After missing his first Masters in eight years and having to watch good friend Adam Scott break the Augusta hoodoo from his couch, 2006 US Open champion Geoff Ogilvy is determined to claw his way back to Magnolia Lane.
Ogilvy was a poster child for bad luck around Masters invites in 2013, missing at 2012 year-end by one world ranking spot and then again falling outside the mark the week before the tournament with an untimely missed cut.
He's not out for a repeat dose in 2014.
"Obviously I am targeting the Masters. As it stands, the only major I am in is the US Open and the goal is to get back into all of them, starting with Augusta," Ogilvy said from Palm Springs where he will continue his quest in the Humana Challenge, his first 2014 start.
"Ever since I knew I wasn't getting in (the Masters) last year, I have been pretty determined and hell bent on never missing it again. It definitely gets me going on the range and putting green, that's for sure.
"It would have been really cool to be there as it was a pretty cool Masters for Australia and it was a little bit more sad to miss it given the result."
To make it back, the 36-year-old will need some big results over the first few months of the year having fallen to 131st in the world, his lowest mark since early 2003.
A win automatically brings a Masters invite while his only other window is to be inside the world top 50 by the week before the April 10-13 tournament.
Ogilvy is confident of a move given tracks like TPC Scottsdale, Torrey Pines and Riviera coming up on the schedule. He lives near Scottsdale, used to live by Torrey and reveres the design of Riviera.
The Victorian worked his tail off to get to Augusta last year, playing 10 of 11 weeks to start the year, but will be more mindful of burnout after falling agonisingly short.
"I'm setting the schedule, both tournaments and practice, with my mind on the Masters but I went a little bit over the top last year and, with my time again, I would have taken a bit of a time off after getting inside the top 50," he said.
"It is a week to week proposition. Win a tournament and you're there or accumulate enough points but, to do that, I will have to play better than I have been playing.
"I've come back from a true break in Australia with some fresh ideas on little technique things I haven't appreciated quite enough and I am getting excited to get going."
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