Despite poor results, experience treasured
Troy Matteson, a three-time All-American at Georgia Tech, charged at the end of his rookie season on the PGA Tour to qualify for his first Masters Tournament based on his money list ranking. Matteson was a first-time PGA Tour winner in October at the Las Vegas event. The 27-year-old Alpharetta, Ga., resident agreed to share his daily thoughts with The Augusta Chronicle during his debut. Matteson shot 79-79 to miss the cut.
It's probably the worst performance in a tournament for me. But the atmosphere of being in Augusta, the Masters and all that, that's still second to none. Obviously, it's very bittersweet because I didn't play well. But any time you get to come here, you're doing all right.
Whenever I come off a bad round, I always go, "Does everybody still like me?" And everybody goes, 'We're just proud of you for being here.' And that's good to hear. That takes the sting off a bad week. Yesterday, I was so mad when I came off the course. I treated everybody around me so poorly. But you just put so much time and effort into playing well here, because you want to play well here, you're just in a funk when you don't.
Hopefully, I can play my way back into this event. I'd just like to come back and see if I can't bust 79-79.
I tried to prepare the best I could for my first major, not knowing what a major was all about. I think the thing I'll go back with is: How do I play this course? When I come to Augusta, I need to hit the ball with a low draw off the tee. That's the kind of shot that seems to work, seems to get you some chase down the fairway.
The versatility of being able to chase it down the fairway is important because of the fact the grain is all back into you. When I come back, if I come back, I'll prepare by hitting a lot of low drives.
I just remember (when) Tiger won the first time he was playing with that Cobra driver. He was just hitting it so low. He was hitting it so straight, with maybe a little right to left. I just remember how powerful that shot was.
And the shots that seemed to work this week were when guys hit a little low draw off the tee, because you need it so many times. I didn't have the right shots coming in.
Putting? Putting comes and goes. It's so interesting to come play these greens, because a lot of times in a regular tournament you may have one hard putt a day, maybe two. Out here you could have 15. That's what makes this place so unique.
I'm going to head over and play the Monday after the Masters, the Hootie & the Blowfish pro-am in Myrtle Beach, S.C. That's a fun event. Then I'll go to Hilton Head and sharpen it back up.
- Chris Gay
