 00:07:45,320 I'm not careful. But loved, loved the whole 108 00:07:45,320 --> 00:07:50,960 experience of the week before getting to Atlanta, seeing bits 109 00:07:50,960 --> 00:07:53,920 of Atlanta doing things that I've never done before because 110 00:07:53,920 --> 00:07:55,960 I've never been to the stage prior to that. 111 00:07:57,040 --> 00:08:00,440 So to get that opportunity, play some of these amazing golf 112 00:08:00,440 --> 00:08:03,120 courses, which obviously you're under a little bit of pressure 113 00:08:03,120 --> 00:08:06,200 to perform as amateur champion, people are expecting it to sort 114 00:08:06,200 --> 00:08:07,840 of RIP it miles and all that sort of thing. 115 00:08:07,840 --> 00:08:14,200 And so I, I loved meeting the, the well to do that were out 116 00:08:14,200 --> 00:08:20,080 there, the people that were obviously, you know, involved 117 00:08:20,080 --> 00:08:23,200 with these clubs and, you know, obviously golf in the states is 118 00:08:23,200 --> 00:08:26,240 hugely expensive. So that that they're always 119 00:08:26,240 --> 00:08:31,080 inviting you to do some amazing things and you know, you, you go 120 00:08:31,080 --> 00:08:32,720 to the best restaurants and everything else. 121 00:08:32,720 --> 00:08:37,480 So it's but it was fantastic. Anyway, I hired a car and drove 122 00:08:37,480 --> 00:08:43,440 down from Birmingham, AL down to Augusta in Georgia. 123 00:08:43,440 --> 00:08:52,840 And of course you you arrive on Washington Rd. and drive up to 124 00:08:52,840 --> 00:08:57,560 the the gate and they've got the guards there, etcetera. 125 00:08:57,600 --> 00:09:02,080 And you know, Atlanta, sorry, Augusta is not the most lubrious 126 00:09:02,120 --> 00:09:05,000 of, of towns, or it wasn't in those days. 127 00:09:06,160 --> 00:09:11,560 And so you go from sort of you're sort of looking around 128 00:09:11,560 --> 00:09:13,280 thinking really Guster's here, really. 129 00:09:14,400 --> 00:09:16,560 And then you go into the driveway and there's this 130 00:09:16,560 --> 00:09:19,480 wonderful, you know, sort of hedge. 131 00:09:19,560 --> 00:09:22,920 And then you've got the gates and you drive up to the gates 132 00:09:22,920 --> 00:09:25,920 and yes, kind of help me. And he says I'm playing in the 133 00:09:25,920 --> 00:09:31,200 Masters and they check you off. And I always said to myself that 134 00:09:31,200 --> 00:09:34,160 I would drive very slowly down Magnolia Lane. 135 00:09:36,040 --> 00:09:39,680 And that's exactly what I did. You know, I, I, I drove very 136 00:09:39,680 --> 00:09:42,160 slowly. If anyone had been following me, 137 00:09:42,160 --> 00:09:46,360 they'd been wanting to overtake. But, umm, it, it had this sort 138 00:09:46,360 --> 00:09:52,360 of, umm, arboreal sort of tunnel of trees, Uh, and then you could 139 00:09:52,360 --> 00:09:54,880 see that sort of light at the end of the tunnel, which I'm 140 00:09:54,880 --> 00:09:56,880 sure is something that they try to do. 141 00:09:57,360 --> 00:10:00,640 And there is a roundabout which is very unusual in America, 142 00:10:00,640 --> 00:10:05,080 certainly in those days. And it has this fantastic 143 00:10:05,080 --> 00:10:09,160 planting of the Augusta logo on this roundabout with a flag. 144 00:10:09,160 --> 00:10:13,960 And then you see the the white sort of colonial clubhouse, 145 00:10:13,960 --> 00:10:19,320 which is absolutely pristine. There is the one thing I will 146 00:10:19,320 --> 00:10:23,320 always remember about Augusta is that there's never anything out 147 00:10:23,320 --> 00:10:25,160 of place. There's hardly a leaf out of 148 00:10:25,160 --> 00:10:29,800 place. In fact, you know when my boss 149 00:10:30,080 --> 00:10:36,080 David, he invited me down to come to Bristol etcetera, he 150 00:10:36,080 --> 00:10:40,080 said when I won the Amateur, he said yes, I'll let you go to 151 00:10:40,320 --> 00:10:44,080 play in the Masters so long as I can carry for you. 152 00:10:45,160 --> 00:10:48,160 Good deal. Well, he's a good player so I 153 00:10:48,160 --> 00:10:49,760 mean, it wasn't going to be an issue. 154 00:10:49,760 --> 00:10:54,960 So he was going to turn up on the Sun Sunday. 155 00:10:54,960 --> 00:11:00,840 I think he turned up. And so I'd arrived Friday and I 156 00:11:00,840 --> 00:11:03,560 was staying with a family down in Martinez, which is not very 157 00:11:03,560 --> 00:11:05,680 far away. So it didn't cost me anything. 158 00:11:05,680 --> 00:11:08,240 So I was very lucky. And again, that was through 159 00:11:08,240 --> 00:11:14,040 somebody I've met and his wife, his, his, her family lived in 160 00:11:14,040 --> 00:11:16,720 Martinez. So it was a very convenient 161 00:11:16,720 --> 00:11:21,200 again. And so anyway, I've driven down 162 00:11:21,200 --> 00:11:27,680 to the clubhouse and I've signed in and I'm signed in #2 so I was 163 00:11:27,680 --> 00:11:31,640 the first person because number one goes to the previous winner, 164 00:11:32,200 --> 00:11:34,000 right? Your badge number that is. 165 00:11:34,600 --> 00:11:39,240 So I've got my badge number #2 I've signed in and I'm obviously 166 00:11:39,240 --> 00:11:44,560 the first person there. And so you, you get your keys to 167 00:11:44,560 --> 00:11:48,120 your car. I had a car which was a Cadillac 168 00:11:48,120 --> 00:11:51,280 Eldorado, red leather everything. 169 00:11:51,480 --> 00:11:56,480 And it must have been, I can't imagine how powerful the engine 170 00:11:56,480 --> 00:12:02,280 was, but when you consider that I had a light blue Astra, voxel 171 00:12:02,280 --> 00:12:05,880 Astra, this car was absolutely extraordinary. 172 00:12:06,080 --> 00:12:09,120 Now, apparently they auctioned these cars at the end of the 173 00:12:09,120 --> 00:12:12,280 week, and you could probably pick up one of these Cadillac 174 00:12:12,280 --> 00:12:16,240 Eldorado for about $18,000. And I was thinking, Oh my God, 175 00:12:16,240 --> 00:12:19,720 just imagine I could get this. It would cost me some money to 176 00:12:19,720 --> 00:12:22,920 get it shipped home, but I reckon I could. 177 00:12:23,040 --> 00:12:27,040 I could probably sell it for about $40,000 because at least 178 00:12:27,280 --> 00:12:32,440 because of the fact that it's what it was, it was a car for 179 00:12:32,800 --> 00:12:34,840 the masters. Yeah, absolutely. 180 00:12:34,840 --> 00:12:39,640 Anyway, so I said, look, is it possible to get a caddy please? 181 00:12:40,240 --> 00:12:47,440 And I get to allotted one of the the black caddies that Augustus 182 00:12:47,440 --> 00:12:51,120 famed for and he was absolutely brilliant. 183 00:12:51,120 --> 00:12:53,280 His name was Washington or never forget. 184 00:12:53,680 --> 00:12:56,680 He was absolutely a mind of information. 185 00:12:56,680 --> 00:13:01,720 He was brilliant. And had had I been given the 186 00:13:01,720 --> 00:13:04,920 opportunity, I would have liked to have had him in the 187 00:13:04,920 --> 00:13:08,400 tournament because he knew lines, He knew, he knew 188 00:13:08,720 --> 00:13:12,480 basically within sort of four or five holes, he knew what, how to 189 00:13:12,480 --> 00:13:16,680 club me, everything. And we had such a laugh through 190 00:13:16,680 --> 00:13:21,240 the day. We then went and did the path 191 00:13:21,240 --> 00:13:25,360 recourse, which was even more pristine than the golf course 192 00:13:25,360 --> 00:13:27,960 itself, which this is very rarely played. 193 00:13:28,520 --> 00:13:32,760 And he taught me little tricks like because in those days you 194 00:13:32,760 --> 00:13:35,480 didn't have digital photography, so you didn't have your phone, 195 00:13:36,160 --> 00:13:40,800 you had to use a proper camera. And so he showed me how you 196 00:13:40,800 --> 00:13:44,880 could get a picture of the ball looking as though you've just 197 00:13:44,880 --> 00:13:47,200 hold a putt and you can sort of go like that with the fist. 198 00:13:47,640 --> 00:13:51,240 And basically what you do is you stick 2TS underneath the lip of 199 00:13:51,240 --> 00:13:54,520 the hole, you rest the ball on the two TS. 200 00:13:54,600 --> 00:14:00,360 And then you you set the picture up and it's, it was just silly 201 00:14:00,360 --> 00:14:03,040 things like that that we had, we had such a good time. 202 00:14:03,600 --> 00:14:09,360 And as I say, it's a shame in some respects that hadn't had 203 00:14:09,360 --> 00:14:12,760 him for the tournament. Not that I don't think it would 204 00:14:12,760 --> 00:14:17,560 have made a huge amount of difference with regards my, my 205 00:14:17,560 --> 00:14:21,800 performance, but he was, he was just brilliant, great fun to be 206 00:14:21,800 --> 00:14:23,840 with and I really enjoyed his company. 207 00:14:24,280 --> 00:14:26,040 And then of course, David turns up. 208 00:14:26,440 --> 00:14:32,600 So after that beautiful day on the Friday and Saturday, on the 209 00:14:32,600 --> 00:14:36,520 Friday when I picked up the car, I'm driving back to Martinez in 210 00:14:36,520 --> 00:14:44,160 this absolutely brand new leather, red leather white car. 211 00:14:45,120 --> 00:14:47,680 And it must, it was at least three litres. 212 00:14:47,800 --> 00:14:51,760 It had to be. So I turned off Washington Rd. 213 00:14:51,760 --> 00:14:54,040 to go down towards Mark Martinez. 214 00:14:54,840 --> 00:14:57,720 And I just thought, wow, we'll give, give it a little extra 215 00:14:58,640 --> 00:15:04,360 within literally 5 minutes of me turning down this road and 216 00:15:04,360 --> 00:15:07,600 putting my foot down a little Bee Bar. 217 00:15:07,600 --> 00:15:10,800 Bee Bar lights blue. Oh God. 218 00:15:11,680 --> 00:15:17,560 So I pull over and this cop gets out of his car. 219 00:15:17,800 --> 00:15:20,560 I'm not kidding you. It was the mustache, the black 220 00:15:20,560 --> 00:15:22,480 glasses. He looked like he'd come out of 221 00:15:22,480 --> 00:15:25,720 chips. I mean, it was, it was, it was 222 00:15:25,720 --> 00:15:28,760 actually quite. So I've got out of the car now 223 00:15:28,760 --> 00:15:31,440 apparently you just don't get out of the car in America when 224 00:15:31,440 --> 00:15:32,920 you're pulled over. You just don't. 225 00:15:33,160 --> 00:15:38,720 But I got out of the car. So he's, he's already on the on 226 00:15:38,720 --> 00:15:41,840 the defensive. So anyway, he's, he's telling me 227 00:15:41,840 --> 00:15:45,880 that I was speeding and you know, all that sort of stuff. 228 00:15:46,200 --> 00:15:50,480 Now, he must have either wondered whether I'd stolen the 229 00:15:50,480 --> 00:15:55,080 car or if I was, he must have known that I was in the Masters 230 00:15:55,080 --> 00:15:57,760 because it's got Masters written on the side, you know, Augusta 231 00:15:57,760 --> 00:16:00,240 Masters and all that sort of thing. 232 00:16:01,160 --> 00:16:04,960 And but I was about obviously very nervous, and I kept putting 233 00:16:04,960 --> 00:16:08,320 my hands in my pockets. And he said, don't put your 234 00:16:08,320 --> 00:16:13,400 hands in pockets. So anyway, eventually after like 235 00:16:13,640 --> 00:16:16,840 20 minutes of ticking me off and telling me, you know, he'll be 236 00:16:16,840 --> 00:16:21,000 watching out for me and all this sort of stuff, he lets me go. 237 00:16:21,760 --> 00:16:22,560 Wow, there you. Go. 238 00:16:22,560 --> 00:16:28,440 I then drove 30 miles an hour all the way back to the the 239 00:16:28,440 --> 00:16:32,480 place where I was staying. And so I've gone in. 240 00:16:32,480 --> 00:16:34,240 How was your day? I said all right, it was great. 