Alvaro Quiros has the distance to handle Augusta National

After Alvaro Quiros played a practice round at the WGC-Cadillac Championship in March, a young fan approached him wanting to take a picture.

In his typical, friendly fashion, he responded, “Why not?”

Quiros is asking the same question as he enters the Masters Tournament. Can he become the first Spaniard – and the first European – to win a green jacket in 13 years?

Why not?

The 6-foot-3, long-hitting Quiros has won six times on the European Tour, including a victory at the Dubai World Championship to close 2011. In four of the past five years, he’s led the European Tour in driving distance.

Quiros contended at the Masters last year, opening with 65 to tie Rory McIlroy for the lead. Quiros followed with rounds of 73-75-74 to tie for 27th place.

“After having this nice round, it looks like I should be able to show myself that I can play well in Augusta,” Quiros said. “This year, I want to step forward. Instead of playing one good round of golf, I want to play two or three.”

The 29-year-old Quiros is looking to build off his Augusta experience. In his first two Masters in 2009 and 2010, Quiros didn’t score better than 75, though he felt he played well. Nonetheless, he took a step forward last year.

“Obviously, it was very nice,” Quiros said. “It was a completely different situation than in previous years because I was able to play a bit better.

“The previous years I’ll say I was bitter because I wasn’t playing bad, but the score wasn’t good enough to even make the cut.”

Quiros is one of five Spaniards in the field this year, joining two-time Masters champion Jose Maria Olazabal, Miguel Angel Jimenez, Sergio Garcia and Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano. Olazabal is the last European to win a green jacket, his victory coming in 1999.

Quiros is looking to add another Masters title to Spain’s four (the late Severiano Ballesteros also won twice). In the 2011 tournament, he led the field in driving distance, averaging 303.4 yards off the tee. He struggled with his putting, and a pair of three-putts in the third round contributed to 75.

“Obviously, it’s an advantage wherever I go,” Quiros said about his length. “There’s no doubt about it. But at Augusta, and it’s nothing new, it’s more than just hitting the ball long.”