In my day The Masters didn't have fixed criteria of inviting golfers from outside the US to play at Augusta. So, after finishing second on the 1974 European Order of Merit, I had hoped that I would be considered and was over the moon when I received my invitation in the post.

I was 22, but I'd been dreaming about playing in The Masters since the age of about six. I can vividly remember being at Zwartkop and watching the movie of the 1961 Masters when Gary Player beat Arnold Palmer after Palmer made a six on the final hole.

When I got to Augusta I was overawed – perhaps it was because this was something I'd dreamed about for all those years. Plus, for the first time, I was seeing all the greatest golfers of the day as well as many from the past, such as Sam Snead, Tommy Bolt, Gene Sarazen, Jackie Burke and Dr Cary Middlecoff.

Then there was the golf course. Sure, I'd played some of the world's best golf courses in Britain, Europe and Australia, as well as our best in South Africa. However, Augusta is something else.

Not a blade of grass out of place, the buildings, the driving range, the car park – all pristine. The par three course is one of the most beautiful pieces of ground I've ever seen – large expanses of water, bright white bunkers… the different green colours of the fairways and greens.

When I eventually ventured out for a practice round, I was invited by Gary Player to join him, Jim Colbert and Mike Reasor – it should have been a great learning experience, but I was so star-struck I didn't notice much!

That 1975 Masters is famous for the fact that Lee Elder played, becoming the first player of colour at the tournament. Unfortunately, the cut came at 149 and Lee shot 152. I also missed the cut, by two shots. That year Jack Nicklaus won one of the most exciting Masters and was presented with his green jacket by Gary Player. He finished one shot ahead of Johnny Miller and Tom Weiskopf. Jack holed a long putt at the par three 16th and jumped high in the air with his two rivals on the tee watching. One said to the other: 'How can we putt on that green with all the bear marks?'

I was invited back in 1976. This year the cut came at 151 and I made it to the weekend. I shot a 73 and 70 in the final two rounds to finish 19th. My 75 in round one was marred by an eight on the 15th after I hit my second shot over the green on the par five, then chipped it into the water. A four there would have given me a Top 10 finish. Ray Floyd won, beating Ben Crenshaw by eight shots.

That year Bobby Cole, Hugh Baiocchi and I played together in the par three tournament on the Wednesday afternoon. We had such fun, especially considering we were so nervous. There are tens of thousands of people watching every shot. On the first nine, Hugh struck a three-quarter wedge shot which he hit about a half-inch behind and came up well short. Then Bobby teed it up a little higher, caught the ball at the top of the clubface and also finished short. I teed it up, caught it at the top of the clubface and also came up short!

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