241 00:16:34,240 --> 00:16:38,760 I got stopped speaking literally as I got off Washington Rd. and 242 00:16:38,760 --> 00:16:42,440 they said he let you off as though I should have been in 243 00:16:42,440 --> 00:16:44,080 jail. Yeah, that's right. 244 00:16:44,080 --> 00:16:47,600 That's what they. Did that they I've gone. 245 00:16:47,840 --> 00:16:50,320 That would have been an interesting story for the media. 246 00:16:51,160 --> 00:16:53,560 Scottish chef before the before the hunt. 247 00:16:53,720 --> 00:16:58,000 Well, yeah, that was, yeah, that was another thing entirely. 248 00:16:58,000 --> 00:17:03,560 But you know, anyway, so that was an interesting story for the 249 00:17:03,560 --> 00:17:06,880 week. So then obviously my practice 250 00:17:07,079 --> 00:17:09,280 Friday, Saturday, which is fantastic. 251 00:17:09,640 --> 00:17:13,520 David turns up Sunday and so he's got dressed up in the 252 00:17:13,520 --> 00:17:16,599 overalls, which I always thought was quite funny that my boss was 253 00:17:16,599 --> 00:17:19,280 now wearing the white overalls and I was the boss. 254 00:17:20,560 --> 00:17:27,680 And so we had a great few days. Debbie was telling me about 255 00:17:27,760 --> 00:17:30,600 because in those days it wasn't quite so salubrious for the 256 00:17:30,600 --> 00:17:36,120 caddies and Fanny Sunderson was obviously cutting for Faldo 257 00:17:36,120 --> 00:17:40,360 etcetera, etcetera. So you know, it was she had to 258 00:17:40,680 --> 00:17:44,080 get changed in a different play. It was, it was all quite funny, 259 00:17:44,080 --> 00:17:47,040 but had to wear the overall and the green hat and all that sort 260 00:17:47,040 --> 00:17:50,680 of stuff. So it was all very interesting 261 00:17:50,680 --> 00:17:57,960 and and I then had the obviously the international players 262 00:17:57,960 --> 00:18:03,520 dinner, which was a fantastic experience because Gary players 263 00:18:03,520 --> 00:18:08,040 hosting it, you've got all the I've got this picture of all the 264 00:18:08,040 --> 00:18:11,120 international players. It's not it's not done anymore, 265 00:18:11,120 --> 00:18:15,920 sadly, because I think that well, two players didn't turn up 266 00:18:15,920 --> 00:18:17,400 to the international players dinner. 267 00:18:18,480 --> 00:18:22,200 And I'm not going to name names, but player absolutely called 268 00:18:22,200 --> 00:18:24,640 them out. He said that's just not done. 269 00:18:24,800 --> 00:18:31,200 You know, you, you, you we're here at the invitation of 270 00:18:31,200 --> 00:18:34,000 Augusta National and you were, you know, you basically adhere 271 00:18:34,000 --> 00:18:37,960 to their rules and and one of the things is that you turn up 272 00:18:37,960 --> 00:18:40,840 for your dinner. But it was fantastic. 273 00:18:40,840 --> 00:18:44,680 Great picture. Obviously people like Woosnam, 274 00:18:44,680 --> 00:18:47,600 Lange, Sebi were all there. Some Delisle. 275 00:18:48,640 --> 00:18:50,920 It's it's a wow. It really is. 276 00:18:50,920 --> 00:18:52,640 It's a who's who of golf, really. 277 00:18:53,360 --> 00:18:55,200 And it's enough. I was going to say it's enough, 278 00:18:55,360 --> 00:18:59,520 Gary, just being a masters, but then you've got these European 279 00:18:59,640 --> 00:19:02,640 and play straights that are, I'm sure, honest to you at the time. 280 00:19:02,680 --> 00:19:05,120 Were the greats because they were winners? 281 00:19:05,720 --> 00:19:10,720 Yeah, like green jackets. So then I had the amateur player 282 00:19:10,720 --> 00:19:15,680 dinner, Mitch Voges was the US Amateur champion and myself were 283 00:19:15,800 --> 00:19:23,720 hosted by Augusta National and we literally of, of of the 284 00:19:23,760 --> 00:19:30,600 amateur game, the USGA, the RNA past champions that were members 285 00:19:30,600 --> 00:19:36,080 of Augusta, all there with a fantastic experience. 286 00:19:37,360 --> 00:19:40,240 You know, speeches were made etcetera, etcetera, which was 287 00:19:40,480 --> 00:19:42,600 again an entertainment in itself. 288 00:19:43,800 --> 00:19:46,200 The food to the Guster is just brilliant. 289 00:19:46,200 --> 00:19:51,800 Absolutely brilliant. If you've been enjoying the 290 00:19:51,800 --> 00:19:54,520 show, please do remember to follow on your favorite podcast 291 00:19:54,520 --> 00:19:56,120 platform and share it with a friend. 292 00:19:56,480 --> 00:20:04,240 Now let's get back to the pod. People often ask me why I didn't 293 00:20:04,240 --> 00:20:10,280 stay at the Crow's Nest or in the Crow's Nest back in 92. 294 00:20:11,360 --> 00:20:15,000 I went up to have a look. Very steep staircase to get up 295 00:20:15,000 --> 00:20:18,600 into the basically the roof of the of the building of the 296 00:20:18,600 --> 00:20:24,360 clubhouse. Basically it was a 8 bedroom 297 00:20:24,360 --> 00:20:28,480 dormitory with six foot high partitions between the beds. 298 00:20:28,480 --> 00:20:34,200 Single beds, no air conditioning, glass around the 299 00:20:34,280 --> 00:20:37,000 sort of the the sort of the pimple of the roof. 300 00:20:37,880 --> 00:20:40,280 I'm thinking there's no way I'd be able to sleep in here. 301 00:20:40,400 --> 00:20:43,720 Not a chance. I'm a poor sleeper anyway. 302 00:20:44,200 --> 00:20:50,680 But noise, light and it you know it, it's changed dramatically. 303 00:20:50,680 --> 00:20:55,920 I will just qualify this. But at that time, that's what it 304 00:20:55,920 --> 00:20:59,440 was. Now, yes, OK, you'd mix with the 305 00:20:59,440 --> 00:21:01,320 other amateurs and this would be fine. 306 00:21:01,320 --> 00:21:04,160 And. But it just wasn't for me, apart 307 00:21:04,160 --> 00:21:06,240 from anything else, getting all my stuff up that steep 308 00:21:06,240 --> 00:21:14,040 staircase. But I think there are times when 309 00:21:14,240 --> 00:21:20,840 because of the excitement and the adrenaline and the essence 310 00:21:20,840 --> 00:21:24,080 of what the gust is all about, it's quite good to divest 311 00:21:24,080 --> 00:21:28,960 yourself from it at some stage. So you get away and you're back 312 00:21:28,960 --> 00:21:34,200 into peace and quiet and normality almost because it's 313 00:21:35,560 --> 00:21:39,800 it's almost like fairy land. I mean, yeah, you're looking in 314 00:21:39,800 --> 00:21:42,480 different. There's all the rich and famous 315 00:21:42,480 --> 00:21:45,240 and the greatest players in the world. 316 00:21:45,240 --> 00:21:48,640 I mean, to me it's the greatest championship. 317 00:21:48,920 --> 00:21:51,640 And you could argue all you like about U.S. 318 00:21:51,640 --> 00:21:54,400 Open, the the Open Championship, etcetera. 319 00:21:54,400 --> 00:21:56,920 So to me it's the greatest championship of the lot. 320 00:21:57,200 --> 00:22:02,440 You've got the 90 best players easily in the world and some 321 00:22:02,440 --> 00:22:06,840 people go wow, there's only 90 players, there's 130 or 322 00:22:06,840 --> 00:22:10,000 whatever. At the US Mass, U.S. 323 00:22:10,000 --> 00:22:14,400 Open and the Open. You still got the greatest 324 00:22:14,400 --> 00:22:18,800 players on the planet competing and the fact that there's only 325 00:22:18,800 --> 00:22:23,040 90 guys is immaterial, that they're still the greatest 326 00:22:23,040 --> 00:22:28,480 player and it is still the one. To me, it's the one tournament I 327 00:22:28,480 --> 00:22:33,480 would want to win because you're then a member of the most 328 00:22:33,880 --> 00:22:37,440 prestigious club in the world. I mean, they could say yes, they 329 00:22:37,440 --> 00:22:39,560 they are being a member of the RNA. 330 00:22:39,600 --> 00:22:42,640 Well, yes, OK. But it's not like being the 331 00:22:42,640 --> 00:22:45,520 member of, of Augusta National. I'm sorry. 332 00:22:45,880 --> 00:22:50,080 To me, that is I, I, I, I'll be down there everyday. 333 00:22:50,080 --> 00:22:55,040 I've moved to America just to be be able to live there to to be 334 00:22:55,040 --> 00:23:00,280 able to use that that facility because it is just the most 335 00:23:00,280 --> 00:23:06,000 amazing place. Anyway, that's all said. 336 00:23:07,120 --> 00:23:10,960 So we've done the do dinners and practice day Wednesday. 337 00:23:11,840 --> 00:23:15,880 Mister Jack Nicholas wrote to me after I got my invite to say 338 00:23:16,040 --> 00:23:19,080 would I be interested in having a practice round with him? 339 00:23:21,720 --> 00:23:25,320 Yeah, I think I probably would. Greatest player who's ever 340 00:23:25,320 --> 00:23:28,240 lived. Yeah, I think I'd quite enjoy 341 00:23:28,240 --> 00:23:34,680 that. And so we go out and we we play 342 00:23:34,680 --> 00:23:39,760 a fantastic game. But I'm playing with David began 343 00:23:39,760 --> 00:23:44,000 here, who was the US mid amateur champion, an Italian that sort 344 00:23:44,000 --> 00:23:48,200 of sort of had a bit of a mixture of whether it was 345 00:23:48,200 --> 00:23:53,600 American or Italian or whatever. But anyway, and basically 346 00:23:53,600 --> 00:23:58,200 Nicholas and I took on him. I can never remember the name of 347 00:23:58,200 --> 00:24:02,080 the pro that I was also playing with. 348 00:24:02,080 --> 00:24:07,040 But anyway, so Nicholas very kindly loses, I think 349 00:24:07,040 --> 00:24:12,000 deliberately so that he could give his $100 cheque to David 350 00:24:12,000 --> 00:24:17,360 Beganio, which apparently no one has ever cashed. 351 00:24:18,240 --> 00:24:23,560 Yeah, I bet they haven't. He plays, he plays and will lose 352 00:24:23,640 --> 00:24:26,000 every time. I'm pretty certain he does it 353 00:24:26,000 --> 00:24:29,760 deliberately so that there is this wonderful thing that you 354 00:24:29,760 --> 00:24:35,080 can frame for the wall of $100 cheque that you're never going 355 00:24:35,080 --> 00:24:37,080 to cash. So he never actually loses the 356 00:24:37,080 --> 00:24:42,960 money, which unfortunately the other pro decided to take off me 357 00:24:45,000 --> 00:24:47,640 $100. But anyway, I thought, Oh, well, 358 00:24:47,640 --> 00:24:52,480 here we go. Umm, but uh, so fantastic 359 00:24:52,480 --> 00:24:54,760 experience. And normally you then go on to, 360 00:24:54,760 --> 00:25:00,480 uh, play, uh, the, the par three, uh, competition, which I, 361 00:25:00,720 --> 00:25:04,880 I finished and then when, and Nicholas was umm, I think he was 362 00:25:04,880 --> 00:25:07,840 slightly injured. Umm, so he said he wasn't going 363 00:25:07,840 --> 00:25:09,920 to play the par three that particular year. 364 00:25:10,080 --> 00:25:14,080 I don't think he plays in it very often, but anyway, so he 365 00:25:14,080 --> 00:25:17,040 didn't play and I can't remember exactly who I played with that 366 00:25:17,040 --> 00:25:21,760 day, but I played decently well. I guess you have a couple under 367 00:25:22,520 --> 00:25:27,200 on the nowhere near winning obviously, but again, an amazing 368 00:25:27,200 --> 00:25:31,840 experience because you I think the first tee tee off time was 369 00:25:31,840 --> 00:25:36,760 about 1-30, something like that and it goes on all afternoon and 370 00:25:37,080 --> 00:25:42,200 they literally squeeze 30,000 people around this par 3 course 371 00:25:42,840 --> 00:25:44,600 so I didn't. Realize there was as many as 372 00:25:44,880 --> 00:25:49,920 that 30,000 to the par 3. Yeah, they they literally 373 00:25:50,200 --> 00:25:53,560 because they've all gone to watch the practice rounds and 374 00:25:53,560 --> 00:25:59,160 then they all cram back to to see the par 3, which is one of 375 00:25:59,160 --> 00:26:01,600 the the sort of the the big things of the week. 376 00:26:02,880 --> 00:26:09,000 And if you ever watch it on TV, it's always 8D10D every hole. 377 00:26:09,520 --> 00:26:14,600 And you know, you get to see holes in one and amazing stuff. 