Larry Mize's Masters memories run deep

For the first time since 1983, the Augusta, Georgia, native and 1987 champion will be an observer of the major like most everyone — except with a few nice perks.

Larry Mize will not soon forget the 2023 Masters Tournament.

He stood on the 16th green at Augusta National Golf Club during Friday’s second round when a wind gust suddenly caused two tall pines to crack and crash to the ground near the adjacent 17th tee, halting play. “It was pretty scary,” Mize says.

Also, it was Mize’s 40th consecutive Masters and his final one. They will somehow pull off next week’s Masters without him for the first time since 1983.

“It was time,” says Mize, who turned 65 last fall. “I never would have thought I’d play in 40 Masters.”

In 40 Masters starts, Larry Mize had three top-10 finishes — the win in 1987, a T6 in 1992 and a third in 1994. | Photo: Tom Poland / Golffile

Mize is Augusta’s greatest hometown golfing hero. He grew up in Augusta. As a teenager, he worked the scoreboard on the third hole during several Masters. “I was in hog heaven at that scoreboard,” Mize recalls. “I was there when Jack Nicklaus won in ’72 and Tommy Aaron in ’73.”

He learned the game at Augusta Country Club, the course adjacent to Augusta National — or simply, The National, as locals know it. “I drooled through the fence on No. 9 looking over at the National,” Mize says. “I used to watch golf on TV. Jack Nicklaus was my favorite. It was a dream for me to one day play on the PGA Tour and play in a Masters. And my wildest dream was to win a Masters. It’s hard to believe that dream came true.”

Even better, he won his Masters in spectacular fashion. He chipped in for birdie at the 11th green, the second hole of a playoff, to beat Greg Norman. He memorably leaped in the air, dropped his club excitedly and ran onto the green to retrieve the ball, pumping his fists the whole way. It was an incredible, stunning moment that ranks in Masters lore with Gene Sarazen’s double eagle, Tiger Woods’ dramatic reverse-direction chip-in and Jack Nicklaus’ big putts in 1975 and 1986.

That badge-of-honor shot has followed Mize for 37 years. Do you think he’s ever gone a day without that shot being mentioned to him?

“I’ve gone a day,” he says, grinning. But probably not much more than that.

“It comes up a lot,” Mize says. “Everybody says, ‘Do you mind talking about it?’ I don’t mind, it’s a pretty good subject to talk about. I like to ask amateurs on my pro-am teams now, ‘Who was the third player in the playoff?’ Ninety percent don’t know. It’s always just ‘me and Greg.’ When I tell them Seve Ballesteros was in the playoff, they’ll say, ‘I didn’t know that’ or ‘Oh, yeah, now I remember.’ It’s a lot of fun to talk about in a pro-ams.”

Ballesteros famously three-putted the 10th green in the playoff and was eliminated.

Mize and Ballesteros met again later that year in 1987 at the Ryder Cup. Hal Sutton and Mize beat Ballesteros and Jose Maria Olazabal in a Saturday afternoon fourball match, one of only two fourball wins the U.S. managed in a 15-13 loss at Muirfield Village in Dublin, Ohio.

“I got along great with Seve but we never talked about that Masters,” Mize says. “He was very disappointed, obviously, as anyone would be. The Masters was important to him. He was a great player, a great champion. We enjoyed getting together at the Champions Dinner every year. It was always fun to have Seve there. We miss him.”

Here’s how to stump Mize: Ask him what was the second-best chip-in of his golf career?

“That’s a good question,” he says. “I know you like to throw me a curveball. I’ve never had that question before.” Mize paused and thought hard. “I’m blank,” he admitted with a laugh.

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Well, how about the second-most memorable moment of his career? Mize had to think about that one, too, but offered his 1993 Tucson Open win.

“I hadn’t won in the U.S. since the ’87 Masters,” Mize says. “I won three times in Japan. I came to the 18th hole in Tucson with a one-shot lead. I hit a good drive in the fairway, there’s water on both sides there. I was shaking like a leaf on that one. I went to get a sip of water and the Dixie cup was shaking. The pin was tucked left over a bunker, I hit a 4-iron shot into three feet for a birdie to win by two. I remember Lanny Wadkins came up to me later and said, ‘Congrats, that was a great shot.’ From Lanny, that’s high praise.”

