Harris English on Masters: 'So cool to finally get in it'

Harris English hasn’t left any doubt that he deserves to be in the Masters Tournament field this year.

He has won twice on the PGA Tour since the 2013 Masters, earning the Georgian his first start at Augusta National Golf Club.

English won the St. Jude Classic in mid-June. Five months later, he won at the OHL Classic at Mayakoba, Mexico.

“A goal of mine last year was to get a win, and I somehow got two,” English said. “It’s still soaking in.”

After he won at St. Jude, Augusta National was on English’s mind. At his winner’s news conference, he said that the “main thing” the victory did was get him into the Masters.

He also said the official Masters invitation was going to be special. English received it around Christmas.

“It was definitely a sweet surprise, opening that up,” he said. “I got a letter and the invitation. It put a big smile on my face.

“It got me very excited to play because it’s always been a dream of mine to play in the Masters. To finally get invited to it in such a formal way. The Masters is such a classy tournament and definitely the pinnacle of golf in my opinion. It’s so cool to finally get in it.”

English, who was born and grew up in Valdosta and now lives in St. Simons Island, plans to share his first Masters experience with his family as much as he can.

“They’ve put in a lot of hard work and a lot of time to get me where I am,” he said. “I’ve had a lot of good people around me. This is for them. I would not be where I am today without all the help and support from all my friends and family.”

English knew he wanted to be a professional golfer before he reached his teens.

“That was always my dream,” he said. “When people asked me in class, like, ‘What do you want to be when you grow up?’ my answer was always, ‘I want to be on the PGA Tour.’ A lot of my classmates really didn’t know what that was or didn’t really think I could do it or whatnot, but I always had that dream, and my parents really made that possible.”

Growing up, English said, he attended the Masters “three or four” times.

“That was the main tournament that I always watched and went to when I was a kid,” English said.

The last time he went was memorable. It was on Sunday of the 2004 Masters, when Phil Mickelson won his first major championship.

Mickelson, in the final group, made an 18-foot birdie putt on the 72nd hole and beat Ernie Els by a shot.

“I was on the 18th tee, so if Phil would have missed that putt and gone to a playoff, I would have watched him come back and play the hole again,” English said.

Before qualifying for the Masters, English played Augusta National six times. He said he has also played it since.

“I feel like I know the course very well,” English said. “It’s all about getting to know the greens and some pin positions.”