378 00:26:14,600 --> 00:26:18,000 Particularly now because they're encouraging the players to bring 379 00:26:18,000 --> 00:26:21,880 their children and they played the last hole and their children 380 00:26:21,880 --> 00:26:26,400 will hit a shot or whatever. So again, a hell of an 381 00:26:26,400 --> 00:26:31,520 experience. You know, it's funny, I look 382 00:26:31,520 --> 00:26:35,640 back and apparently US Amateur champions are allowed to go back 383 00:26:35,640 --> 00:26:41,400 to, to compete in the par 3 or they were, you know, every year 384 00:26:41,400 --> 00:26:45,120 if they wanted to. If I was US Amateur champion, 385 00:26:45,120 --> 00:26:47,160 I'd be definitely going back to compete every year. 386 00:26:47,800 --> 00:26:51,360 But I did ask if it was possible for me to be able to go back the 387 00:26:51,360 --> 00:26:56,840 following year and they said no. Got a nice polite leftover, said 388 00:26:57,240 --> 00:26:57,840 not. That's time. 389 00:26:58,000 --> 00:27:01,080 No, sorry. It's only the US Amateur 390 00:27:01,080 --> 00:27:02,800 champions that get the opportunity. 391 00:27:03,200 --> 00:27:07,720 So anyway, I've had this amazing experience of playing with 392 00:27:07,760 --> 00:27:09,720 Nicholas. I've actually been fortunate 393 00:27:09,720 --> 00:27:11,240 enough to play with him a few times. 394 00:27:11,240 --> 00:27:15,920 But that was that was quite special because obviously the 395 00:27:15,920 --> 00:27:25,040 galleries were increased in size to be able to follow Nicholas as 396 00:27:25,080 --> 00:27:27,360 as still one of the great players. 397 00:27:27,400 --> 00:27:34,040 I mean, he'd obviously won the US Masters in 86 and he was 398 00:27:34,040 --> 00:27:37,840 still one of the names it like Tiger is now. 399 00:27:39,120 --> 00:27:43,640 You know, Tiger will always swell every gallery that if he 400 00:27:43,640 --> 00:27:49,520 goes out to compete. So I've I've prepared the best I 401 00:27:49,520 --> 00:27:55,160 possibly can and the the I've been drawn. 402 00:27:56,040 --> 00:28:02,000 They did the draw on the on the Wednesday and I'm drawn with 403 00:28:02,080 --> 00:28:05,640 Arnold Palmer. OK, wow. 404 00:28:07,880 --> 00:28:11,760 I was a bit disappointed, I wanted to play with one of the 405 00:28:11,760 --> 00:28:17,080 current grades and but then all my friends were saying don't be 406 00:28:17,080 --> 00:28:21,520 stupid, he is, he is the king. Yeah. 407 00:28:22,200 --> 00:28:23,600 Absolutely. More I thought about it, I 408 00:28:23,600 --> 00:28:26,240 thought, well yeah, actually I'm, I am really looking forward 409 00:28:26,240 --> 00:28:30,680 to playing with it because obviously I watched Palmer in 410 00:28:30,680 --> 00:28:36,000 his heyday on the telly and stuff like this, and yes, he was 411 00:28:36,000 --> 00:28:40,200 slightly outside of my era as such, but he was certainly my 412 00:28:40,200 --> 00:28:46,200 father's era. So anyway, I was really looking 413 00:28:46,200 --> 00:28:50,160 forward to it. And so come the day of the 414 00:28:50,160 --> 00:28:53,560 tournament, I'm drawn at 10:30 with Mr. Palmer 2 balls in those 415 00:28:53,560 --> 00:28:56,520 days with a redraw after the first round. 416 00:28:57,320 --> 00:29:00,520 So you're done in in score order after the first round, which I 417 00:29:00,520 --> 00:29:04,360 think actually is a brilliant idea, except it could favour 418 00:29:04,360 --> 00:29:07,880 people with regards to weather. Possible share? 419 00:29:08,280 --> 00:29:11,280 Yes you could. Have that, yeah. 420 00:29:11,280 --> 00:29:14,840 To me, I think personally, I think it's, it's the way to go. 421 00:29:14,840 --> 00:29:18,360 But that's just me. And of course it's 3 balls now, 422 00:29:19,120 --> 00:29:23,080 but in those days it was 2 ball. So I've got this intimate game 423 00:29:23,080 --> 00:29:26,800 with one of the greatest players who's ever lived in the game. 424 00:29:29,080 --> 00:29:36,800 So right, get there in nice and early, do a bit of putting, then 425 00:29:36,800 --> 00:29:39,040 I go on the range. Oh, Mr. Wolfstenham, you've got 426 00:29:39,040 --> 00:29:42,600 a parcel arrived. Oh right, that's good. 427 00:29:43,920 --> 00:29:49,880 So this company that makes metal woods has sent me 3 woods 428 00:29:50,040 --> 00:29:53,600 driver, three and five wood. So I said to David, right, just 429 00:29:53,600 --> 00:29:59,600 just just bring, you know, the, the box down and, and so I said 430 00:30:00,920 --> 00:30:05,360 started hitting balls and all of a sudden I feel this presence 431 00:30:05,360 --> 00:30:08,000 behind me and I look round and it's Sebby. 432 00:30:08,080 --> 00:30:12,720 He stood there like this and I've been hitting sort of seven 433 00:30:12,720 --> 00:30:16,160 eyes and stuff, said Gary, You're going to have a great day 434 00:30:17,280 --> 00:30:22,400 and walks off. Well, I'm I'm feeling 10 foot 435 00:30:22,400 --> 00:30:26,120 tall. Come on, savvy, savvy. 436 00:30:26,120 --> 00:30:30,280 My hero has just said he's going to I'm going to have a good day. 437 00:30:30,280 --> 00:30:34,520 You know, he's anyway, so I was hitting it actually pretty good. 438 00:30:34,520 --> 00:30:36,480 So I was I was pretty pleased with myself. 439 00:30:36,800 --> 00:30:41,840 I managed to get from Ping this extraordinary set of irons, 440 00:30:42,200 --> 00:30:49,160 which were brilliant copper Ping eye twos with Apollo gold 441 00:30:49,160 --> 00:30:55,600 graphite shafts. Very eclectic because usually 442 00:30:56,720 --> 00:31:03,120 you know, it was just the steel. I twos with ZZ like shafts which 443 00:31:03,120 --> 00:31:09,720 were one-size-fits-all in those days and so they were beautiful. 444 00:31:10,080 --> 00:31:12,160 Oh my God, they were beautiful, those clubs. 445 00:31:12,520 --> 00:31:16,880 I hope you can. No, you see, the sad part is 446 00:31:16,880 --> 00:31:20,040 when you upgrade your clubs to the, they always want the old 447 00:31:20,040 --> 00:31:25,560 set back, right. And I, I've still got I think 448 00:31:25,560 --> 00:31:29,280 somewhere a brilliant copper pitching wedge from that set. 449 00:31:29,280 --> 00:31:33,680 But it's got, it's got a steel shaft in there because obviously 450 00:31:33,680 --> 00:31:36,440 I went away because the graphite in those days was just nowhere 451 00:31:36,440 --> 00:31:41,880 near what the steel was equivalent wise with regards 452 00:31:41,880 --> 00:31:45,520 consistency. But I think I've still got that 453 00:31:45,520 --> 00:31:47,440 pitching. Well, I might still have got 454 00:31:47,440 --> 00:31:51,600 that pitching wedge still, but there was a very different feel 455 00:31:51,840 --> 00:31:54,640 of those. They were wonderful, wonderful 456 00:31:54,640 --> 00:31:58,520 clubs. Anyway, so I'm hitting these 457 00:31:58,520 --> 00:32:03,760 shots and it's all going nicely and gone through the bag and hit 458 00:32:03,760 --> 00:32:06,440 a few woods. And so I said to David, just get 459 00:32:06,920 --> 00:32:10,760 get those woods out-of-the-box. So he's he's looking at me as 460 00:32:10,760 --> 00:32:14,920 though we can't be the time. So I started hitting these shot. 461 00:32:14,920 --> 00:32:20,840 I get this little baby draw with these shots and they were called 462 00:32:20,840 --> 00:32:23,440 gear for golf, tiny little metal heads. 463 00:32:25,200 --> 00:32:27,760 So anyway, I've, I've hit a few and I've got the driver out and 464 00:32:27,760 --> 00:32:29,520 I've hit in this sort of baby drawer again. 465 00:32:29,520 --> 00:32:36,400 Now you know, you, you, you're going to say this is utter 466 00:32:36,400 --> 00:32:38,080 madness. But I said to him, right, we're 467 00:32:38,080 --> 00:32:40,760 putting those in the bag. I've only hit 4, four or five 468 00:32:40,760 --> 00:32:43,440 shots with each one putting these in the bag. 469 00:32:44,440 --> 00:32:46,640 Is that happening? Is that I'm completely off my 470 00:32:46,640 --> 00:32:53,960 trolley so, but anyway I've said no, we're going to put them in 471 00:32:53,960 --> 00:32:56,840 the bag. So put the others in the box and 472 00:32:56,840 --> 00:32:58,760 we'll take those. You can take those back to the 473 00:32:58,760 --> 00:33:00,040 clubhouse and I'll go and do some more. 474 00:33:00,080 --> 00:33:03,160 And you were you were using Persimmon or was it? 475 00:33:04,120 --> 00:33:08,280 Was using Ping woods. Yeah, it was woods in those 476 00:33:08,280 --> 00:33:12,280 days. It was laminate in those days. 477 00:33:12,560 --> 00:33:18,320 I don't think I'd progressed to metal woods at that stage and I 478 00:33:18,400 --> 00:33:26,440 tinkered with them, but anyway. And how in terms of you card, I 479 00:33:26,440 --> 00:33:30,520 mean, you're very, very processed rather than you're on 480 00:33:30,520 --> 00:33:34,840 top of stuff. Yeah, how unusual As for you to 481 00:33:34,840 --> 00:33:36,480 just say General Wallace, just take his word. 482 00:33:36,480 --> 00:33:43,360 So that's got to be pretty real. It would be for a driver I I'd 483 00:33:43,360 --> 00:33:48,600 normally need to use it a few times to, to feel comfortable in 484 00:33:48,880 --> 00:33:53,840 being able to take these out to, to play in terms same with 485 00:33:53,840 --> 00:33:56,200 putters. I have to feel as though I'm 486 00:33:56,200 --> 00:34:00,960 making putts before I start on the putting green, before I 487 00:34:00,960 --> 00:34:04,600 start, you know, even contemplating taking it out for 488 00:34:04,600 --> 00:34:09,920 competitive golf. But anyway, so that was it. 489 00:34:10,080 --> 00:34:13,040 And I go on the put in green. Davies put the new clubs. 490 00:34:13,560 --> 00:34:16,400 He's still shaking his head as he's come back. 491 00:34:16,400 --> 00:34:21,239 Anyway, I've said right, Peter Alice was my godfather. 492 00:34:21,239 --> 00:34:24,120 So I was very lucky to be able to get some good advice for him 493 00:34:24,960 --> 00:34:28,679 from him, who I've met up with earlier in the week. 494 00:34:29,520 --> 00:34:33,560 And he said, basically, Gary, when you stand on that first 495 00:34:33,560 --> 00:34:37,280 tee, you're going to be nervous. And what you've got to try and 496 00:34:37,280 --> 00:34:41,920 do is slow everything down almost to feeling as though it's 497 00:34:41,920 --> 00:34:46,760 ridiculously slow, slows practice swings, taking your 498 00:34:46,760 --> 00:34:49,880 time, putting the ball on the tee, which was probably good 499 00:34:49,880 --> 00:34:52,520 advice because you know, he's so nervous that he actually just 500 00:34:52,520 --> 00:34:54,920 putting the ball on the Tees, quite a feat. 501 00:34:56,320 --> 00:35:01,000 But he said, just feel as though you're slowing everything down. 502 00:35:01,800 --> 00:35:03,720 And it was the one thing that was in the back of my mind. 503 00:35:04,120 --> 00:35:07,000 So I said to David Wright, I'm going to go down and stand on 504 00:35:07,000 --> 00:35:12,440 the back of the first tee and watch the group in front tee 505 00:35:12,440 --> 00:35:16,680 off, get feel for it. And, you know, so that I'm not 506 00:35:16,680 --> 00:35:21,400 getting too hyped up, just me getting onto the tee. 507 00:35:23,600 --> 00:35:28,600 So I go down to the tee and I'm trying to sort of get onto it 508 00:35:28,600 --> 00:35:32,600 and people are going, yeah, this is my spot, you know, and I've 509 00:35:32,600 --> 00:35:34,440 gone, no, no, I'm, I'm playing in. 510 00:35:34,440 --> 00:35:39,360 So eventually they let me through, go on to the tee and 511 00:35:39,360 --> 00:35:43,240 they go up to the starter, who must have been 80 if a day. 512 00:35:45,000 --> 00:35:47,560 And I go, my name is Gary Wolfsonhammer. 