Coaches series: Hugh Freeze looks back on his time at Augusta National

Hugh Freeze was experiencing every golfer’s dream.

On a spring afternoon in 2015, the Ole Miss coach began to catch fire at Augusta National Golf Club. He birdied No. 8, the uphill par 5. He followed it up with a pair of birdies on No. 11 and No. 12. With six holes remaining, including two inviting par 5s, Freeze began to wonder how low of a score he could post.

“I thought, ‘Oh man, I’m going to finish so strong,’” Freeze said. “But I got greedy on 13 and 15 – double-bogeyed both and wound up shooting 79.”

Admittedly a golf lover, Freeze has been invited to play Augusta National each year since becoming head coach of the Rebels in 2012. This year, Freeze will play the course twice – once in April and again in May.

“You better believe I have those two dates circled on my calendar,” Freeze said. “It’s always a tremendous experience playing at Augusta. I remember the first time I played walking up No. 1 fairway thinking, ‘I’m not gonna make it through these 18 holes because I can’t breathe.’ You know, you’re walking so fast and you’re so excited that you have to calm yourself down. I handle it much better now.”

Freeze says his favorite memory of playing Augusta National is carding the back-to-back birdies last year.

However, despite playing the course multiple times, Freeze has never attended the Masters Tournament. With a time-consuming schedule, he says he prefers watching the tournament on TV with his wife, Jill, and their three daughters.

“I love golf and NASCAR, but whenever I have free time I enjoy watching those sporting events with my family,” Freeze said. “I don’t get to be around them much during the season, so it’s great to watch the Masters on TV.”