Mize won’t play in the Masters next week but he will play golf during Masters week. Past champions can play the tournament course on Sunday before the Masters and bring one guest — don’t’ bother begging, Mize said that spot is already taken. The next day, he’ll tee it up at his old home course, Augusta Country Club. His agent, Jim Lehman, recently called to ask if he wanted to play that day. Mize had to think about that for a second before he remembered, “Right, I’m not playing the Masters. Yeah, that’ll be fine,” he told Lehman.

He’s got a few evening corporate gigs lined up next week and he may chaperone some friends around the course during the tournament. So if you’re lucky enough to have Masters tickets, keep your eyes open, you may spot Mize in the gallery. He might follow his close friend, Russell Henley, who finished fourth last year.

“It’ll be a little bittersweet that I’m not playing,” Mize says. “It’ll be a new experience to walk around outside the ropes. I’ll play the par-3 contest and enjoy the dinner, though.”

Larry Mize’s last cut made was in 2017 when he finished 52nd. | Photo: Fran Caffrey / Golffile

Only a hardy few saw his emotional Masters farewell last year. Due to the storm that took down those pines, play was delayed in Friday’s second round. Mize was among those who had to come back Saturday morning to finish his round in chilling temperatures and light rain. He had to play 17 and 18.

“It was emotional Friday and on Saturday morning,” says Mize. “I had my family out there — my boys, my grandsons, my wife, Bonnie. It was emotional and it will probably hit me again next week.”

Mize didn’t threaten to make the cut but a couple of buddies jokingly texted him and said, “Hey, you made it to the weekend at the Masters! Good job!”

When he finished, 1988 Masters champ Sandy Lyle walked out onto the 18th green to give Mize a hug. It was also Lyle’s final Masters appearance. He merely had to putt out on 18 when play resumed but he waited for Mize’s group.

“I don’t even recall what Sandy said to me but it was great,” Mize says. “We hugged each other. It was early in the morning, it was cold, it was rainy but there were still so many people out there. I thanked Sandy for coming out. It was very special.”

It wasn’t maybe the glamorous goodbye-under-a-setting-sun with a standing ovation from thousands of circled fans like it could have been but it was a moment Mize will always remember.

Masters Overdose

Let’s proceed with the assumption that there’s no such thing as too much Masters information.

Golf Pride is releasing a 2024 Honorary Starter grip, a commemorative version of its MCC Plus4 grip. It’s eye candy in Masters green and gold. Although it could also pass for Green Bay Packers colors. The grip has a larger lower hand section that simulates four extra tape wraps to encourage lighter grip pressure and increased swing speed, Golf Pride says. See it at GolfPride.com, available starting next Monday. … EA Sports PGA Tour, a video golf game, announced a big content update that includes new courses available — Valhalla, Pinehurst No. 2 and Royal Troon, this year’s major sites — plus a version of Augusta National’s Par 3 Course. The latter has got to be a first. ESPN host Scott Van Pelt often talks about how his favorite spot in golf is the eighth hole of Augusta National’s par-3 track. Asked about the virtual par 3 news during an ESPN media conference call Wednesday, Van Pelt said, “I love that people will have a chance to virtually stand there. It’s the spot I go every day on my way to Butler Cabin. The idea that you could virtually be in that little spot … I’ll be interested to see what it looks like. I can close my eyes right now and tell you every blade of grass there.” You can find the game at EA.com. … Optishot, which makes an affordable, portable home simulator [Full disclosure — I’ve got one I can use on my laptop], has a deal that allows you to purchase a virtual golf course format known as Sweet Magnolia, which is nearly identical to a certain golf course used for the Masters whose trademarked name can’t be mentioned. The price is $199 for a lifetime Sweet Magnolia pass. Of course, you need an OptiShot2 Game Simulator to play it on first. Details at OptiShotGolf.com.

Double Vision

Do not adjust your television during the PGA Tour’s Zurich Classic. Parker and Pierceson Coody and Denmark’s Rasmus and Nicolai Hojgaard will make history by being the first time that two sets of twin brothers will play as teammates in a PGA Tour event.

The Coodys were the first twins to be paired in the same group of last week’s Texas Children’s Houston Open. The Coodys are the grandsons of 1971 Masters champ Charles Coody, who used his twin grandsons as caddies on alternate holes in the 2006 Masters Par 3 Contest, his last Masters appearance.

The Hojgaards were the first brothers to win DP World Tour titles in consecutive weeks and last year were the first twins to play in a British Open.