513 00:35:47,560 --> 00:35:51,880 And is it possible because I'm in the next group, is it 514 00:35:51,880 --> 00:35:54,200 possible just to stand on the back of the tee and watch the 515 00:35:54,600 --> 00:36:00,160 current group tee off just to relax me and get me sort of into 516 00:36:00,160 --> 00:36:03,800 the feel of what it's all about? Mr. Wolster, not a problem. 517 00:36:03,800 --> 00:36:05,920 You come and stand with me at the back of the tee. 518 00:36:07,200 --> 00:36:09,600 So I'm looking around and this is fantastic. 519 00:36:10,120 --> 00:36:15,880 Now if somebody said to me, name the two players that teed off in 520 00:36:15,880 --> 00:36:20,560 front of you and I'll give you £1,000,000 per person if you can 521 00:36:20,560 --> 00:36:26,600 name them both, not a chance. I can't remember almost anything 522 00:36:26,600 --> 00:36:29,520 about that because I was more interested in looking around 523 00:36:29,520 --> 00:36:31,400 everything. The extraordinary thing about 524 00:36:31,400 --> 00:36:35,400 Augusta is that on the left hand side of the first tee is a huge 525 00:36:35,600 --> 00:36:41,680 expanse of open grass which is a warm up area for the members or 526 00:36:41,680 --> 00:36:48,240 was for the members coming on. They're just whack a couple of 527 00:36:48,240 --> 00:36:53,360 shots down there and then they tee off and then you've got it's 528 00:36:53,360 --> 00:36:58,520 a huge open area of grass. It's it's sort of belies a lot 529 00:36:58,520 --> 00:37:01,680 of the pictures that you see of the course, which are obviously 530 00:37:01,680 --> 00:37:03,720 tree lined. Yeah, I was going to say it's 531 00:37:03,720 --> 00:37:05,120 the sort of thing that you're doing. 532 00:37:06,040 --> 00:37:09,080 I mean, TV coverage is notorious for not packing up and things, 533 00:37:09,080 --> 00:37:11,320 but that's something that you would have no idea until you 534 00:37:11,320 --> 00:37:14,160 stand in that T that there's absolutely open space. 535 00:37:14,480 --> 00:37:18,760 Yeah, you've got obviously the pristine white buildings and 536 00:37:19,040 --> 00:37:22,840 everything else behind to the right of you, and obviously the 537 00:37:22,840 --> 00:37:26,880 pattern green was behind. And then you've got the Butler 538 00:37:26,880 --> 00:37:30,680 cabin and all the other cabins behind that. 539 00:37:31,000 --> 00:37:35,680 So, but to the left you look down and you can see obviously 540 00:37:37,240 --> 00:37:42,560 the ninth green, and then you can see all the way down to the 541 00:37:42,560 --> 00:37:46,720 12th green and you can actually see the 12th green and the 13th 542 00:37:46,720 --> 00:37:50,320 tee from off the first tee. Wow, didn't realize that. 543 00:37:52,320 --> 00:37:55,440 Now don't forget that the course has sort of changed slightly 544 00:37:55,760 --> 00:38:02,240 since then, but it's, it's the most, you know, you're awed by 545 00:38:02,240 --> 00:38:06,120 the whole view and everything else that's going on because 546 00:38:06,560 --> 00:38:07,920 obviously there's spectators everywhere. 547 00:38:07,920 --> 00:38:12,760 There's about 40,000 people in, in the just for spectators. 548 00:38:14,360 --> 00:38:17,800 And so anyway, I'm stood there and you can obviously then look 549 00:38:17,800 --> 00:38:19,760 back. You see the big scoreboard by 550 00:38:19,760 --> 00:38:25,840 the 9th, which gives you, you know, sort by the 10th fairway 551 00:38:26,160 --> 00:38:30,080 and then you can see the 18th T back and behind you. 552 00:38:30,600 --> 00:38:35,680 That's sorry 18th green back and behind you so again a wonderful 553 00:38:35,680 --> 00:38:37,840 Vista. You know, I wish that you know 554 00:38:37,840 --> 00:38:41,280 you could have got a video camera and just panned across 555 00:38:41,280 --> 00:38:43,800 which of course now you've got phones that can do that. 556 00:38:44,960 --> 00:38:53,200 So anyway, we so they whoever it was no idea, teed off. 557 00:38:54,320 --> 00:38:59,040 And so anyway, the great thing about Augusta National is that 558 00:38:59,040 --> 00:39:03,400 whenever anyone of any note is starting to come towards where 559 00:39:03,400 --> 00:39:07,400 you are, you hear a hubbub and it builds up, builds up because 560 00:39:07,400 --> 00:39:10,600 it's people nudging each other and go oh, sounds, sounds 561 00:39:10,600 --> 00:39:13,320 turning out and it builds up builds because everyone starts 562 00:39:13,320 --> 00:39:16,360 to go and then all of a sudden there's applause and stuff like 563 00:39:16,360 --> 00:39:20,240 this. Now I hadn't noticed that the 564 00:39:20,320 --> 00:39:24,400 gallery round the 18th green that sorry, the first tee and 565 00:39:24,520 --> 00:39:32,320 round that area started to build up all of a sudden, huge cheers. 566 00:39:32,480 --> 00:39:38,440 Arnold Palmer bursts through the crowd, arm aloft, waving, you 567 00:39:38,440 --> 00:39:41,560 know, soaking up the applause and the woohoo and all that sort 568 00:39:41,560 --> 00:39:45,800 of stuff. So anyway, he he comes up the T 569 00:39:46,920 --> 00:39:52,520 age 63 and he is a gargantuan, he's a athlete, big strong guy, 570 00:39:52,720 --> 00:39:59,040 huge hands, etcetera, etcetera. And he's not you're not hugely 571 00:39:59,040 --> 00:40:00,760 tall. I was actually taller than he 572 00:40:00,760 --> 00:40:05,520 was, but you know, he almost looks like a giant just by the 573 00:40:05,520 --> 00:40:09,480 way he's walked up. So of course goes up to the 574 00:40:09,480 --> 00:40:12,400 start of shakes his hand. The has starter said Mr. Palmer. 575 00:40:12,800 --> 00:40:18,920 I have waited my entire life to do this and Palmer turns to me. 576 00:40:18,920 --> 00:40:23,440 He goes, well, I'm glad we both made it then because obviously 577 00:40:23,440 --> 00:40:25,720 you can see he was 80 or whatever. 578 00:40:26,480 --> 00:40:30,440 So they start with have a bit of a laugh and then the starter 579 00:40:30,440 --> 00:40:32,960 turns to me and he said, Mr. Palmer, this is your playing 580 00:40:32,960 --> 00:40:34,920 partner for the day, Mr. Woolstonham. 581 00:40:36,240 --> 00:40:40,800 Palmer immediately puts out this bare paw and shakes my hand And 582 00:40:40,800 --> 00:40:44,120 he he said, I knew your father very well. 583 00:40:44,360 --> 00:40:47,160 He's a great guy. I'm really looking forward to 584 00:40:47,160 --> 00:40:49,520 playing with you today. Nice. 585 00:40:52,480 --> 00:40:55,040 Couldn't wipe the smile off my face like, you know. 586 00:40:56,000 --> 00:41:02,480 So anyway, he's then chatting with his caddy etcetera. 587 00:41:02,480 --> 00:41:05,880 Right? Four please on the tee. 588 00:41:05,880 --> 00:41:10,240 Arnold Palmer. Arnold Palmer aged 63 with a 589 00:41:10,240 --> 00:41:17,760 steel shafted Persimmon headed driver rips it 290 plus yards 590 00:41:17,960 --> 00:41:22,200 straight down the middle. Crowd go absolutely bonkers. 591 00:41:22,880 --> 00:41:27,720 Bonkers and he's waving and then walks back to his caddy and it 592 00:41:27,720 --> 00:41:31,000 starts to subside and I'm looking around and thinking oh 593 00:41:32,120 --> 00:41:37,040 crap, it's my turn. So I go across the David who 594 00:41:37,040 --> 00:41:42,160 stood with my bag and my brand new driver hands it to me. 595 00:41:42,160 --> 00:41:45,080 And he said, for God's sake, don't miss it. 596 00:41:47,680 --> 00:41:52,600 Up until that very second, it had never occurred to me that I 597 00:41:52,600 --> 00:41:57,480 might miss the ball. It was ha ha, ha, ha ha like 598 00:41:57,480 --> 00:42:00,080 this. But all of a sudden it's put in 599 00:42:00,080 --> 00:42:04,480 the back of my mind actually. I'm not sure Washington would 600 00:42:04,520 --> 00:42:07,240 have that idea. Certain man Washington. 601 00:42:07,240 --> 00:42:12,920 But I said just go and smash it. So it's quite an intimidating 602 00:42:12,920 --> 00:42:15,560 T-shirt anyway, because it sort of goes down and then back up. 603 00:42:16,360 --> 00:42:22,080 Got bunker on the right hand side, trees on the left and I've 604 00:42:22,080 --> 00:42:26,760 got a lot of adrenaline running and it Peter's Peter Alice's 605 00:42:27,680 --> 00:42:30,000 sort of advice is ringing through my ears. 606 00:42:30,960 --> 00:42:33,560 Slow it down, slow it down. Anyway, I'm somehow managed to 607 00:42:33,560 --> 00:42:38,200 get the ball on the tee and so I go through my process, but I'm 608 00:42:38,200 --> 00:42:40,920 swear to you it's gone like that. 609 00:42:41,280 --> 00:42:46,440 It's a blur. As I look up, I see the ball 610 00:42:46,440 --> 00:42:51,600 sailing straight down the middle 260 odd yards, which is way 611 00:42:51,600 --> 00:42:54,480 longer than I could have possibly expected. 612 00:42:55,600 --> 00:42:59,720 And I I have got so much adrenaline that I literally 613 00:42:59,800 --> 00:43:04,080 start to run off the tee because the crowd are all going like 614 00:43:04,080 --> 00:43:08,120 this. It's almost as if someone had 615 00:43:08,120 --> 00:43:11,840 just, you know, put one of those adrenaline shots in your heart. 616 00:43:11,840 --> 00:43:12,880 And I was laughing. Yeah. 617 00:43:13,200 --> 00:43:16,400 All of a sudden, I've got to the end of the tea and realized that 618 00:43:16,400 --> 00:43:19,360 everyone else is looking at me as though, what is he doing? 619 00:43:19,360 --> 00:43:23,480 You know, I had to stop myself and wait for everybody to sort 620 00:43:23,480 --> 00:43:26,200 of, you know, catch me up if you like. 621 00:43:26,200 --> 00:43:33,200 But I must have run 20 yards. I was so excited that I hit this 622 00:43:33,280 --> 00:43:36,280 a fantastic T-shirt. Best one probably of the whole 623 00:43:36,280 --> 00:43:40,000 day. The adrenaline obviously had a 624 00:43:40,000 --> 00:43:47,320 lot to do with it, but so we get down onto the fairway and I'm a 625 00:43:47,320 --> 00:43:52,280 good 30 yards behind Palmer and I've hit probably the best tee 626 00:43:52,280 --> 00:44:00,760 shot all year and I've got a 5 iron in set this 5 iron and no, 627 00:44:00,760 --> 00:44:03,920 it's actually less than that. I got 7 and I was thinking well 628 00:44:03,920 --> 00:44:06,320 I've got adrenaline going so I think it was 7. 629 00:44:06,320 --> 00:44:08,880 And of course in those days it was nowhere near as long as it 630 00:44:08,880 --> 00:44:10,600 is now. The golf course from when I 631 00:44:10,600 --> 00:44:16,600 first played in 92 to to playing in 2004 had increased in 632 00:44:16,600 --> 00:44:22,360 distance from about 7000 yards in 92 to 7, four and plus. 633 00:44:23,480 --> 00:44:26,560 So it was it was very nearly 75 when I played it the second 634 00:44:26,560 --> 00:44:29,280 time. So pretty much it's lengthened 635 00:44:29,280 --> 00:44:35,280 again since. And obviously now they groom the 636 00:44:35,280 --> 00:44:38,440 fairways from green to tea. So it's not as pretty. 637 00:44:38,600 --> 00:44:39,840 I'm not kidding. It is. 638 00:44:40,320 --> 00:44:43,440 It was the most pristine, beautiful looking because they 639 00:44:43,440 --> 00:44:51,120 have mowers that do red like Red Arrows bits and it's it was 640 00:44:51,160 --> 00:44:54,160 Immaculate. I mean David and I in one of the 641 00:44:54,160 --> 00:44:57,480 practice round tried to find first person to find a weed or a 642 00:44:57,480 --> 00:45:00,000 piece of grass that was out of out of place. 