Which is maybe why I never missed the cut in any of my appearances there.

Still, the one which stands out in my mind is the 2011 Masters, the sixth of my eight starts. I had been feeling good about my chances for a few months beforehand, having won the Australian Open at the end of 2010. I found something on the range just before that event; a feeling in my swing which had me excited about how I was hitting the ball. And that sensation carried me all the way to Augusta the following April.

Looking back, that was a great few months for me, even if my finishes were consistently solid without being brilliant. To be honest, my head was “in” the Masters early and I couldn’t wait to get there.

Anyway, the first two rounds went well. I shot 69 in each, with only one hitch along the way: I four-putted the second green from no more than 10-feet and made a double-bogey seven. I also had a couple of other three-putts, which turned out to be the difference between finishing T-4 and winning the tournament. Which to this day is still disappointing.

This was the one time I played well enough at Augusta to actually beat everyone else. However, to be honest, it was probably the third round which cost me the chance of victory. It was the only day I didn’t break 70 and I started the final round seven shots back of Rory McIlroy. So I never really felt like I was in it to win it on the weekend, as well as I was playing.

Having said that, I didn’t feel too bad about how things worked out. And I still don’t. That 2011 tournament must go down as featuring one of the craziest Masters Sundays ever. It was an amazing few hours. The atmosphere was off the charts. And it was something of a dream day for me, playing alongside the legend that is Fred Couples, with Tiger Woods in the group directly ahead of us.

I remember Tiger went out in 30 and got the crowd revved up. Fred and I were standing on the 7th green watching as Tiger hit his second shot to the par-5 8th. Even from more than 500-yards away we could tell he was close, the noise carrying all the way back to us. It was an eagle roar and a Tiger roar, like nothing anyone else could produce. We knew it was him just by that sound. It was too loud to be a birdie and it was too loud to be any other player.

In contrast, Tiger went “cold” on the back-nine and ended up tied with me and Luke Donald for fourth. However, he definitely set-up the day and what was to follow. Indeed, things had already been happening for the man who would end up wearing the green jacket. Charl Schwartzel chipped-in for birdie on the first hole, then holed-out his approach for an eagle on the third.

RIGHT: Ogilvy at Augusta in 2011. PHOTO: Getty Images.

Amidst all of that, I was just having a nice day ... until I arrived at the par-3 12th. I was certainly nowhere near winning, but I then proceeded to make five birdies in succession. Which was fun. I remember walking off the 15th green after the fourth birdie and thinking I was suddenly only one shot off the lead. One hole later I was tied for first after I hit the tee-shot to 16 we’ve all seen a thousand times. The ball landed high on the slope and rolled down next to the flag. Fred actually did the same thing, which provoked cheering that never stopped until we got to the 17th tee.

You won’t be surprised to hear that, with two holes to play, I felt like I was in with a chance. However, as it turned out, I wasn’t really. I made pars on the last two holes and ended up losing by four shots, but I wasn’t alone in that. A couple of groups later, Adam Scott was two shots in front standing on that 17th tee. Like me, he parred the last two holes – and lost by two. I thought I had a hard-done-by story until I heard his.

Which isn’t really how I was feeling. Normally when you sign your card having come close to winning, the next hour is spent analysing what you could have done differently or better. However, that day wasn’t like that. Instead, it was as if just about everyone was happy with their day, especially Charl, who blew everyone away by making birdies on each of the last four holes. What he did was so outrageous, no one could feel too bad about not winning. With the exception of Rory, who famously shot 80, just about everyone had enjoyed a good day.

That was certainly how I was feeling, even if that Friday four-putt was lingering in my mind a little. But I knew deep down that I wasn’t making five birdies in a row on the back-nine on Sunday if I was right there in contention on the 12th tee. So I left “pumped” and impatient already for the next Masters (where I finished T-19).

Even now, 14 years later, I get goosebumps thinking about that final round. It was so special. Contending for a green jacket at Augusta National is just about the most fun you can have in professional golf. The Masters is the best tournament in that respect. I am sure the millions watching on the premises and at home on television can tell how much the players are enjoying themselves. The Masters has a vibe all its own.

Fred Couples and Ogilvy at Augusta. PHOTO: Getty Images.

What added even more to all of the above was being with Fred on that last day. He is a legend at Augusta. Tiger was maybe the guy most people in the gallery wanted to win, but Fred was undoubtedly their favourite. He got a standing ovation on every green. No one was paying much attention to me, for sure. However, Fred was so nice to me. He is someone who always congratulates you on a good shot. He is never jealous and always encouraging. I was 15 when he won the Masters in 1992, so I grew up thinking he was “the man”. And nothing which happened that day changed my opinion. He was just so cool to be around.

Maybe the only downside for me as I look back is that, although I left the course in 2011 thinking I could win the event in the future, I never really played that well there again. However, it was nice to be in the mix just once.