Sandy Lyle ended his 100th Major with Masters rounds of 82 and 76 and is promising to make it 101 Majors ‘for his family’ in teeing-up at next year’s 87th Masters.
The 64-year-old former Masters Champion, and again decked-out wearing braces, managed just three birdies over the two days to finish well down the field with a 14-over-par tally.
For the double major champion, and with Lyle winning the 1985 Open along with the 1988 Masters, it’s the ninth occasion in succession he’s missed the cut and the ninth time in his last 11 Masters, since 2000, he’s sat out the weekend rounds.
All up, the proud Scot has contested 40th Masters, and won at his seventh attempt, and when asked what his plans are now and in celebrating this year a 100th major, Lyle tugged on his braces to declare he’ll be back in ’23.
Sandy Lyle celebrates a 100th major at this year’s Masters and vowing now to make it 101 teeing-up in the 2023 Masters
“It will be something to tell the grandchildren. 100 major tournaments”, said Lyle. “Also, I think my older son is coming over next year with a few of his buddies, and I think my younger son is probably coming out, so we’re going to be full family, I think, so I think it will be the end of the day.
“I think you know yourself. I know Fuzzy said some years ago that he puts his hand up in the Tuesday night dinner and said, ‘I would like to let you know I’m going to retire.’ Tommy Aaron and Charles Coody went on a bit longer and maybe they shouldn’t have gone as far as they did, but that was their choice.
“I’m still reasonably strong at nearly 6-feet tall, so I can still get the ball out there at reasonable distances when I put my mind to it. I can still putt half decent. I’ve got my nerves still there, so there’s always a little hope that making the cut and then making a challenge and coming in the top 20 or something.
“So, we’ll make a big celebration of it. I should go to the gym the rest of the year, and I might make a better attack on the golf course”.
Lyle has won 30 times in his career however his last taste of victory was a dozen years ago in capturing a first and only victory on the European Seniors Tour.
It seemed only opportune that Lyle be asked to reflect on his maiden Major appearance and that being the 1974 Open Championship at Royal Lytham and St. Annes.
“I was 16, I would say, playing in the Open Championship at Lytham and that would be the first memory really”, he said. “There were two cuts that week as well, which is unusual. Normally it’s only one cut.
“I made the first cut by about three or four shots doing flying colors, and then I ended up missing the cut by, whatever, two or three shots because I had a big number on the fifth or sixth hole or something. At par five, I couldn’t get out of a bunker.
“My heart was coming out of my chest for the first opening tee shot, amateur or no amateur or pro or whatever. I was just thump, thump, thump, thump and thinking, ‘my God, I hope it’s going to get better or get easier.’ The feelings of nerves and trying to control your emotions and your hands and your putting. Not easy when you are 16.
“Gradually you get used to those situations, and you deal with it. Nobody ever goes through it without some sort of panic stages at some stage. So that was the first one at the age of 16, the Open Championship. That was my most memorable start to a career of golf”.
Over the two days this week, Lyle managed three birdies, including a birdie at 18 on Thursday, but he never recovered from four bogeys in his opening five holes on day one, and after two rounds posted 11 bogeys, including closing out his round on day two with three bogeys. Also included in his round was a double and a triple bogey”.
“It’s been a bit of a struggle because I’m not hitting it far enough on the finishing holes but all in all, I feel it’s a little tighter today and gives a bit of hope for the next few months playing in the Champions Tour”, said Lyle.
Congratulations Sandy on making it to 100 Majors and looking forward to seeing you hitch-up the breeches in a year’s time!