643 00:45:00,120 --> 00:45:04,400 We literally we had to go slightly off piece to find a 644 00:45:04,400 --> 00:45:07,920 great piece of grass that was not uniform length. 645 00:45:08,360 --> 00:45:12,200 It was even the pine needles under the trees are raked 646 00:45:12,200 --> 00:45:16,960 perfectly that it is the most Immaculate golf course. 647 00:45:17,200 --> 00:45:23,400 It is pristine and the greens were running at 13 plus in the 648 00:45:23,400 --> 00:45:28,400 practice round and they got them down to about 12 1/2 for the 649 00:45:28,400 --> 00:45:33,600 tournament. So anyway, seven I've come up 650 00:45:33,600 --> 00:45:36,440 short because obviously it was probably a little bit too little 651 00:45:36,440 --> 00:45:42,080 club and I'm about 20 feet short. 652 00:45:42,280 --> 00:45:47,600 Putting uphill not a problem. Pins back left Mr. Palmer's it 653 00:45:47,600 --> 00:45:53,640 is 9/9 which has gone past the flag, but he's he's long and 654 00:45:53,640 --> 00:45:56,760 left so of the flag. So he's putting back down from 655 00:45:56,760 --> 00:46:01,320 probably about I was 20 feet, he was probably about 1212 1/2. 656 00:46:03,000 --> 00:46:05,040 So anyway, I have I'm not kidding. 657 00:46:05,040 --> 00:46:09,640 I was putting phenomenally. I knew those greens inside out. 658 00:46:09,680 --> 00:46:15,920 I had practiced for an hour prior to teeing off. 659 00:46:16,040 --> 00:46:20,120 I mean, I've got those greens. So I hit the putt and it's 660 00:46:20,120 --> 00:46:23,920 uphill left to right and like, oh, it's just going to miss 661 00:46:23,920 --> 00:46:27,520 left. And I'm watching it and I'm 662 00:46:27,520 --> 00:46:31,040 thinking, hold on a minute. It's it's keeping going. 663 00:46:31,960 --> 00:46:36,320 It goes 6 1/2 foot past. So I've now got a downhill left 664 00:46:36,320 --> 00:46:40,800 to right. Wow, really? 665 00:46:41,600 --> 00:46:50,280 So Palmer puts his four foot past, I miss, he misses. 666 00:46:51,040 --> 00:46:55,160 So we've both paid birdie having had hit our best tee shots and 667 00:46:55,160 --> 00:47:03,760 good shots into the greens. It's that tableau of stalking up 668 00:47:03,760 --> 00:47:07,360 to the second tee and the second fortune is par 5. 669 00:47:07,360 --> 00:47:10,680 So we had to wait because the group in front had just teed off 670 00:47:10,680 --> 00:47:13,360 and obviously it was a reachable par 5 for some guys. 671 00:47:14,440 --> 00:47:16,120 So I'm stood at the back of the tee. 672 00:47:16,280 --> 00:47:20,160 Mr. Palmer stood at the front. David and the other caddies sort 673 00:47:20,160 --> 00:47:23,840 of stood off to the side and you could have created a tableau 674 00:47:24,440 --> 00:47:27,200 with bubble going out of each person's head. 675 00:47:28,000 --> 00:47:30,440 Mr. Palmer, his bubble would have had. 676 00:47:30,760 --> 00:47:32,760 They always put me with an amateur. 677 00:47:32,760 --> 00:47:34,960 Why do they put me with an amateur? 678 00:47:35,600 --> 00:47:36,880 I'm stood at the back of the team. 679 00:47:36,880 --> 00:47:40,880 My bubble would read, Oh my God, I'm going to shoot 100. 680 00:47:41,280 --> 00:47:46,440 Yeah, I'm thinking, yeah, I've had a tough time at Shoal Creek 681 00:47:47,480 --> 00:47:49,760 because it's been wet. The goal, the course is playing 682 00:47:49,760 --> 00:47:53,640 quite long and I'm thinking I'm just, I'm just, you know, I'm 683 00:47:53,640 --> 00:47:59,920 going to shoot 100. David my caddy bubble, I could 684 00:47:59,920 --> 00:48:02,520 have stayed I could have stayed back in the office and you know 685 00:48:02,520 --> 00:48:04,000 this is going to be embarrassing. 686 00:48:04,000 --> 00:48:06,920 He's going to shoot 100. I could be making money back in 687 00:48:06,920 --> 00:48:10,240 the office. So we're all stood there for 688 00:48:10,240 --> 00:48:16,960 about 10 minutes. And so anyway, Parma whacks one 689 00:48:16,960 --> 00:48:20,600 down, I whack one down short of the bunker on the right hand 690 00:48:20,600 --> 00:48:23,640 side. So good position 5 would down to 691 00:48:23,640 --> 00:48:29,480 leave myself a nice wedge shot. And I'll never forget there was 692 00:48:29,480 --> 00:48:37,240 a guy sort of squatting on these sort of little seat behind the 693 00:48:37,240 --> 00:48:39,440 flag. So it was right in line with the 694 00:48:39,440 --> 00:48:42,160 flag. And I've hit this shot and it's 695 00:48:42,840 --> 00:48:46,320 absolutely perfect. Strike, little pitch shot 696 00:48:46,760 --> 00:48:49,880 probably about 110 yards, something like that. 697 00:48:51,360 --> 00:48:56,440 And he's gone like this. I'm not kidding you. 698 00:48:56,440 --> 00:49:00,560 Apparently it went right up to the edge of the hole and then 699 00:49:00,560 --> 00:49:07,320 screwed back to six feet. So crowd got, yeah, bonkers a 700 00:49:07,320 --> 00:49:10,040 hole it. So I'm back to level par. 701 00:49:10,640 --> 00:49:12,920 So much more chirpy now. On the second tee. 702 00:49:13,560 --> 00:49:18,680 I had a decent tee shot down just left of sorry, just right 703 00:49:18,680 --> 00:49:22,400 of the bunkers on the left hand side of the fairway and I'm 704 00:49:22,400 --> 00:49:24,600 thinking right. I don't want to start spinning 705 00:49:24,600 --> 00:49:27,840 the ball too much. I'll hit 99 and just hit a three 706 00:49:27,840 --> 00:49:33,000 quarter 99, knock it up to about 14 feet hole it. 707 00:49:35,640 --> 00:49:41,040 Oh, and the car next hole, par 5, par three, rather hit a 708 00:49:41,040 --> 00:49:48,600 decent shot onto the green and two-part 4th hole, hard par 4 709 00:49:48,600 --> 00:49:55,760 for me, very hard hole. So anyway, yeah, the 5th hole 710 00:49:55,760 --> 00:49:58,400 rather, yeah. So I've got down to par 5 and 711 00:49:58,400 --> 00:50:02,280 I've, I've hit two good shots, but on the green and I hit two 712 00:50:02,280 --> 00:50:07,960 of the best putts. So anyway, it's funny because we 713 00:50:07,960 --> 00:50:13,080 were chatting away and so we're getting down there and Dave is 714 00:50:13,080 --> 00:50:16,240 getting sort of, you know, getting into the, the rhythm of 715 00:50:16,520 --> 00:50:18,320 giving yardages and all that sort of thing. 716 00:50:18,320 --> 00:50:20,000 So there's no lasers or anything like that. 717 00:50:21,120 --> 00:50:24,760 So I'm now I'm still under par for the round. 718 00:50:24,840 --> 00:50:31,360 And so the next hole, good par 36 hole pins on the left hand 719 00:50:31,360 --> 00:50:34,880 side play a nice shot down, just lip out was close. 720 00:50:35,920 --> 00:50:41,680 So we get to 7 and I play good T shot, but it's only a short par 721 00:50:41,680 --> 00:50:44,040 4 now. It's a brutal hole. 722 00:50:44,480 --> 00:50:46,840 It's really long with an elevated green. 723 00:50:47,480 --> 00:50:53,400 Anyway, play a great pitch shot with about 879 something like 724 00:50:53,400 --> 00:50:57,480 that onto the green. Goes up to about 8 feet. 725 00:50:57,600 --> 00:51:01,080 Hole it now 2 under. And that's a tough clean as 726 00:51:01,080 --> 00:51:03,800 well. It's it's a hard, edible slap 727 00:51:03,800 --> 00:51:06,680 player. I played a great approach on to 728 00:51:06,680 --> 00:51:08,920 the right. A lot of the time there's an 729 00:51:08,920 --> 00:51:13,920 element of luck, you know, a controlling the spin, B getting 730 00:51:13,920 --> 00:51:16,840 it into the right area to give yourself 1/2 decent chance. 731 00:51:16,840 --> 00:51:19,800 But I mean, as I was, I keep harboring you. 732 00:51:19,800 --> 00:51:25,040 I was a very good putter. So the greens didn't intimidate 733 00:51:25,040 --> 00:51:28,080 me and Julie, apart from obviously that the first. 734 00:51:28,080 --> 00:51:32,320 Interestingly, we then found out that what they do is they triple 735 00:51:32,320 --> 00:51:38,800 freaky the first green, hence why I finished sixth half feet 736 00:51:38,800 --> 00:51:44,480 past because they make it faster than the rest of the greens and 737 00:51:44,480 --> 00:51:49,320 basically it's to disrupt you scoring. 738 00:51:50,080 --> 00:51:52,680 And you see that every year, especially on the Sunday 739 00:51:52,680 --> 00:51:57,680 actually, that there's so many people but this. 740 00:51:57,680 --> 00:52:02,280 One of the reasons, you know, this experience is the the 741 00:52:02,520 --> 00:52:05,760 people that have won there before or played a lot and done 742 00:52:05,760 --> 00:52:08,240 well invariably continue to do well. 743 00:52:08,640 --> 00:52:11,840 I mean, Lang has, yeah, he belied his age. 744 00:52:12,000 --> 00:52:15,840 You know, a lot of the guys that, you know, Freddy couples 745 00:52:15,840 --> 00:52:19,640 belies his age when he was going back there in his 50s and he's 746 00:52:19,640 --> 00:52:22,360 still making the cut and doing well with some good scores. 747 00:52:22,880 --> 00:52:28,080 Same with Langa. So anyway, so I, I then get this 748 00:52:28,080 --> 00:52:32,760 scenario of all right, so that's why it, the ball's gone that 749 00:52:32,760 --> 00:52:35,320 far. But anyway, I I'd soon gone back 750 00:52:35,320 --> 00:52:42,480 into it. And so I'm now 2 under and I get 751 00:52:42,480 --> 00:52:46,720 to 8, which is a brutal hole. It, it's the steepest fairway 752 00:52:46,720 --> 00:52:50,400 that you can imagine. I mean literally it it's caddies 753 00:52:50,720 --> 00:52:52,680 almost need a defibrillator at the top. 754 00:52:54,200 --> 00:52:56,560 So I've hit my tee shot down, I'm sure to the bunker. 755 00:52:56,560 --> 00:52:58,880 I can't reach the bunker on the right hand side, so that's fine. 756 00:52:59,920 --> 00:53:05,720 Playing next shot up and I hit a time in and I play it a perfect 757 00:53:05,720 --> 00:53:09,320 shot with a little bit of draw so it skips forward down to the 758 00:53:09,320 --> 00:53:11,560 flag. So all of a sudden I've got 759 00:53:11,560 --> 00:53:17,200 about another 6-7 footer hole it I'm now three under having three 760 00:53:17,200 --> 00:53:21,400 putted the first. So anyway, we get to 9 and I've 761 00:53:21,480 --> 00:53:25,320 pulled my tee shot just a fraction to trying to get it to 762 00:53:25,320 --> 00:53:29,080 go down the hill. No chance I've got 4 iron in 763 00:53:29,320 --> 00:53:32,280 now. You know when you see people 764 00:53:32,280 --> 00:53:36,080 playing that hole, it's all like wedges, 9 irons, 8 iron, 765 00:53:36,080 --> 00:53:38,000 something like that at most. I. 766 00:53:38,000 --> 00:53:41,000 Think Rory smashed the name The Trees last year? 767 00:53:41,240 --> 00:53:44,760 Right, well there you go. So I'm making 4 iron in there 768 00:53:45,080 --> 00:53:48,920 and I've got to come in over the bunker because the pins are sort 769 00:53:48,920 --> 00:53:53,640 of mid, yeah, middle of the green, pretty much in the middle 770 00:53:53,640 --> 00:53:57,720 tier. And I've got it drawing round 771 00:53:57,720 --> 00:54:00,960 the trees beautifully. Lands on the green, but of 772 00:54:00,960 --> 00:54:04,520 course there's no chance of getting it to stop, so it's now 773 00:54:04,520 --> 00:54:06,160 finished just off the back of the green. 774 00:54:07,560 --> 00:54:09,560 Palmer's played two great shots onto the green. 