Long-hitting Bjerregaard ready to begin Masters

Confidence is something that Lucas Bjerregaard doesn't lack.

In March, the 27-year-old defeated Tiger Woods in the quarterfinals of the WGC-Match Play Championships, and Thursday he will play in his first Masters.

“He’s been my idol ever since Day 1,” Bjerregaard said of Woods. “To play against him was special, and obviously to match him all the way and beat him in the end was really nice and something that I’m proud of.”

The Danish golfer qualified for this week by being ranked inside the top 50 of the Official World Golf Rankings at the end of 2018. Bjerregaard is currently 43rd.

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Bjerregaard said his first Masters should be memorable, and he was hit by the Augusta National's aura when he arrived.

“What a fantastic place,” he said. “Everyone, even the guys that have been here for 10-15 years, realize how special this place is, and same for me.”

The Frederikshavn, Denmark, native is a member of the European Tour and turned pro in 2011. His most recent wins include the 2018 Alfred Dunhill Links Championship and the 2017 Portugal Masters.

In 2019, his top finishes on the PGA Tour are a fourth-place finish at the Match Play, a tie for 12th at the Honda Classic and a tie for 30th at The Players Championship.

During the 2018 season on the European Tour, Bjerregaard had 10 top-10 finishes, more than any other player. Bjerregaard has also played in four majors.

“Majors give you experience, but the last one was three years ago, so it’s been a while,” he said. “It’s more the experience of playing on tour for the last six years that have gotten me to here and have given me a lot of experience. This is different to the U.S. Opens or British Open I’ve played. It’s in a league of own.”

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Bjerregaard’s best statistical category on the PGA Tour is his driving distance, where he ranks 11th with an average of 309.7 yards. The Dane said he needs to increase his accuracy to do well in Augusta.

“It helps when it’s soft because the ball isn’t going very far and the course is playing long, but it obviously doesn’t matter if it’s not in the fairway,” he said.

Bjerregaard’s father, Niels, wanted him to play hockey but he decided on golf instead and said he’s been wanting to come to Augusta National since he was a child.

“As long as I can remember that’s what I wanted to do,” Bjerregaard said of becoming a professional golfer. “You dream of coming here. You don’t really know what it’s quite like until you get here, but it’s pretty special.”

The Monaco resident said there was no turning back when he realized he could make a living as a golfer.

“I just really enjoying playing golf,” he said. “I couldn’t think of a better job to be doing.”

He said he feels confident about this week and tees off at 9:36 a.m.

“I came here a couple months ago and had a little scouting trip and played a couple holes,” Bjerregaard said. “Now I’ve been playing nine holes everyday and I’ve got a caddie that knows his way around here. But yeah, I feel like we have a good game plan and we’ll see if I can execute.”