Australian golfer Jasper Stubbs hopes the “thousands of rounds” he has spent playing at Augusta on his PlayStation will hold him in good stead when he takes to the fabled course for the Masters.
Stubbs, a 21-year-old amateur from Victoria ranked 335th in the world, booked his ticket at the Masters after winning the Asia Pacific Amateur Championship at Royal Melbourne last October.
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Not only did he earn a spot in golf’s most renowned event, he also qualified for The Open at Royal Troon.
It was a phenomenal achievement given it was Stubbs’ first time entering the event as he became the third-highest ranked player in the competition’s history to emerge as the last man standing.
However, Stubbs’ “dream” has always been to play in the Masters, a tournament he has watched since he was a young boy.
Despite being warned about the dangers of having the Masters constantly on his mind, Stubbs simply could not shake it from his consciousness, such is his excitement.
“I’d be lying if I said that I wasn’t thinking about it just about every single day for the last six months now,” Stubbs said.
“It’s been something I’ve been working towards for that long.
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“But it’s been hard to keep it out of the mind, for sure.”
Thankfully, Stubbs has already paid a visit to Augusta having played on the fabled fairways in February.
Strolling between the iconic pine trees of the course was “one of the most surreal feelings” Stubbs has ever experienced in his life, especially having come to know all the intricacies of the course from watching it on TV.
Not only that, he’d spent countless hours playing the course via video games on his PlayStation.
“Going there and knowing every single shot I was supposed to play for 18 holes was pretty weird for the first time playing it,” Stubbs said.
“But it was amazing. It lived up to all the expectations I had set in my mind.”
Of course, Stubbs will not be the sole Australian representative competing in Augusta, with Cameron Davis, Jason Day, Min Woo Lee, Cameron Smith and Adam Scott all flying the flag.
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The group of five have all got plenty of experiences at the Masters Stubbs does not have, and the Victorian is keen to tap into all of their knowledge and nous.
“It’ll be awesome to play with the likes of Scotty, Cam, Min Woo, all those guys who have been at the Masters before and pick their brains while I’m there,” Stubbs said.
“Obviously I’ve seen it (the course) a couple of times already, but I think their information will be invaluable.”
Stubbs conceded he does not have any practice rounds lined up with any of his fellow Australians, but “they seem like they want to show the ropes a little” in a pleasing sign for the amateur.