775 00:54:09,560 --> 00:54:13,480 That's fine. And I'm looking at this and you 776 00:54:13,480 --> 00:54:18,400 know, the analogy of marble staircase and trying to stop it 777 00:54:18,400 --> 00:54:23,160 halfway down. That's exactly what it was like. 778 00:54:25,320 --> 00:54:30,000 Again, I'm a good chipper. So anyway, fortunately I play 779 00:54:30,080 --> 00:54:34,160 the most sublime chip probably I've ever hit in my life. 780 00:54:35,160 --> 00:54:36,600 And I've chipped it just onto the green. 781 00:54:36,600 --> 00:54:42,360 It's just checked up and it's dribbled down to about 2 1/2, 782 00:54:42,360 --> 00:54:47,680 three feet, 3 feet. I am anyway, So I'm pretty 783 00:54:47,680 --> 00:54:54,600 pleased, as you can imagine. And Palmer comes up and he and 784 00:54:54,600 --> 00:54:59,240 as we're passing, he goes, he says, Gee, that, that that was a 785 00:54:59,240 --> 00:55:02,920 great shot because he knew how hard it was as well. 786 00:55:03,000 --> 00:55:06,600 Anyway, so I'm still there every I'm thinking, please don't miss 787 00:55:06,600 --> 00:55:07,680 it. Please don't miss it. 788 00:55:08,040 --> 00:55:12,880 Anyway, fortunately I hold it. So I'm pretty perky as I've come 789 00:55:12,880 --> 00:55:19,600 off the green and some wag in the crowd shouts Don't look at 790 00:55:19,600 --> 00:55:23,360 the leaderboard. Was a huge leaderboard. 791 00:55:23,360 --> 00:55:25,040 Just so your card in the first tier. 792 00:55:26,000 --> 00:55:28,640 Sort of stuff. Course, what do you do? 793 00:55:28,640 --> 00:55:32,360 You straight up like this. I'm leading the tournament. 794 00:55:33,560 --> 00:55:38,640 Wow. And I've got this picture of one 795 00:55:38,640 --> 00:55:42,000 of the people who met sort of looks after the the leaderboard 796 00:55:42,080 --> 00:55:45,320 on that particular hole leaning out like this. 797 00:55:45,320 --> 00:55:48,360 And again, you could have the bubble coming out of the top of 798 00:55:48,360 --> 00:55:50,920 his head. Who the hell is this guy? 799 00:55:52,040 --> 00:55:56,080 And why is his name so long? Well, yeah, it, I think they go 800 00:55:56,080 --> 00:55:58,280 in in the whole thing. They don't. 801 00:55:58,280 --> 00:55:59,520 They have to put each letter out. 802 00:55:59,520 --> 00:56:04,640 But anyway, though, I'm leading the tournament and I'm feeling 803 00:56:04,640 --> 00:56:05,920 good. I have to be honest. 804 00:56:05,920 --> 00:56:09,800 I mean, I know that sounds pretty obvious, but you know, I 805 00:56:09,800 --> 00:56:14,000 wasn't nervous anymore. I was, I was playing proper, 806 00:56:14,000 --> 00:56:18,640 proper golf and you know, I was doing it all as I should be. 807 00:56:19,840 --> 00:56:22,600 So I get on to the next tee, don't quite draw the tee shot 808 00:56:22,600 --> 00:56:27,360 enough and I'm, I'm stuck on the slope and I'm having to to 3 809 00:56:27,360 --> 00:56:31,640 iron in and unfortunately I'm on a down slope. 810 00:56:31,640 --> 00:56:35,480 But normally what tends to happen is you if you're hitting 811 00:56:35,480 --> 00:56:38,360 a long iron in because it's a long hole, it's as long. 812 00:56:39,080 --> 00:56:42,960 Well, it's as long as some of the par fives the 10th. 813 00:56:43,280 --> 00:56:46,040 But obviously with it being downhill, it doesn't play it. 814 00:56:46,040 --> 00:56:50,040 But anyway, so I'm hitting three and I've just gutted out into 815 00:56:50,040 --> 00:56:54,560 the right hand bunker gutted play a great bunker shot out 816 00:56:54,560 --> 00:56:57,640 which stops. Don't ask me what how it stopped 817 00:56:57,640 --> 00:57:00,680 because as I say, the greens are running pretty darn quick and 818 00:57:00,680 --> 00:57:06,040 it's not an easy bunker shot and it's crushed marble the the 819 00:57:06,040 --> 00:57:08,520 sand. So it's very hard to get a lot 820 00:57:08,520 --> 00:57:11,680 of spin. You know, technically it has to 821 00:57:11,680 --> 00:57:18,880 be Immaculate to get spin, but you know, it's it's it's almost 822 00:57:18,880 --> 00:57:21,040 blinding. Actually, if if the sun's out, 823 00:57:21,040 --> 00:57:23,280 it's almost blinding. You almost need to put your dark 824 00:57:23,280 --> 00:57:27,000 glasses on to play bunker shots. But anyway, I played a good 825 00:57:27,000 --> 00:57:31,480 bunker shot out and I lit out and I actually thought I'd hold 826 00:57:31,480 --> 00:57:35,680 it and it just, it took the whole did a almost a not quite a 827 00:57:35,680 --> 00:57:39,600 360. But anyway, to cut a Long story 828 00:57:39,600 --> 00:57:44,480 short, I mean, it's a brutal hard course, but I've, I'm 829 00:57:44,480 --> 00:57:48,480 coming up 17 level path. So I've made a couple of bogeys, 830 00:57:48,480 --> 00:57:52,480 which obviously 10 was a tough one to make. 11's a hard hole 831 00:57:52,800 --> 00:57:58,280 for me. 14's quite a hard hole for me because I've obviously 832 00:57:58,280 --> 00:58:01,440 got a play quite a long iron into a green which really only 833 00:58:01,440 --> 00:58:03,240 need you. You need to be hitting a 834 00:58:03,240 --> 00:58:08,520 relatively short iron to be able to control the spin and get 835 00:58:08,520 --> 00:58:12,240 yourself into a position on the right tier because again, you 836 00:58:12,240 --> 00:58:14,440 don't realize how slopey these greens are. 837 00:58:14,440 --> 00:58:19,200 They are incredibly slopey greens and obviously very quick. 838 00:58:20,640 --> 00:58:26,800 So anyway, I've, I've, I've come down must tell you about 16 par 839 00:58:26,800 --> 00:58:29,960 3. So anyway, I played the five 840 00:58:29,960 --> 00:58:34,680 iron pins back right and I played it on to the right team. 841 00:58:34,680 --> 00:58:37,840 Mr. Palmer's slightly long left hard cut. 842 00:58:39,120 --> 00:58:41,680 And we've it's a massive gallery. 843 00:58:42,280 --> 00:58:48,080 As I said, we must have had probably 1200 people just 844 00:58:48,080 --> 00:58:52,200 following our particular game. So whenever the gallery was for 845 00:58:52,200 --> 00:58:58,240 that particular hole, it's swelled by 12 by 1200, following 846 00:58:58,840 --> 00:59:00,360 Palmer. I'd like to think it was 847 00:59:00,360 --> 00:59:02,360 following me, but it obviously wasn't. 848 00:59:03,640 --> 00:59:07,400 So anyway, Mr. Palmer's whacked this shot onto the backup and 849 00:59:07,400 --> 00:59:11,120 he's got a putt first. So he's got about a 2528 footer 850 00:59:12,760 --> 00:59:18,560 and I'm stood there. And again, what happens is the 851 00:59:18,560 --> 00:59:25,080 patrons recognize a good shot or a good putt in particular, 852 00:59:25,400 --> 00:59:28,440 because they've seen over and over again people putting all 853 00:59:28,440 --> 00:59:31,600 around the hole. So they know whether a putt's a 854 00:59:31,600 --> 00:59:34,600 good putt or a bad putt. Anyway, Palmer's hit this putt 855 00:59:35,640 --> 00:59:39,040 and it's it's climbed the hill and it started to turn. 856 00:59:39,040 --> 00:59:41,280 I'm looking at it and I'm thinking, do you know what 857 00:59:41,280 --> 00:59:44,880 that's going to be close? And as the ball comes towards 858 00:59:44,880 --> 00:59:49,000 the hole, the hubbub starts to build, build and build. 859 00:59:49,280 --> 00:59:53,920 In it goes makes 2 Palmer holding his putter aloft. 860 00:59:53,920 --> 00:59:58,640 Like this crowd are going absolutely bonkers. 861 00:59:58,880 --> 01:00:02,280 I thought it was bad enough on the first tee, but literally 862 01:00:02,280 --> 01:00:09,160 even now it gives me goosebumps relating this story because I 863 01:00:09,160 --> 01:00:17,000 couldn't hear anything other than a uniform deafening sound. 864 01:00:17,120 --> 01:00:22,520 Even when I've been to football matches I have never experienced 865 01:00:22,520 --> 01:00:27,560 anything quite like that. In that I could feel the sound 866 01:00:27,560 --> 01:00:36,320 through the soles of my shoes. It was absolutely unbelievable 867 01:00:36,320 --> 01:00:41,360 and lasted for 2-3 minutes. It was deafening. 868 01:00:43,520 --> 01:00:47,120 Anyway, it's my turn and I lip out for A2 as well. 869 01:00:47,360 --> 01:00:49,440 God if that had gone in. I've had them on Monday. 870 01:00:49,440 --> 01:00:52,560 What everyone was saying. Anyway, we're walking to the 871 01:00:52,560 --> 01:00:57,520 17th T, which I'm going to relate to, and there's a guy in 872 01:00:57,520 --> 01:01:00,800 in left hand side as Palmer's passing him. 873 01:01:01,280 --> 01:01:04,120 Honey, honey, you're the man like this. 874 01:01:04,120 --> 01:01:07,800 Which amused me because I've never actually heard anyone say 875 01:01:07,800 --> 01:01:12,080 that in real life. And as I walk past, he goes and 876 01:01:12,080 --> 01:01:16,840 you're the man too. What's we're cracking up as 877 01:01:16,840 --> 01:01:22,760 we're getting on to 17th tea, David McCarthy said to Palmer. 878 01:01:22,760 --> 01:01:25,000 Palmer's very deaf. He's got hearing aids in both 879 01:01:25,000 --> 01:01:28,840 ears, he said. Arnie, it's no wonder you need 880 01:01:28,840 --> 01:01:32,800 hearing aids if you're going to have that sort of reaction every 881 01:01:32,800 --> 01:01:35,280 time you play a world class shot. 882 01:01:36,400 --> 01:01:38,480 So we all laugh about that as well. 883 01:01:38,920 --> 01:01:42,440 Anyway, Palmer blitzes one down. I hit decent one down, very 884 01:01:42,440 --> 01:01:47,560 hard, tee shot 17, got trees left and right and it's uphill 885 01:01:47,560 --> 01:01:52,320 so you've got a lot of pressure and again I'm hitting quite a 886 01:01:52,320 --> 01:01:56,240 long club in. I'm in three iron again and it 887 01:01:56,240 --> 01:01:57,880 just squeaks through the back edge. 888 01:01:58,320 --> 01:02:04,160 Pins sort of back left and I chip in, chip in for a three. 889 01:02:04,160 --> 01:02:10,240 So I'm back to under par and Palmer again comes. 890 01:02:10,480 --> 01:02:14,880 And the great thing about Palmer was he was enjoying my game as 891 01:02:14,880 --> 01:02:19,760 much as he was enjoying his own. And yeah, we were complementing 892 01:02:19,760 --> 01:02:22,560 each other on shots. And you know, it was just, it 893 01:02:22,560 --> 01:02:26,400 was just a great day. It was 2 mates going out to play 894 01:02:26,400 --> 01:02:30,000 golf on a custom National, which is, you know, a bit surreal. 895 01:02:30,680 --> 01:02:36,520 But anyway, so me to tee off, hit one down there and middle of 896 01:02:36,520 --> 01:02:38,760 the fairway again, great, really good tee shot. 897 01:02:39,280 --> 01:02:45,600 Palmer's hit one down there and I'm not quite sure what to play. 898 01:02:46,200 --> 01:02:49,800 I've either got to hit 5 iron hard or A4 iron easy. 899 01:02:50,440 --> 01:02:52,520 Now. Again, the holes completely 900 01:02:52,520 --> 01:02:56,800 transform now because even in 2004 I was hitting a full on 901 01:02:56,800 --> 01:03:02,920 five wood, so it was obviously playing significantly longer. 902 01:03:04,080 --> 01:03:06,960 But actually what it did do is it brought the bunkers into play 903 01:03:06,960 --> 01:03:10,680 for the longer hitters. You know, obviously we'll never 904 01:03:10,680 --> 01:03:16,320 forget somebody Lao playing his bunker shot out of on 18 to win 905 01:03:16,320 --> 01:03:20,480 the tournament. But it brought the bunkers into 906 01:03:20,480 --> 01:03:22,600 play. Whereas now, I suppose it does 907 01:03:22,600 --> 01:03:25,280 now because the guy's hitting it insane distances. 908 01:03:26,200 --> 01:03:32,640 But I couldn't get it across the walkway in 2004, I was just 909 01:03:32,640 --> 01:03:36,240 literally on the walkway going across the fairway. 