As winter turns into spring, and March becomes April, all eyes in the golfing world will once again focus on Augusta National Golf Club where the world’s best compete in the Masters Tournament. As amateur star Romain Langasque prepares to tee it up on golf’s most hallowed fairways, we look at some of the great Challenge Tour Masters moments…
While a whole host of past European Challenge Tour champions are set to grace the Georgia venue in two weeks’ time, another young star currently plying his trade on Europe’s top developmental tour is also set to tee off. In advance of 20-year-old French amateur Langasque’s maiden appearance at Augusta, we look back at four of the best Masters moments by former Challenge Tour players.
Immelman’s golden touch
Where else to start than with Trevor Immelman’s emphatic wire-to-wire victory at the 2008 Masters which made him the first former Challenge Tour player to wear the famous green jacket. The South African, who won the 2000 Kenya Open on the Challenge Tour, shot three rounds in the 60s at Augusta before carding a final round 75 to finish three clear of Tiger Woods. A grinning Immelman receiving his green jacket from former champion Zach Johnson for his first Major win is an image that will live on in the memory of South African golf fans.
Rose to the occasion
World Number Eight Justin Rose is being hotly tipped to challenge again at Augusta after finishing tied for second with Phil Mickelson in last year’s tournament. The Englishman played some sensational shots to keep in touch with Jordan Spieth, who set the world alight with his first major win at the iconic course. Rose, who played on the Challenge Tour in 1996, shot the lowest score by a runner-up in Masters history after finishing on 14 under par. Rose draining a 30ft putt for birdie at the par four tenth during a first round 67 is one particular highlight of a memorable weekend.
King Louis’ albatross
The 2010 Open winner Louis Oosthuizen narrowly missed out on a second Major Championship after losing to Bubba Watson in a play-off in 2012 at Augusta. But the South African’s second shot on the 575-yard par five second hole during his final round is arguably one of the most famous shots played at Augusta in recent history. After a sweet drive into the middle of the fairway Oosthuizen, who was a regular on the Challenge Tour in 2003, hit a four iron 253 yards to achieve a stunning albatross – only the fourth in Masters history.
British holes in one
While Oosthuizen took two shots to achieve his Masters magic moment, former Challenge Tour stars Jamie Donaldson and Ian Poulter needed only one for theirs. The British pair, who were stalwarts in the victorious European team in the 2014 Ryder Cup at Gleneagles, have both shot aces in the US sunshine at Augusta. Englishman Poulter, who won the 1999 Open de Côte d'Ivoire on the Challenge Tour, struck first in 2008 with an eight iron on the par three 16th. Welshman Donaldson, who has three Challenge Tour victories under his belt, became only the fifth player in history to score a hole-in-one on the par three sixth during the 2013 tournament.
