Blixt did his best - a tie for second - in first Masters

Few likely remember that Jonas Blixt finished in second place at last year’s Masters Tournament.

The Swede was co-runnerup with fellow Masters rookie Jordan Spieth, who drew heavy media attention in his attempt to become the tournament’s youngest champion at 20.

Spieth was tied for the 54-hole lead and led with 11 holes to play. Blixt was one shot back starting the final round and never led.

Yet they ended up in the same spot after 72 holes – three shots behind winner Bubba Watson.

Blixt, like Spieth, didn’t play like it was his first Masters. He was two shots back after the opening round, trailed by four after the second round and was one back after the third round.

“For the first time at Augusta and to be up there and trying to win a golf tournament, I’m extremely happy with that,” Blixt said. “I feel like everyone says ‘you’re getting better and better every year,’ so I’m kind of excited about that.”

Blixt was the only player in the field to break par all four rounds, shooting 70-71-71-71.

“That’s great,” he said. “You go out there and try to do your best on every shot. I know it’s a cliche but that’s what you do. You never really look at the scores. They just add it up.”

Though Blixt knew he would be able to hang in there for 72 holes, everyone didn’t share that opinion, he said.

“It’s just reporters that doubted me,” he said. “There’s a lot of them.”

Which, Blixt said, is why he wants to again prove to the naysayers that he has the game to win.

“You always look forward to getting back to Augusta National,” he said. “I had such a great tournament. It made the experience so much better. It’s the highlight of the year, it really is.”

Not surprisingly, Blixt is a huge fan of Augusta National Golf Club.

“It’s such a great golf course,” he said.

“The longer the week goes, the firmer and faster the golf course gets and it’s harder to make birdies. You’ve got to put yourself in those situations where you can put your approach shots close to the hole.”

Blixt said he enjoys majors like the Masters because the courses are usually very challenging.

“You’re pushed to the edge of your ability,” he said. “It’s a very exposed kind of situation for the athlete. You’ve got to perform at your highest on the biggest stage.

“It’s a cool situation. It’s what we all look for. You really get to know who you are. It’s different feelings springing up in your body that you never felt before.”

A win at a men’s major would be something a Swede has never done. Blixt wants to make that happen in Augusta.

“I would love to be the first one,” he said. “It almost feels like it’s a little bit of a curse because we have so many good players coming through and I think it would be huge for Swedish golf and, yeah, Sweden. I hope that curse ends soon.”