910 01:03:36,320 --> 01:03:39,360 So I'm hitting five wood full out to try and get it on the 911 01:03:39,360 --> 01:03:41,720 green, try and pitch it on the front and get it to scoot up. 912 01:03:43,520 --> 01:03:47,360 But anyway, so I've got to make a decision and I choose 5I 913 01:03:47,640 --> 01:03:49,800 sorry, choose 4 iron, hit it easy. 914 01:03:49,960 --> 01:03:53,320 Of course I don't bring the club face in to square it up quite 915 01:03:53,320 --> 01:03:54,920 enough. Finishes in the right hand 916 01:03:54,920 --> 01:03:57,360 bunker splash out to about 5 feet. 917 01:03:57,360 --> 01:04:02,440 Good bunker shot and lip out. So that finishes level par. 918 01:04:03,560 --> 01:04:07,360 So obviously we shake hands. I've shot level par. 919 01:04:07,360 --> 01:04:12,680 Mr. Palmer shot 75. So anyway, I asked when I go 920 01:04:12,680 --> 01:04:16,840 into the recorder's office if it's possible to have that card. 921 01:04:17,360 --> 01:04:20,120 Him signed it. They gave me a photocopy, which 922 01:04:20,120 --> 01:04:24,480 is quite the same. They keep all the cards 923 01:04:24,480 --> 01:04:26,280 apparently. Really. 924 01:04:28,920 --> 01:04:31,360 I would love to have that card that's. 925 01:04:31,720 --> 01:04:33,320 Been a classic one, yeah, because. 926 01:04:33,440 --> 01:04:36,280 Again, it relates the story as I tell it. 927 01:04:36,720 --> 01:04:41,680 So anyway, then I come out and I've got, they didn't really 928 01:04:41,680 --> 01:04:43,320 have a press center in those days. 929 01:04:44,000 --> 01:04:50,240 And literally, I gave my, you know, sort of press interview 930 01:04:50,680 --> 01:04:53,880 outside, sat on the chair underneath the beautiful tree 931 01:04:54,240 --> 01:04:58,480 outside the clubhouse. And I must have had, I don't 932 01:04:58,480 --> 01:05:02,800 know, 30 people, you know, taking notes and, you know, 933 01:05:02,880 --> 01:05:06,320 taking recordings and stuff like that, asking me. 934 01:05:06,320 --> 01:05:09,480 And I must have been there for 40 minutes. 935 01:05:10,880 --> 01:05:13,760 Loved every minute of it. Obviously, it was a great day 936 01:05:13,760 --> 01:05:18,480 anyway. But still to this day that is I 937 01:05:18,480 --> 01:05:22,280 can remember every shot, every moment. 938 01:05:22,920 --> 01:05:26,640 The story, obviously the number of stories that, you know, sort 939 01:05:26,640 --> 01:05:35,560 of revolve around what went on. It's yeah, I've done other great 940 01:05:35,560 --> 01:05:37,800 things, you know, obviously winning the amateur and the 941 01:05:37,800 --> 01:05:41,880 Eisenhower and stuff like that. But to me, that was the greatest 942 01:05:41,880 --> 01:05:45,920 days golf I've ever had in my life because for for all the 943 01:05:45,920 --> 01:05:52,840 reasons of, you know, where it was, what it means to me, the 944 01:05:52,840 --> 01:05:58,120 situation in my career at that stage, you know, obviously an 945 01:05:58,120 --> 01:06:00,160 incredible, incredible experience. 946 01:06:00,400 --> 01:06:05,560 So I always look at it and they go, well, that that to me is is 947 01:06:05,560 --> 01:06:07,760 what it was all about. That's why I play golf. 948 01:06:09,920 --> 01:06:19,040 So obviously we then move on to 2004 and we've got one the 949 01:06:19,040 --> 01:06:24,480 amateur really well, a 12 year split never been done before 950 01:06:25,240 --> 01:06:29,440 between, you know, winning the amateur. 951 01:06:29,440 --> 01:06:32,040 That was a royal true fantastic experience. 952 01:06:33,720 --> 01:06:38,000 Played some of the best golf probably through a whole week 953 01:06:38,000 --> 01:06:43,240 that I've I've ever done again, a fantastic golf course, 954 01:06:43,480 --> 01:06:49,080 fantastic golf course. And it, it meant more to me then 955 01:06:49,080 --> 01:06:54,200 from the point of view that I knew what it, it, the rewards 956 01:06:54,200 --> 01:06:56,440 were. Couldn't wait to go back to 957 01:06:56,440 --> 01:06:59,960 Augusta again. And I did it slightly 958 01:06:59,960 --> 01:07:01,640 differently. Obviously I was in a different 959 01:07:01,640 --> 01:07:07,440 situation. I was the manager of a Golf 960 01:07:07,440 --> 01:07:09,520 Club, Killer Springs, in the Midlands. 961 01:07:09,920 --> 01:07:13,640 And, you know, I had more time to be able to devote. 962 01:07:13,640 --> 01:07:16,200 I was playing a lot of golf in those days. 963 01:07:16,840 --> 01:07:22,040 So I was better prepared in in some ways and stayed in a house 964 01:07:22,720 --> 01:07:26,760 actually in Augusta itself. And I had, I don't know, eight 965 01:07:26,760 --> 01:07:33,320 friends, one of which Colin Edwards, who was an 966 01:07:33,320 --> 01:07:36,720 international colleague of mine to caddy for me. 967 01:07:37,920 --> 01:07:44,920 And could, would, could I have all, on reflection, would I have 968 01:07:44,920 --> 01:07:47,120 done things differently? Yes, I probably would. 969 01:07:48,560 --> 01:07:50,400 But it was still a fantastic experience. 970 01:07:50,400 --> 01:07:52,440 I played with Briny Baird and Tom Watson. 971 01:07:53,160 --> 01:07:56,160 I was lucky enough to play with Tom Watson a few times in my 972 01:07:56,160 --> 01:08:00,920 career, an amazing man. He lost his caddy literally the 973 01:08:00,920 --> 01:08:06,480 day before his old caddy and he didn't turn up on the tea on 974 01:08:06,480 --> 01:08:11,640 time and he was then escorted onto the tee and we thought we 975 01:08:11,640 --> 01:08:18,200 were going to play A2 ball. But anyway he did turn up. 976 01:08:18,200 --> 01:08:22,960 It was we teed off 10 minutes late but and no one really told 977 01:08:22,960 --> 01:08:25,160 me at the time. I thought it was a bit strange 978 01:08:25,160 --> 01:08:27,479 but no one actually told me at the time what had happened. 979 01:08:28,080 --> 01:08:30,479 It's only afterwards that I found out that he'd lost his 980 01:08:30,479 --> 01:08:36,240 cavity, which was obviously he was an absolute gentleman, 981 01:08:36,720 --> 01:08:40,640 fantastic to play with under the circumstances of what had 982 01:08:40,640 --> 01:08:48,560 happened. And I shot 757676. 983 01:08:48,800 --> 01:08:52,399 I had a treble and a double, no birdies. 984 01:08:53,479 --> 01:09:00,680 And in the 75, you know, obviously I sort of had a bit of 985 01:09:00,680 --> 01:09:06,080 a an up and down day, but 76 with without any birdies was 986 01:09:06,840 --> 01:09:09,520 with a traveler and a double and I traveled the first. 987 01:09:11,080 --> 01:09:14,399 So it just shows you that first hole always was going to be 988 01:09:14,399 --> 01:09:17,399 difficult for me. But a much longer, I mean, I was 989 01:09:17,399 --> 01:09:18,680 hitting five wood into the green. 990 01:09:19,200 --> 01:09:22,760 You know, it's a sorry, sorry, I hit 5 iron into the green, 991 01:09:22,880 --> 01:09:27,080 missed it right and didn't get up and down and obviously 992 01:09:27,200 --> 01:09:31,279 started to make all sorts of hash UPS and and Watson came 993 01:09:31,279 --> 01:09:32,760 across. He said look, don't worry about 994 01:09:32,760 --> 01:09:34,800 it, you'll be fine. I said, look, don't worry about 995 01:09:34,800 --> 01:09:37,520 me. I've been around the block a few 996 01:09:37,520 --> 01:09:39,120 times. Don't you don't need to worry 997 01:09:39,120 --> 01:09:41,920 about me. Now whether that's came across 998 01:09:42,439 --> 01:09:46,439 wrong or not, but it didn't affect the way that I was going 999 01:09:46,439 --> 01:09:49,720 to play. Obviously I was disappointed to 1000 01:09:49,720 --> 01:09:52,200 start so badly, but that's just the way it goes. 1001 01:09:53,319 --> 01:09:56,920 But because I think he didn't want me to shoot 90 to put him 1002 01:09:56,920 --> 01:10:02,560 off basically, but that that wasn't really going to happen. 1003 01:10:03,120 --> 01:10:08,800 But you know, Augusta is. So the good thing is to to go 1004 01:10:08,800 --> 01:10:12,800 back to 92. I shot obviously 72 first round. 1005 01:10:12,800 --> 01:10:16,080 I was 30th or something round about 30th after the first 1006 01:10:16,080 --> 01:10:19,600 round. So I had quite a late draw and 1007 01:10:20,760 --> 01:10:27,560 you know, it's it's funny how players completely different. 1008 01:10:27,560 --> 01:10:32,000 But the second day unfortunately birded the last to shoot 79. 1009 01:10:32,280 --> 01:10:35,800 So I actually haven't shot worse than 79 in any of the four 1010 01:10:35,800 --> 01:10:37,720 rounds that I played. But I haven't made the cut. 1011 01:10:38,000 --> 01:10:40,280 So does that matter? Not really, I suppose. 1012 01:10:40,880 --> 01:10:45,360 But you know, when you see some guys who have quite catastrophic 1013 01:10:46,400 --> 01:10:53,840 rounds, you know, it's just a shame sometimes that you you can 1014 01:10:53,840 --> 01:10:55,440 appreciate what they're going through. 1015 01:10:55,600 --> 01:10:57,080 It's a completely new experience. 1016 01:10:57,080 --> 01:10:59,200 It's it's nerve wracking, etcetera, etcetera. 1017 01:10:59,560 --> 01:11:02,760 As I say, a lot of the time, some people's first round can be 1018 01:11:04,040 --> 01:11:06,520 pretty bad. Less so now because I think 1019 01:11:06,520 --> 01:11:10,680 players are much more capable of playing that golf course because 1020 01:11:10,680 --> 01:11:12,880 they hit the ball so far. Yeah. 1021 01:11:13,480 --> 01:11:20,280 That anyway, so it's, it's the ultimate experience. 1022 01:11:20,480 --> 01:11:25,040 I've always said to people, whatever happens, if you are a 1023 01:11:25,040 --> 01:11:31,680 lover of golf, you must go to Augusta National and play some 1024 01:11:31,680 --> 01:11:35,360 golf beforehand and then go and watch the Masters, make a trip 1025 01:11:35,360 --> 01:11:37,920 of it. Yeah, go into Atlanta, play some 1026 01:11:37,920 --> 01:11:41,920 courses around Atlanta or yeah, in that region, and then drive 1027 01:11:41,920 --> 01:11:46,240 down to Augusta and go and watch one of the practice rounds. 1028 01:11:46,480 --> 01:11:49,880 It is an experience you will never regret. 1029 01:11:49,880 --> 01:11:51,800 You'll be able to get your souvenirs. 1030 01:11:52,040 --> 01:11:56,120 You've watched some of the the shots, played intercourse in on 1031 01:11:56,120 --> 01:11:59,000 the course that you've known all your life. 1032 01:12:00,920 --> 01:12:04,240 So it's it's just the most extraordinary. 1033 01:12:04,680 --> 01:12:08,880 It's not unreasonable getting your tickets hard, but that it 1034 01:12:08,880 --> 01:12:11,160 is possible. Companies can get you tickets. 1035 01:12:12,240 --> 01:12:14,960 But yes, it's an amazing, amazing experience and it's 1036 01:12:14,960 --> 01:12:20,920 something that, you know, I'd love to do it again. 1037 01:12:21,120 --> 01:12:25,000 Even just to go back and walk those fairways again. 1038 01:12:25,000 --> 01:12:28,280 I would love to do that and follow. 1039 01:12:28,520 --> 01:12:32,320 I don't know what's Justin Rose win the tournament would be one 1040 01:12:32,320 --> 01:12:37,240 of my great emotional moments because I think he's been so 1041 01:12:37,240 --> 01:12:40,080 unlucky and obviously known Justin since he was 15. 1042 01:12:41,640 --> 01:12:46,040 I would love to see him when the Masters, but you know, just to 1043 01:12:46,040 --> 01:12:50,400 be able to go back there and and see the clubhouse and how the 1044 01:12:50,400 --> 01:12:52,840 course has changed. I'd love to do that. 1045 01:12:53,200 --> 01:12:56,360 I absolutely would. But you know, obviously I've 1046 01:12:56,360 --> 01:12:59,680 been lucky to go twice and I've got some souvenirs which are 1047 01:12:59,680 --> 01:13:02,240 amazing. And yeah, I've, I've been very, 1048 01:13:02,240 --> 01:13:04,360 very fortunate, very fortunate indeed. 