“I hated being a Major winner”

Ian Woosnam reflects on a hugely successful career in golf

As he reaches 65, 1991 Masters champion Ian Woosnam reveals everything he’s learned from a life in golf.

Three times Ian Woosnam has called time on his Masters career, only to go back on his word and test himself against AugustaNational. He’ll be there for the Champions dinner again in April, but he assures us that he won’t be playing. Much to his chagrin, a bad back means he will be restricted to playing the par-3 tournament.

Today he has his feet up at home in Jersey, reminiscing about a career which brought him fame, fortune and 52 professional wins.

In his formative years, this son of a dairy farmer was considered too small to make it as a golfer. He used to drive around the continent in a blue VW camper van, living on baked beans and bacon to save money and enter tournaments. It was only because of the generosity of Hill Valley and Llanymynech Golf Club members and a local sponsor in his hometown of Oswestry in Shropshire that he was even able to keep playing.

It took three years for Woosie to make his European Tour debut after turning pro, and another three before he won for the first time in 1982. He ended up adding another 28 titles over the next 15 years, placing him sixth on the all-time list. To this day he remains the only Welshman to own a Green Jacket.

At his peak, he was the best golfer in the world. He never did add to his Masters victory in 1991, but he did play a prominent role in upsetting the status quo and making Europe competitive in the Ryder Cup, first as a player and later as a winning captain.

He is refreshingly candid when discussing then and now and is even more forthcoming once the conversation turns to the future of the tour he left behind. For Woosie, this is a chance to set the record straight, but not before he gets a few things off his chest…

Everyone remembers you for winning the Masters in ’91. Was that the single greatest moment of your career?

Yeah, it was, you play golf to win a Major. I got to the stage where I was one of the best players in the world and I hadn’t won a Major. And then it so happened in ’91 that I become World No.1 on the Monday and ended up winning the Masters on the Sunday.

By that stage, you had been a pro for 15 years. Did it feel long overdue?

You do wonder, yeah. I was a bit of a streaky player. When you play in a Major, I think you’ve got to have every part of your game put together. My putting was never strong enough to win a load of Majors. I needed a better short game than I had, but Augusta was always going to suit me because I drew the ball.

What was different about that week?

Everything was just flowing. At the beginning of ’91, I remember playing at Oswestry. I shot a 57, so I was 13 under. But I missed a little two-footer and had three 12-footers on the last three greens and missed all them! It could have been even better.

Clearly you weren’t happy with your putting at the time because you changed your putter midway through the Masters…

A couple of weeks before that I won in New Orleans. I was putting all right, but not great. The first round at Augusta I used my Ping putter, but I just didn’t feel comfortable from 3ft. A friend of mine called Tad Moore was making some putters, so I said, “Let me have a go with that”. It was more of a prototype at the time, but it was legal. I went on the putting green and I was there for three hours. But what was so great was…

Read the full interview on the Today’s Golfer Members’ website.