AUGUSTA, Ga. — With warm applause at the 18th green on a rainy morning, the Masters career of Larry Mize reached its completion Saturday. The Georgia Tech grad and the only Augusta native to ever win the Masters, Mize played his final competitive round at Augusta National after announcing that this year’s tournament, his 40th in a row, would be his last.
“It’s just unbelievable, surreal,” Mize said. “Words don’t do it justice to have won here and played here for 40 years. Pretty incredible.”
Mize, whose holed chip from off the 11th green to win the 1987 Masters in a playoff remains perhaps the most memorable shot in tournament history, was 12 strokes off the cut at 15 over for the two rounds. He was second to last among the 85 players to finish the first two rounds. The 64-year-old finished five shots ahead of another former Masters champ, Sandy Lyle, who also announced that this will be his final Masters as a competitor.
