Steve prevailed over his good mate. Steve prevailed over his good mate. Images: Getty Images

So, who among this current crop of Australians has the best chance of being the first to pull on the green jacket at the US Masters this month? Or should they just hand it over to Tiger Woods now and save themselves the trouble?

I don’t think they’ll be handing it over to Tiger – I think he’s got a few question marks over his head. Look, I’m very impressed with the bunch of guys we’ve got at the moment. You’ve got the Allenbys and Applebys who’ve been around for a long time, but there’s some younger guys coming through who I rate very highly. But I don’t know that they’re going to win a Masters just yet. It’s quite a unique event. It’s quite a difficult course to get to know on your first go. I played there six times … With the greens the way they are there, lightning fast and usually pretty firm, and the way the wind swirls around in the pine trees down there, and with a fair bit of water on the back nine … You simply must have the right club in your hand, and if a gust of wind comes up it can make you look stupid.

You tied second in 1980. What happened in the second round that year? I looked up the records, and all the scores blew out a bit. You shot a 74 that probably cost you the title.

We got a rain delay and had to go back and finish the next day. I three-putted three times in the five holes I had to play because the pace of the greens had all changed. But I played very well that week. I played with Seve (Ballesteros) in the last round and got to within sight of winning … He was nine in front with nine to play. I made four birdies while he made a double and knocked it in the water on 13. I knew him very well from Europe – we were good mates – so I knew when he starts swearing in Spanish he’s got his knickers in a knot … Then he hooked it off the 14th tee and I thought “right, I’m in here”; I’d hit a good one down the fairway. His ball had gone 50 metres left out on to the 15th fairway, and he had these massive pine trees to go over. And of course, as only Seve could do, he managed to get it on to the back edge of the green and made a miracle par. Then at the 15th par five, we both hit very good shots to be on the green in two. Mine was downhill, hit the lip of the hole, went three feet past, and I missed it coming back. And that was the end of that. He played incredibly well the first three rounds – he was murdering it.

So no nerves for you, in the thick of  it on the back nine of the final round of the Masters?

No, I thoroughly enjoyed it. I think I shot 68 on the final round. I really enjoyed coming down the stretch. They’re the things you dream about as a kid and practise for, and I just loved being there.