1049 01:13:04,720 --> 01:13:10,280 And that is my my favorite. I haven't been able to extol it 1050 01:13:10,280 --> 01:13:13,120 as much as I would do because, you know, so much went on that 1051 01:13:13,120 --> 01:13:15,840 week. I wasn't really able to sort of 1052 01:13:15,840 --> 01:13:18,040 tell everything in the time that we've had. 1053 01:13:18,360 --> 01:13:22,120 But it was just, and it goes by so quick. 1054 01:13:22,400 --> 01:13:27,240 One thing I'll say to any amateur who qualifies, try and 1055 01:13:27,240 --> 01:13:31,000 live for every second of that week because you might never get 1056 01:13:31,000 --> 01:13:33,960 another opportunity to go. But some of the great pros have 1057 01:13:33,960 --> 01:13:38,360 never been to Augusta. I know and I think that the 1058 01:13:38,360 --> 01:13:41,960 advice that Pierre Alice gave you, daddy, whether you felt 1059 01:13:41,960 --> 01:13:45,000 that you adhere to or no, I'm sure that we still felt like A 1060 01:13:45,000 --> 01:13:48,880 blog, but you've clearly you have taken the time to look 1061 01:13:48,880 --> 01:13:52,960 around and take things and remember it and and savor and 1062 01:13:52,960 --> 01:13:54,440 your treasure it the rest of your life. 1063 01:13:54,440 --> 01:13:55,520 That's so. Nice. 1064 01:13:55,520 --> 01:14:00,400 It's digitally, completely and utterly etched in my brain 1065 01:14:01,880 --> 01:14:07,040 because it's. I can literally still visualize 1066 01:14:07,040 --> 01:14:10,080 everything. Yeah, I can visualize it from 1067 01:14:10,080 --> 01:14:13,160 pictures that I've seen that were taken by David Cannon. 1068 01:14:13,160 --> 01:14:17,040 It was a good friend of mine from Getty Images. 1069 01:14:18,240 --> 01:14:23,320 And I can also see it from the personal experience of, you 1070 01:14:23,320 --> 01:14:26,360 know, actually being there. I can still vividly remember, 1071 01:14:26,880 --> 01:14:32,960 you know, all the various bits. And you know, the great thing 1072 01:14:32,960 --> 01:14:40,200 about Augusta is, you know, I've got a picture with Jackson 1073 01:14:40,200 --> 01:14:45,240 Stevens, who was the chairman of Augusta National in 92 and 1074 01:14:45,240 --> 01:14:48,920 Arnold Palmer on the first tee. It is. 1075 01:14:49,200 --> 01:14:53,600 It's just not, it's never been done that the chairman of 1076 01:14:53,600 --> 01:14:56,960 Augusta National would come down and have a picture take. 1077 01:14:57,160 --> 01:15:03,320 But I happen to give Jackson Stevens a gift to say thank you 1078 01:15:03,320 --> 01:15:09,080 for inviting me to the masters. And I think he was genuinely 1079 01:15:09,080 --> 01:15:11,240 touched. Genuinely touched. 1080 01:15:12,640 --> 01:15:14,600 So he came down and had a picture taken with us, which 1081 01:15:14,600 --> 01:15:20,040 was, again, another slightly surreal moment of that thirsty 1082 01:15:20,040 --> 01:15:25,480 experience. But yeah, it's just one. 1083 01:15:25,560 --> 01:15:28,520 It just so many things, you know, as I say, I could have 1084 01:15:28,520 --> 01:15:33,440 been arrested on the first day I arrived and being in jail for 1085 01:15:33,440 --> 01:15:36,000 the night, you know what a story that would have been. 1086 01:15:36,920 --> 01:15:41,120 But anyway, so it's it's one of those things where you you just 1087 01:15:41,120 --> 01:15:46,440 go forwards and go, well, if nothing else happened in my 1088 01:15:46,440 --> 01:15:50,080 life, at least I've had that and I've had some amazing things 1089 01:15:50,080 --> 01:15:52,040 happen. You know, obviously winning the 1090 01:15:52,040 --> 01:15:54,800 Eisenhower and winning the amateur twice. 1091 01:15:54,800 --> 01:15:59,360 And you know, lots of other stuff, you know, like the number 1092 01:15:59,360 --> 01:16:02,240 of caps and, you know, interviews that I've had and 1093 01:16:02,240 --> 01:16:04,520 people I play golf with and places I've been to. 1094 01:16:04,840 --> 01:16:08,520 You know, I was lucky enough, you know, to meet AUS president 1095 01:16:08,520 --> 01:16:15,120 in, you know, George Bush, the, the senior when he came down to 1096 01:16:15,120 --> 01:16:19,120 Sea Ireland for the Walker Cup, just prior to the Walker Cup, 1097 01:16:19,480 --> 01:16:21,960 you know, met the Queen, had an MBE. 1098 01:16:21,960 --> 01:16:27,240 You know, these things are just stuff that I treasure massively. 1099 01:16:27,440 --> 01:16:31,000 I, I, I've, I've got rid of a lot of my memorabilia now, which 1100 01:16:31,000 --> 01:16:34,360 is sad in some respects, but I haven't got space for it all. 1101 01:16:34,880 --> 01:16:36,480 I was always a collector of stuff. 1102 01:16:38,200 --> 01:16:42,800 And, you know, I look at it and I go, well, at least I've got 1103 01:16:42,800 --> 01:16:44,840 those memories and I hope I'm able to retain them. 1104 01:16:44,840 --> 01:16:48,160 And, you know, if I have Alzheimer's, one of the things 1105 01:16:48,160 --> 01:16:51,360 that people will at least be able to ask me is what was the 1106 01:16:51,360 --> 01:16:53,800 gust tonight? Because I swear to you, I'd be, 1107 01:16:54,040 --> 01:16:57,520 I'd be decimated if I ever forgot that, that, you know, 1108 01:16:57,640 --> 01:17:01,960 those two trips. But the first one in particular 1109 01:17:01,960 --> 01:17:06,680 is just every shot, every shot I can remember every shot, umm, 1110 01:17:07,200 --> 01:17:10,760 and uh, you know, just the experience, you know, of, of, 1111 01:17:11,720 --> 01:17:13,200 umm, it's a shame in some respects. 1112 01:17:13,200 --> 01:17:16,120 I wasn't doing it in an era where they did interviews or 1113 01:17:16,120 --> 01:17:21,000 showed my round on TV because they didn't, uh, I don't think I 1114 01:17:21,000 --> 01:17:25,760 saw a single shot of mine, uh, on TV and they didn't do 1115 01:17:25,760 --> 01:17:28,280 recordings and you know, you only saw the back nine. 1116 01:17:28,280 --> 01:17:29,960 Well, of course they weren't going to show my back nine 1117 01:17:29,960 --> 01:17:33,640 particularly, but having said that, if an amateur did what I'd 1118 01:17:33,640 --> 01:17:36,160 done, they'd have been showing quite a lot of it. 1119 01:17:36,760 --> 01:17:38,000 Yeah. On Sky. 1120 01:17:39,840 --> 01:17:43,440 So that's, it's slightly different era. 1121 01:17:43,440 --> 01:17:45,280 Golf course is obviously completely different. 1122 01:17:45,640 --> 01:17:48,480 It's it was way more beautiful in those days because that that 1123 01:17:48,480 --> 01:17:53,480 pristine cutting of the fairways just looks and looked amazing. 1124 01:17:54,000 --> 01:17:57,120 Now it, it doesn't look quite as pretty. 1125 01:17:57,600 --> 01:18:00,320 I always wondered whether they go back to the crisscross 1126 01:18:00,320 --> 01:18:05,160 cutting for the members. I suppose they would do, but for 1127 01:18:05,160 --> 01:18:08,240 the tournament proper, obviously they groom it from green to tea. 1128 01:18:09,280 --> 01:18:13,120 But you know, just to have been part of of that tournament is 1129 01:18:13,120 --> 01:18:16,440 just amazing. And you know, I still, I still 1130 01:18:16,440 --> 01:18:19,760 love telling the story. I love telling the story. 1131 01:18:20,480 --> 01:18:22,240 Absolutely. And thanks so much for sharing 1132 01:18:22,240 --> 01:18:24,560 it with me. And it's been a real privilege 1133 01:18:24,560 --> 01:18:25,800 to hear the first time. Thank you. 1134 01:18:25,800 --> 01:18:28,320 Well. I've enjoyed it and you know, 1135 01:18:28,320 --> 01:18:32,360 obviously it's just as I say, we scratched the surface invariably 1136 01:18:32,360 --> 01:18:37,200 of, of things that I've I've been able to do within the game. 1137 01:18:37,200 --> 01:18:43,400 But you know, those those particular trips were very, very 1138 01:18:43,400 --> 01:18:48,440 special. You know, as amateur champion 1139 01:18:48,680 --> 01:18:54,160 you get lots of benefits. But prior to the second one, we 1140 01:18:54,160 --> 01:18:57,200 had the match, they got the Georgia Cup, which is the US 1141 01:18:57,200 --> 01:19:02,720 Amateur champion, played the amateur champion on the Lakes 1142 01:19:02,720 --> 01:19:06,040 course at the Golf Club of Jordan. 1143 01:19:06,040 --> 01:19:10,280 You made an unremember. So I had to play Nick Flanagan 1144 01:19:10,280 --> 01:19:16,080 in, in this televised event head on match play. 1145 01:19:16,640 --> 01:19:21,960 And I happened to play particularly well because Nick 1146 01:19:21,960 --> 01:19:25,080 had, he's an Australian who won the US Amateur. 1147 01:19:25,600 --> 01:19:27,800 So it was a bit surreal not playing an American. 1148 01:19:27,800 --> 01:19:33,000 But you know, again, I played particularly well that 1149 01:19:33,520 --> 01:19:36,880 particular tournament more that that match. 1150 01:19:38,800 --> 01:19:42,080 I managed to win three and two. So my name's on the the the 1151 01:19:42,080 --> 01:19:46,800 board in the got a Golf Club of Georgia, which and I can always 1152 01:19:46,800 --> 01:19:48,760 go back there, which is rather nice. 1153 01:19:50,360 --> 01:19:56,360 But yeah, so fantastic things that happen, you know, when you 1154 01:19:56,360 --> 01:19:59,800 win an amateur championship, it's just about being able to 1155 01:19:59,800 --> 01:20:02,080 have the presence of mind to fully enjoy it. 1156 01:20:03,000 --> 01:20:05,320 Absolutely. Big, big piece of advice for 1157 01:20:05,320 --> 01:20:07,040 anyone who wins the amateur in the future. 1158 01:20:08,240 --> 01:20:10,120 Well, thanks so much for sharing that story, Gary. 1159 01:20:10,120 --> 01:20:12,600 It's been brilliant to listen to it first hand. 1160 01:20:12,600 --> 01:20:14,080 Thank you. My pleasure. 1161 01:20:14,280 --> 01:20:19,120 Not at all. I'd like to thank Gary 1162 01:20:19,120 --> 01:20:21,600 Wolstenholme for the support of the pod and for sharing his 1163 01:20:21,600 --> 01:20:23,360 incredible master stories with us. 1164 01:20:23,560 --> 01:20:26,160 If you enjoyed this episode, please follow the link by Golf 1165 01:20:26,160 --> 01:20:28,960 in your favorite podcast platform, leave a review, and 1166 01:20:28,960 --> 01:20:31,160 share it with someone who loves golf in people's journeys. 1167 01:20:31,280 --> 01:20:35,400 You can also find the show on Instagram at link by G2024 for 1168 01:20:35,400 --> 01:20:38,720 future episodes, clips and insights, I'm Ross McGuire, 1169 01:20:38,800 --> 01:20:41,360 thanks for listening. Loman Golf Tours have helped 1170 01:20:41,360 --> 01:20:44,320 thousands of guests build bespoke golf trips to create a 1171 01:20:44,320 --> 01:20:46,920 magical experience travel and style. 1172 01:20:46,920 --> 01:20:48,640 Whether executive chauffeur travel. 1173 01:20:49,000 --> 01:20:52,000 Whether it's golf on a major championship venue or one of our 1174 01:20:52,000 --> 01:20:55,600 hidden gems, 5 star accommodation or a boutique bed 1175 01:20:55,600 --> 01:20:58,480 and breakfast or is it whiskey tasting on a private. 1176 01:20:58,480 --> 01:21:00,680 Boat. Loman Golf Tours are here to 1177 01:21:00,680 --> 01:21:02,360 help build the tour of a lifetime. 1178 01:21:02,840 --> 01:21:05,720 Whether you're celebrating a special occasion or taking it 1179 01:21:05,720 --> 01:21:08,760 off your bucket list, embark on a trip that you'll remember 1180 01:21:08,760 --> 01:21:13,120 forever. Visit www.lomangolftours.com.