Stephen Gallacher and Sandy Lyle were heading in opposite directions after contrasting experiences in the Masters at Augusta National.
Gallacher saved the best for last in carding a two under par 70 for a six-over par tally while Lyle celebrated his 100th Augusta in his 33rd Masters to be three shots higher in a round of 73.
Gallacher has accepted an invitation to contest Thursday’s starting RBC Heritage Classic and the first of two regular PGA Tour events before returning for June’s US Open at Pinehurst.
And while Gallacher has now competed in all four Majors he believes his maiden Masters experience will be prove invaluable going forward to the year’s other three Majors and hopefully onto an event in Perthshire in late September.
“The Majors are the Majors, and it’s the experience of playing in the toughest conditions, the toughest courses and the best fields where you want to be,” he.
“You’ve got to play on the top of your game. You’ve got to be patient and everything. The more you play on them, the more you get used to them.
“I’m playing the next three, and the WGCs, as well, so it’s all good.
“So standing here looking back on my week I’ve just loved it. It’s been brilliant to play.
“I’ve had three rounds in 72 or better and just that poor round on Saturday, so it’s not bad for your first experience”.
Gallacher ended his round 30 minutes before the leading duo of Jordan Spieth and Bubba Watson had teed off with his last round a mix of six birdies, two bogeys and a 10th hole double.
For the purists, his best hole all week was ‘Firethorn’, the par five 15th where he was three under par for the week while his poorest hole was easily ‘Camillea’, the downhill par four 10th where he dropped a shot on day one and took double each time over the weekend.
“The 10th hasn’t been kind to me all week,” he said.
“It’s a tough hole, 520 yards or something, so it’s been a bit of a shocker. I clipped two trees today and they just spattered them away and dead. So one of those things.”
And after five practice rounds, the Par-3 Contest and then four rounds of competition, Gallacher looked just as relaxed as when he first drove down Magnolia Lane.
The memories will stay with him and his young family for a very long time, and while the credit card took a hammering, Gallacher can be pleased with his efforts.
“I don’t know if there’s been a particular moment or a shot that stands out this week, but just being here has been great,” he said.
“I wasn’t as nervous as I thought I was going to be. I just enjoyed the whole experience and just kind of going with the flow.
“My family has had a great week, so too has friends.
“I definitely know I want to be back here next year, and that’s the key, to play well enough to be back next year.”
All he needs to avoid now is not get caught speeding, like Padraig Harrington and Jose Marie Olazabal, on the drive through some quintessential ‘Deep South’ small towns on route to Hilton Head.
And when asked what Masters mementoes he’ll take home, Gallacher smiled: “My credit card got hit big time in the merchandise. So I’ve got enough friends at home so there’s going to be plenty of green Augusta stuff heading back home.”
Sandy Lyle left Augusta with a gift-wrapped set to Augusta National inscribed crystal goblets and his reward for an eagle ‘three’ at the par five, 13th.
“Actually, I just asked them if they’re still doing any crystal, because it’s been a long time since I got any,” said Lyle smiling.
“I haven’t had that many eagles, and not that many at 13 as most of the ones were actually made on number 8.
“So I would say that’s about eight eagles I’ve had and a nice way to end my 100th round.”
However the 56-year old was looking forward to returning to the Champions Tour where he will join fellow Scot Colin Montgomerie and ‘rookie’ Miguel Angel Jimenez competing in Friday’s starting three-round Greateer Gwinnett Championship at TPC Sugarloaf, and the former home of the PGAT Tour’s Bell South Classic.
“For me playing the Master doesn’t get any easier physically,” he said.
“My legs are sort of hanging in there, that’s when it gets to you is your physical, mental side that can fade away, if you’re not careful. You got to have lots of liquids out there. I felt okay today.”
