And into golf’s hall of fame

LYLE; WHEN I TAKE GUESTS TO AUGUSTA THEY ALL SAY ‘WOW, HOW DID YOU DO THAT’

SANDY LYLE won The Open, two Ryder Cups and was judged by Seve Ballesteros to be the most talented player of a golden generation.

Yet the Scot will always be remembered in the USA and beyond for his stunning 7-iron out of a fairway bunker on the final hole at the 1988 Masters – and becoming the first man to win a Green Jacket with a birdie with the final stroke of the tournament.

“It has been voted as one of the best shots of all time,” said proud Lyle, 62 (receiving the Green Jacket from Larry Mize, below).

“I think of Bubba’s shot out of the trees and Tiger’s chip shot at 16 and I am definitely up there in the top five.

“It is nice to be part of it and be part of such a memorable Masters.

“You couldn’t have written the script any better. I kept them on the edge of the seats down till the last putt. It is etched on people’s minds. People always talk to me about it in America.

“It was a bit like

9/11 where everyone remembers where they were. I will never get bored talking about it.” Yet Lyle was too exhausted to fully enjoy his moment of immortality after leading from the start and taking a two-shot advantage into the final day.

“Preparing for the last day of a Major is a bit like being in a dentist’s waiting room: you don’t know whether it is going to be a pleasurable experience or you are going to come out with a sore jaw,” he said.

The Scot was still top of the famous Augusta leaderboard until a bogey at 11 and a double bogey at 12 saw him slip behind Mark Calcavecchia. But making a slippery “do-or-die” birdie putt at 16 saw him draw level before clinching a dramatic win despite finding a fairway bunker with his 1-iron at the last. “When I take guests to Augusta, they all take a look at the bunker and say, ‘Wow, how the hell did you get the ball up there?’ When I made that last putt, I was absolutely exhausted.

“I wanted to do a somersault but I ended up doing this Scottish jig (right). The mental strain just dripped away from my neck – I could have just turned into a blob at the side of the hole. I was like a mental wreck for half an hour and I just had to make sure the card was signed right.”

Lyle was immensely proud to become the first British Open winner for 16 years in 1985.

“But I think for recognition, being your second Major and being in America, the Masters was that little bit sweeter,” he said. “And I think it slayed a lot of demons. I led for the week. It answered the doubts.”

Lyle made his Masters debut 40 years ago this week and has played every tournament since 1985, with this year’s event now in November.

“I haven’t thought what I will do on the first day this year, I’ll probably watch a lot of replays (referring to the tournament originally due to start today),” he said.

“It’ll seem strange as it will in

July with

The Open. But even though I might not be competing, your mind and spirit is still there.”