Ian Poulter: The most wonderful time of the year

I’m fresh, confident and the course is perfect for my game… I can’t wait to drive down Magnolia Lane.

It’s that time of year again! There is nothing quite like the Masters to get even the most apathetic of golf fans dusting off their golf shoes and pulling the clubs out of the attic.

This year, for the first time ever, I will drive down Magnolia Lane having played only three tournaments. The end of last year was so chaotic that it forced my quiet start, so there can be no excuses about not being fresh enough.

This will be my ninth visit to Augusta, and after enjoying my best finish ever in 7th last year, my confidence is high. The course has changed quite a bit since I made my debut back in 2004. During my early visits, they always seemed to be lengthening it every year. That seemed to be their only defence; and to many, it looked a bit one-dimensional.

By 2008 they realised they had maybe taken it a step too far, in more than one way, and since then they have brought a few tees forward, and definitely made the course more playable. The excitement, which had perhaps disappeared for a year or two, soon returned; and the roars on the back nine on Sunday are now reverberating around the tall pines, just as they used to.

The course now sets up brilliantly for my game, and I enjoy the challenge that every hole rewards shot-making, but can also lead to a major car crash. As an example, the par-3 12th never fails to get my full attention, not least because it is my favourite hole. Whenever I stand on that tee, with the huge galleries behind, I am thinking about making a birdie. And yet, until you see your ball land on the dance floor, you can never be absolutely sure a gust of wind hasn’t hit your ball, and then disaster awaits.

Fortunately, I have a great record at the 12th; which is more than I can say for either the 5th or the 7th. Those two holes on the front nine are crucial in any round I play at Augusta; and they hold the biggest threats to me. If I can get past them without a major setback, then I am usually smiling at the end of the day. Because of the ferocity of the green, success on the 5th is all about the second shot. With a spine down the middle, it’s just an incredibly difficult green, and with the pins hidden away, it often requires a great two-putt for par. At the 7th the questions are different, but just as difficult, and you just have to get your drive in the fairway. That’s easier said than done, because it is the toughest drive on the course.

One of the things you have to adjust to at Augusta are the crowds, which are quite unlike crowds elsewhere around the globe. On the Wednesday they are huge, mainly because the Par-3 Tournament takes place in the afternoon, which is always a spectacle. Almost every hole on the Par-3 Course sets up like an amphitheatre. Then, you come out on Thursday, and the tickets are restricted to ‘patrons’ and there is a much quieter atmosphere.

This year, we will be in the same house, with the same chef, as before. I will approach the week in much the same way as I have before. As well as my mum, dad and uncle, I have invited one of the assistants in the shop at Leighton Buzzard with me, Phil Abbott, out. He is still an East Region pro. I saw him last year and thought it would be nice for him to come out, and it will be his first Masters. Never forget your roots!