It's hard to find a hotter -- or richer -- player entering the Masters Tournament than Jeff Maggert.
The Texan won the $1 million first prize in the Andersen Consulting Match Play tournament, a World Golf Championship event, in late February.
To put his check in perspective, the $1 million is more money than Maggert won in any of his eight previous PGA Tour seasons.
``It was definitely good for my confidence,'' Maggert said, not to mention his bank account.
``I've been playing well this year,'' Maggert added. ``I feel good about my game. I think it is better than it has been in the last four or five years. I really feel like I am kind of in the prime of my golf career right now. I'm excited about going to Augusta.
``I've always thought if I really get things going, I should be able to contend in Augusta. Maybe this will be my year.''
Maggert has a checkered past in the Masters. He made the cut in four of his six starts, with the best finish being a tie for seventh in 1996, his lone top-20 finish.
``Some years I play good and others I struggle,'' Maggert said. ``It's a course where your short game has to be right on.''
Maggert has done something at the Augusta National that only two other players have accomplished. When he double-eagled the par-5 13th hole in 1994, he joined Gene Sarazen (No. 13 in 1935) and Bruce Devlin (No. 8 in 1967) as the only golfers to make a double eagle. No one has made double eagle on No. 2.
The only problem was the timing of the double eagle. Maggert was en route to a forgettable 50th-place finish.
``The double eagle was a lot of fun, but it would have been a lot more fun if I'd been a little closer to the leaders,'' said Maggert, who holed out a 222-yard 3-iron shot for the double eagle.
``It would be nice to do something like that (make a double eagle) when you're near the lead on Sunday,'' Maggert said.
Not many people saw the double eagle because Maggert was off in one of the first groups of the day.
``There was a little bit of a roar,'' Maggert said.
The Match Play victory was a long time in coming for Maggert. He hadn't won on tour since 1993 and had finished second in 10 times events since 1994.
``I've had a lot of close calls the last five years,'' Maggert said. ``It's frustrating to be in a situation to win and not win. That's what I judge myself on playing, is being able to win golf tournaments out there.
``I've always said to myself that I'm going to keep putting myself in a position to win and I know if I do that I'm a good enough player to win some tournaments out here. I knew I was going to get here (win again) eventually and it took me a little longer than I would like.''
The early runnerup finishes bothered Maggert because he felt he gave some tournaments away.
In most of the later ones, ``I was playing some really good golf tournaments and people were playing good golf to beat me,'' Maggert said. ``I can't get down if a guy comes out and shoots a great round and beats me.''
Chip shots: Jeff Maggert
When Maggert won his first tour event, the 1993 Walt Disney World Classic, floodlights were necessary to finish the 36-hole final day of play.
'Maybe this will be my year' 
