Aussie amateur Stubbs all set for dream Masters debut

Wide-eyed rookie Jasper Stubbs admits he dropped way too much money on merch at the pro shop on his long-awaited first trip to Augusta National Golf Club.

The 22-year-old also confesses to maybe spending too much time star-gazing after his maiden practice round on the fabled layout.

“They let me in from 8.30 (am) and I was there at 8.31 I reckon. I probably left about five o’clock and I played my round in 3.5 hours, zipped around in a one ball,” Stubbs said of his reconnaissance mission in February.

Most importantly, though, Stubbs walked away from his three-round trip feeling he gained invaluable experience ahead of his Masters debut in a fortnight.

“People talk about how slopey the fairways are but the greens are a lot more slopey than what you think as well,” he said.

“The greens are so fast and you don’t expect it in the middle of winter when I was over there – they were still lightning so I can only imagine what they’re going to be like in a couple weeks’ time.

“Then I just a took away a lot of key shots as well, a few shots into the green that sort of separate the winners from the losers at the Masters a bit.”

Most of all, Stubbs’ biggest takeaway was to keep things simple.

“You don’t have to go super crazy all the time,” he said, as opposed to being overly creative.

Stubbs booked his ticket with victory at the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship at Royal Melbourne. (HANDOUT/ASIA PACIFIC AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP)

Stubbs, who booked his golden ticket to Augusta with victory at last year’s Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship at Royal Melbourne, also plans to lean on countrymen Min Woo Lee and Adam Scott, Australia’s only ever Masters champion, during pre-tournament practice rounds.

“I’ve got Min’s number,” he said.

“I didn’t get Scotty’s number. I played with him up at a tournament at the end of last year but never got his number, but he said he’d be more than happy to take me out when we get to Augusta.

“So he’ll be someone I’m looking for on the range to see when he’s going out for sure.”

Stubbs has dreamed of playing the Masters ever since his mother went to his primary school in Victoria to ask if a teacher could play over the PA that Scott had won the green jacket in 2013.

“I got all embarrassed, of course,” he said.

“But I wasn’t able to watch it live, so that was pretty cool for me sitting in a classroom at 11 years old.”

Eleven years on and Stubbs will enjoy all the perks of his Masters invite, including staying in the Crow’s Nest as one of the top amateurs in the field.

Ultimately, though, he’s there to perform on his major championship debut.

“I’ve set myself gradual goals,” he said.

“Obviously the first one is to get there and enjoy the week. Then the next one is to make the cut.

“And then once we’ve made the cut, the goal is to push towards the top 12 to get an invite back for next year. That’s ultimately the goal.

“But then obviously the biggest goal above all else to walk away with a green jacket.”