Sandy Lyle bids emotional farewell to The Masters

After 118 rounds, 42 starts and one Green Jacket, Sandy Lyle’s Masters career is over. 

The Scot, a winner at Augusta National in 1988, came back on Saturday morning to take the final two putts of his career following a weather-delayed finish to Friday’s second round.  

It was a stage as understated as the man himself. Only a handful of patrons had managed to take their place beside the 18th green by the time play resumed at 8am.  

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Minutes later, it was handshakes all around as the first British winner of the tournament took his bow.

“It’s been many years of playing competitive golf since I was about 15 or 16 years old and it’s come to an end,” said the 65-year-old, who props up the standings after rounds of 81 and 83. 

“I knew my time was coming up pretty soon the last few years and you can tell by the scores that the course is killing me out there.  

“I went out this year with a little bit of hope because I was working hard on the game to get some sort of game together but it’s a grinding machine out there at the moment with the length for older players. 

“Maybe in time they will have another little tournament going on within the Masters tournament for the over-60s. You never know. Play off the front tees. It would be entertaining.” 

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Lyle, who waited behind the 18th to salute fellow retiree Larry Mize, the man who helped him into the Green Jacket in 1988, admitted it was unfortunate there wasn’t a bigger crowd there to wave him off this morning. 

“We saw them sort of stacking up there by the scoreboard and I thought, any minute now there’s going to be a stampede,” he said.  

“It would have been nice if we’d had probably a few more minutes and the crowd could have given me a good send-off. 

Incidentally, Lyle took his final two putts using a specially-made gold replica of the Ping Pal putter he used to win the Green Jacket 35 years ago. 

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“It’s an idea Ping came up with,” he said. “I didn’t realise it was going to be a gold-ish one. We thought it would be nice to use it on the last hole from, whatever, ten, 12 feet.  

“I had it presented to me by my caddy in the old royal, here’s the sword, wipe the blood off, that kind of thing. But it didn’t hole a putt, though. Lousy putt. But it was just a nice moment to use a putter that I used many, many years ago. 

“They’re nice memories and I’m going home with a good feeling.” 

Michael McEwan is the Deputy Editor of bunkered and has been part of the team since 2004. In that time, he has interviewed almost every major figure within the sport, from Jack Nicklaus, to Rory McIlroy, to Donald Trump. The host of the multi award-winning bunkered Podcast and a member of Balfron Golfing Society, Michael is the author of three books and is the 2023 PPA Scotland 'Writer of the Year' and 'Columnist of the Year'. Dislikes white belts, yellow balls and iron headcovers. Likes being drawn out of the media ballot to play Augusta National.

Deputy Editor