Masters moments: Monday

Alex Narey gives his picks of the day from Augusta National

Alex Narey
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1)    Arriving this morning and walking up to the clubhouse to see what all the fuzz was about. It really does take your breath away. The place oozes quality and to think of all the amazing events and memories that have taken place on this one course make the Augusta National so unique.

2)    Seeing Tiger. As a journalist, it is deemed pretty uncool to be in awe of the blokes you pursue, and while I didn’t quite flock to his side like so many, I did get slightly caught up in it all. It was like seeing one of the Beatles (not that I know anything about that) and it completely stole the thunder from Padraig Harrington, who was wooing the galleries by warming up on the 1st tee.

3)    Walking down to Amen Corner. The three holes that have determined so many Masters over the years. The 11th and 13th look as tough as they are, but the par-3 12th (Golden bell) looks slightly innocuous. However, leave it short, and you are in the drink, go long and you have possibly the toughest bunker shot possible on a downslope and down green. Fierce. Fittingly, I got to see Sandy Lyle and Ian Woosnam tee off here. This is the hole that very nearly cost Lyle the Masters in 1988. He hit the green on this occasion...

4)    Standing in the press area in the stands and watching the shot of the day: Rory McIlroy’s 7-iron on the 16th. He couldn’t have hit it sweeter. As straight as an arrow, and with the pin to the front left of the green, the galleries stood to applaud the teenager as his ball landed and sloped back down to within feet.

5)    More nostalgia, and more Lyle. Walking up 18, I reached the famous left-hand bunker that the Scotsman had hit his 1-iron into some 21 years ago. Considering Hunter Mahan, Stephen Ames and Sean O’Hair all creamed their drives here, and all were some 25 yards short of this bunker, suggests just what a great ball-striker the former world number one was. Shame he gets cold hands…

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Alex Narey
Alex Narey
Content Editor

Alex began his journalism career in regional newspapers in 2001 and moved to the Press Association four years later. He spent three years working at Dennis Publishing before first joining Golf Monthly, where he was on the staff from 2008 to 2015 as the brand's managing editor, overseeing the day-to-day running of our award-winning magazine while also contributing across various digital platforms. A specialist in news and feature content, he has interviewed many of the world's top golfers and returns to Golf Monthly after a three-year stint working on the Daily Telegraph's sports desk. His current role is diverse as he undertakes a number of duties, from managing creative solutions campaigns in both digital and print to writing long-form features for the magazine. Alex has enjoyed a life-long passion for golf and currently plays to a handicap of 13 at Tylney Park Golf Club in Hampshire.

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