Russell Knox is thrilled to be teeing it up in his first Masters this week, but playing in front of his own folk this summer is going to be just as special.
Knox’s historic victory in the WGC HSBC Champions in Shanghai last year booked his first ever appearance at Augusta National but he’s still not played competitively at Castle Stuart, near where he grew up in Inverness.
So while the Scot is proud to be with Sandy Lyle as the only Scottish starters in the 2016 Masters, he’s just as excited at being one of many for the Aberdeen Asset Managment Scottish Open in July.
“That is right up there with playing in the Masters,” he said. “I can’t wait to come back and play Castle Stuart.
“It is going to be an amazing week to come home and play in a tournament as a pro. A few years ago when it was at Castle Stuart I wasn’t able to make the trip.
“That was a heartbreak. I had played so poorly in the US and it was going to take a couple of weeks and I was really disappointed, it was a super-tough decision to make.
“Coming back this year and getting to play and being at a completely different part of my life is going to be amazing.
“I’m sure it will live up to the high expectations I have as being one of the greatest tournaments of my life.”
Meanwhile Knox is tempering his own expectations about playing his first Masters, utilising the vast experience of former champion Lyle for a practice round this week, but just looking to drink in the whole experience.
“I’ve known since China that I’d be in, so it’s been easier to prepare,” he said. “I came up to Augusta in February just before the Pebble Beach tournament, with my Dad, just to see the place. I wanted to get all the awestruck stuff out of the way.
“It was the first time I had been on the grounds, and as amazing as you could have ever hoped.
“I played well but wasn’t really taking notes, I just wanted to enjoy the day as much as I could. I think my Dad was more excited than I was, to be honest.
“The shot that stood out was on the short 12th, the pin was on the front left and I hit a 9-iron. My Dad was videoing it which I’m not 100% sure is allowed but he did it anyway.
“I hit it straight down the pin and it landed three feet short. I won’t tell you what happened with the putt, but that was a nice shot.”
Knox is known as a great iron player and Augusta is known as a second shot course, but the greens are famously tough and the Scot has changed to a new putter coming into the Masters.
“It’s a big, ugly putter,” he laughed. “There’s a local company where I live in Jacksonville called Cure Putters, and I’d tested a few for them, so when I hadn’t been putting great I thought I would give it a go.
“I tested it with them in their indoor studio and it was very good, and it’s been good outside too. It’s massive, six inches long but I don’t care what it looks like, I’d use a sledgehammer if I putted better with it.”
His expectations for Augusta are realistic.
“I expect to make the cut,” he continued. “I’m playing well enough, and I am not going to say I expct to contend and win. It is very possible but potentially unrealistic.
“I feel like my game is close to peaking.
“I am just going to go out there, try my best and see what happens.”