SANDY LYLE spends more time swinging an axe than a golf club these days at his home in rural Perthshire.

Lyle has morphed into a lumberjack since bringing down the curtain on a near-50-year career earlier this year.

Appropriately, he chose his moment to bow out carefully when he announced his retirement at The Masters in April.

It came 35 years after he etched his name in history as the first Brit to win the Green Jacket — beating Mark Calcavecchia by one stroke following arguably the greatest fairway bunker shot of all time to birdie the final hole.

He was also the first for 16 years to lift the Claret Jug when he was crowned Open champ at Royal St George’s in 1985.

Yet his love affair with golf’s oldest Major was sparked even before his debut in 1974 — the first of 43 Open appearances, including a remarkable run of 42 in a row from 1977.

Looking back on his career, Lyle told SunSport how he was bitten by the Open bug as a starry-eyed young fan at Royal Lytham in 1969.

Lyle, now 65, said: “We lived at Hawkstone Park in Shropshire, so it wasn’t far from Lytham.

“And as a kid of 11, The Open was just incredible.

“At the 18th when Tony Jacklin tossed his ball into the crowd after he’d won, I missed it by two feet.

“But that was the start of me getting a taste of the atmosphere and what international golf is all about.”

Lyle was different from the majority of his peers in that he displayed none of the traits associated with superstardom.

Quiet and easy going, the Scot shunned the limelight. But he was at the forefront of European glory in the 1980s and 90s.

There was never anything big-time about Lyle — even down to winning at Sandwich with a hand-me-down driver.

He said: “It was one I managed to borrow off Ian Woosnam, which I put a new shaft in.

“It was an old MacGregor that Woosie had got from Eamonn Darcy!

“I don’t think either of them could hit it and driving the ball well at St George’s is hard.”

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Winner of 30 titles worldwide, Lyle was also a central figure in Europe’s Ryder Cup renaissance.

A two-time winner in five appearances, he had been expected to eventually be given the honour of captaincy.

But he lost out to fellow Scot Colin Montgomerie in 2010, when his compatriot subsequently led Europe to victory at Celtic Manor in Wales.

It’s generally held that he blew his final chance on the back of two major controversies.

The first of those arose at the 2008 Open at Royal Birkdale when Lyle quit after ten holes on 11-over-par, citing poor weather conditions and numbness in his hands as his reasons for walking off.

He later claimed to also be suffering from a wrist injury.

But the damage was done and when he also became embroiled in a very public slanging match with Monty prior to The Open at Turnberry 12 months later, his dream of leading Europe virtually disappeared forever.

Lyle reopened old wounds when he effectively accused Monty of having cheated at the Indonesian Open four years earlier.

The eight-time European No 1 was caught on camera replacing his ball on an incorrect spot following a rain delay, seemingly to improve his stance.

Jakartagate has continued to blight Monty’s reputation, although he later apologised for his mistake and donated his £24,000 prize-money to charity.

The duo were elected to the World Hall of Fame in 2012.

But despite winning six times on the PGA Tour, while Monty drew a blank in the States and ended up two Majors short of Lyle’s tally, he paid a high price for his frankness and honesty.

Not that he is bitter at being overlooked for the role of European captain.

He added: “It’s not something I cry about or lose sleep over.”

Lyle has no regrets either about swapping Augusta’s Magnolia Lane for rural life in Perthshire.

After years spent swinging a golf club at the top level, the 65-year-old two-time major champion is equally adept at wielding an axe.

A five-hour round of golf is like a stroll in the park compared to a hard day-long shift developing his farming skills at his Balquhidder estate 10 miles north-west of Callander.

“There is wood to be chopped and plants to be planted,” he says.

“I am also helping one of my sons on a new farm at Comrie so there’s plenty to keep me going.

“Being out in the fresh air working up a sweat gives you a good feeling and seeing various projects come to fruition is very satisfying.

“Physical work is also an ideal way of keeping fit and I have never been scared of hard graft.

“I’m also used to the alarm clock going off before it’s even light after years of early tee-times so I don’t mind that aspect either.

“There is the bonus of peace and tranquillity when you are tucked away in the countryside surrounded by spectacular scenery and I don’t have a problem with my own company.

“You have a chance to smell the coffee first thing in the morning and let your mind roam free without any distractions.

“And with so many other things going on in my life, I haven’t had a chance to miss golf too much.

“But the game was pretty good to me. I’ve had The Open Championship, The Masters and The Players.

“Winning The Masters was always a great achievement – it’s the pinnacle.

“It’s like an athlete winning a gold medal at the Olympics and something I’ll cherish for the rest of my life.”

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