Memories of a rookie Masters appearance

Thirty years ago Iain Pyman played out every golfer's dream when he teed it up in the Masters and, even better, he would play the opening round with four-time winner and The King, Arnold Palmer.

Just seven years after taking up the game the Yorkshireman, who had finished as the leading amateur at the '93 Open, would sign off his amateur career in the best possible style with a trip down Magnolia Lane.

He still holds the record for the most wins (8) on the Challenge Tour and these days – as a PGA Professional - Pyman lives and teaches at PGA National Cyprus, Aphrodite Hills. Here he looks back on an unforgettable week at the '94 Masters.

How were you playing at the time?
On the Monday I played with Ian Woosnam and Peter Baker and I was playing unbelievably. I had spent the winter in Australia, then I went to Valderrama for a week just before and obviously the greens there were super fast as well. I shot 30 on the back nine and then literally half an hour after I had finished playing I was sitting down for a cup of tea with my parents and I had a massive problem with my wisdom teeth. On the Tuesday morning I was having root canal surgery and that was really the end of my tournament. I was coughing up blood on the way round and I had gum disease as well. They gave me painkillers that I could sleep with but I couldn’t play golf because they were too strong. So I took these other painkillers that I was able to play golf with but they still made me feel a bit groggy and I was bit all over the place.

You were paired with Arnold Palmer in the first round which is the dream draw at Augusta?
We were off early on the Thursday and there were tens of thousands just watching him. We parred the first hole and we both birdied the second and it was up there on the leaderboard – Pyman and Palmer -1. The crowd and the noise was something I would never forget.

Everyone had heard about what had gone on with my teeth and he told me that his dentist was actually following us round and that he would take a look after the round. So I had Arnold Palmer arranging some dental help for me. By the end I was in so much pain that I just wanted the round to finish. Off the 17th tee I hit one right out the neck and I caught the top of the Eisenhower tree. I was thinking that in all the years that I had watched the Masters I had never seen anyone hit this tree so my head’s down and I’m walking off in a slump. Arnold put his arm around me and said 'Iain, back in 1960 something, I hit that tree as well...but I went on to win!' And we just finished the round laughing. When I got married my best man arranged a hand-written letter from him wishing me good luck and that he hoped that the teeth were better! What a gentleman he was.

The course measured 6,925 yards in 1994, how did that equate to the equipment that you were using then?
I remember playing the par-5 13th and I was classed as average to long back then. I didn’t quite turn over the tee shot in the practice round I still had to hit a 20-yard hook to get it round the corner. I could reach the par 5s, obviously it was difficult because I wasn’t very well but I remember on the 15th when I played with Woosnam and Baker, I was hitting a 3-iron in. The 8th was a driver and 3-wood that you had to shape round and the 2nd was also a wood.

I was helped out by Maxfli at the time but I wasn't allowed to use the tour bag as I was an amateur even though I didn't have my name on it. So they actually supplied me with an Augusta golf bag which obviously I have still got. When I used to work at Waterfront Golf near Sheffield, during the week of the Masters I took the bag with my old clubs in to show the juniors. They looked at the Persimmon woods and asked what they were – the kids thought it was amazing.