Sandy Lyle

Former champion, who is struggling now with distance, suggests 2023 could be his last year at Augusta National.

It was a memorable start to a career of golf.” It seems fair to remember the good times. His involvement in majors – he was to win two of them – began thousands of miles away in 1974. Louis Oosthuizen, due to play in the company of Tiger Woods once more, withdrew before his second round tee time because of injury. Because of the compilation of this major’s field and the status bestowed on past champions, he is not blocking anyone else from participating by entering the draw. Bernhard Langer, who defied his age here for so long, missed a second cut in succession which suggests the Masters may have become an insurmountable challenge for him as well. These are not embarrassing scores – Augusta, already a tricky venue, is especially formidable this year – but Lyle’s scenario lends itself to the narrative of when enough becomes enough for invitees. “I think next year might be the end of the Lyle attack on this golf course,” he said. The 2023 Masters is likely to be the last time. Lyle admits he is close to the end. The 1988 champion last survived for the weekend in Georgia in 2014, with his latest halfway exit coming after rounds of 82 and 76. He thereby becomes the first golfer from Scotland to achieve that not inconsequential feat.

Former major champion Sandy Lyle has said he is likely to call time on his Masters career after next year's contest at Augusta National.

"I know I'm not going to challenge the winners out here. "I think probably next year might be the end of the Lyle attack on the golf course," the 64-year-old said. "So there's always a little hope of making the cut, making a challenge and coming in the top 20 or something.

Sandy Lyle still possesses nerve and a game that won't flunk a test as stern as Augusta National, but he also has lost a few steps.

“My heart was coming out of my chest for the first opening tee shot … I was just thump, thump, thump, thump and thinking, ‘My God, I hope it's going to get better or get easier,’” Lyle said. “I'm not 21 anymore, and the clubhead speed is going down rapidly…” started Lyle, who averaged just 256 yards off the tee Friday, more than 30 below the field average. When he stepped on the green podium in front of a few reporters afterward, Lyle, surprisingly still wearing that loose-fitting rain jacket despite perfect conditions, seemed conflicted, a mix of both happy and grumpy. “I'm not just going out there to make the crowd clap,” Lyle clapped back. He hasn’t made a Masters cut since 2014 and has missed out on 10 of the past 12 weekends at Augusta National. With Amen Corner already bustling in anticipation for the day, Lyle elicited the day’s first roar at the par-4 11th hole, where he needed two chips but converted his second for a gritty par save. Lyle still possesses nerve and a game that won’t always flunk a test as stern as Augusta National, but it's also clear he's lost a few steps. A day earlier, Lyle had carded a sloppy 10-over 82, his round lowlighted by a quadruple-bogey at the par-3 12th that didn’t include a water ball. They didn’t notice, of course, but dressed head to toe in all black – save for the large Scottish flags printed on his shoes – and donning a barely zipped rain jacket and left rain glove was 64-year-old Sandy Lyle. To be fair, neither guy was likely born when Lyle won this prestigious tournament back in 1988, clipping Mark Calcavecchia with a birdie at the last. Two of those three birdies were non-putts, as he capped Thursday’s round with a chip-in. AUGUSTA, Ga. – As Dustin Johnson, Collin Morikawa and Billy Horschel were being added to the first-tee standard Friday morning at Augusta National Golf Club, a pair of twenty-somethings turned away from the rope line and started walking aimlessly toward the 10th hole.

Sandy Lyle is one the UK's greatest golfers. A World Golf Hall of Famer he also has victories at The Open Championship and Masters, as well as being a six ...

So, I think it will be the end of the day." Well, Lyle (opens in new tab) revealed that: "I think my older son is coming out and a few of his buddies, and I think my younger son is probably coming out, so we're going to be a full family. On the 18th, I had a good drive with the wind helping a little bit, and I was trying to hit a 7-iron. "It does make it hard, and a lot of long irons -- long iron coming into the 17th with a 6-iron. It all adds up at the end of a day on a par-five hole. So it would have made a difference on some of the par fours and par fives.