A LIFETIME OF MEMORIES

Jose Maria Olazabal has played in 33 Masters. Here, he discusses the magic of Augusta National and explains why the tournament is so special...

- JOSE MARIA OLAZABAL & JEREMY ELLWOOD

Once Seve had opened the door to European success at Augusta in 1980, the continent enjoyed a steady stream of victories over the ensuing 13 years, with all other members of Europe's 'big five' of the 1980s and early 1990s (Sandy Lyle, Nick Faldo, lan Woosnam and Bernhard Langer) getting in on the Green Jacket action.

As the 1990s progressed, another young Spaniard, with Seve as mentor and friend, sparked talk of the 'big five' now being a 'big six'. Jose Maria Olazabal already had ten European Tour titles to his name when he teed it up at Augusta in April 1991. Four days later, only a final-hole bogey stood between him and Woosnam's winning score - an agonising near miss that merely served to strengthen his belief that he, too, could join them.

Three years later, he did just that, before a career-threatening medical condition derailed him just as he was hitting his prime. All of which made his second victory in 1999 such a memorable and emotional one. Augusta National clearly holds a very special place in his heart, and here, in his own words, the two-time champion shares some of his behind-the-scenes thoughts and memories about the course and the tournament...

Unrivalled beauty