Augusta, GA … Past champion Sandy Lyle revealed he will call it quits at Augusta National in two years and on the 30th anniversary of his Masters triumph.
Lyle says the Georgia golfing gem is simply getting too tough for the now 58-year old who missed this year’s Masters cut with scores of 76 and 81 for a 13-over par tally.
It was Lyle’s Scot’s 35th Augusta appearance since making his debut in 1980 and eight years before becoming still the only Home of Golf player to be fitted with a Masters green jacket.
And playing the two rounds this year alongside strapping Bernd Wiesberger of Austria, and a player 28 years his junior, sending drives well past the Scot didn’t add to Lyle’s continuing Masters pleasure.
Twenty-eight years after the joy of winning the 1988 Masters and Scot Sandy Lyle says he’s quitting Augusta in two years time
“The problem for me now is that Augusta is getting a bit long,” he said.
“Playing with the young ones here opens your eyes in terms of how far they hit the ball these days.
“At the last on Friday, I was hitting a 3-iron for my second shot whereas Bernd (Wiesberher) probably had something like an 8-iron in there and I’m no slouch.
“I still feel I hit the ball long enough and I actually hit the ball nicely this week. I just didn’t hole any putts and also had a couple of bad holes.
“At the ninth in the second round, for instance, I made a seven from 130 flipping yards in the middle of the fairway. That’s the kind of thing that leaves you wanting to kick yourself in the nuts.
“It took me three chip shots to get it on the green from just below the putting surface and you end up with a 7, just like that.
“So there is definitely a fine line between coming back here thinking you are doing the right thing but not actually enjoying it.
“Right now I think I’ll have two years more left at the most – no more than that. It would be nice to go out on a high and hopefully I can make the cut again.”
It has been 31 years since Lyle posted a lowest Masters round of 65 on day two of the 1985 Masters.
But then Augusta has always been a golf course where Lyle has struggled to break 70 and, in fact, he’s done that on just six occasions in 104 rounds, and with 23 of those rounds under par, nine at level par and 70 over par.
The last time Lyle broke 70 was a 69 on the opening day of the 2010 Masters and eight years after his prior sub-70 effort in the second round in 1992.
Indeed, Lyle’s scoring average coming into this year’s Masters was 74.27 while in relation to par he was 232-over.
“I’ve got some Champions Tour events coming up but my main frustration on that is that I’ve not played nearly as well as I know I can,” he said.
“My putting has been diabolical. I’ve hardly broken 30 putts all freakin year.
“That’s what is killing me half the time as I am starting to hit the ball quite nicely. I need to try and get something to happen on the greens as I’m getting cheesed off finishing 45th-50th all the time.
“Bernd isn’t one of the new young wave in European golf. I thought he might be around 25 but he’s actually 30. He’s a nice fella and doesn’t do anything outrageous on the golf course.
“He can hit the ball low in the wind, which is a good asset. He’d certainly be great for a Ryder Cup, especially with that shot in his bag.
“And also adding to my frustration this year is that I think I averaged 35 putts this week, having holed nothing, which is not like me.
“In fact, I didn’t have a single birdie in 36 holes, which isn’t like me either. Even when I’ve played my worst golf, I’ve managed to make birdies and the occasional eagle.”
And Lyle’s announcement comes in the same Masters week as Welshman Ian Woosnan confirmed he has walked the Georgia course for a last time with continuing back concerns spoiling ‘Woosie’s’ 28th and last Masters after scores of 82 and 81.
