A giddy Min Woo Lee has been forced to temper his excitement after making the stunning confession that he thought he'd win last year's Masters.
The newly-elevated national No.1 will spearhead Australia's star-studded four-strong challenge when the 90th Masters gets under way on Thursday night (AEST).
Lee has arrived at Augusta National brimming with belief following a stellar start to 2026 but knows he must handle the glare better to seriously contend after failing the pressure test with a 49th-place finish last year.
High on life after upstaging world No.1 Scottie Scheffler down the stretch to capture his maiden PGA Tour title two weeks before the 2025 Masters, Lee now accepts he got way too ahead of himself before the season's most captivating major.
"Expectations were very high and I just wanted to go play and I thought I'd win the damn thing because I was on such a good run of winning, I guess, and felt so good about myself," he said.
Backing up his runner-up statement at Pebble Beach and hot results at Signature $US20 million events at Riviera and Bay Hill, the Perth prodigy wound up his Masters preparation with an eye-catching third at the Houston Open.
"Obviously I'd like to have won, but I would probably handle it differently (than last year) if I did win," said Lee, who is otherwise elated with his new-found consistency.
"So this is a different type of feeling good, of playing consistently, but at big-boy courses and big, big tournaments.
"So leading up to it, it's great and I feel confident."
In offering a glimpse of his supreme ball-striking talents, Lee - who famously branded Augusta "heaven on earth" before his second visit - still holds the front-nine course record.
He rounded out his Masters debut in 2022 with a magical six-under 30 to start the final round en route to his best finish yet, a tie for 14th.
But the 27-year-old has identified executing in the pressure cooker at golf's most intense major as the key to being properly in the mix on the back nine come championship Sunday.
"Probably just my approach play needs to be good and needs to be at a certain level, and just hitting the shots under pressure. That's probably the biggest part," Lee said.
"It's one of the biggest tournaments in the world, the best major in my book, and there's just that pressure part, which is a big part of it."
Lee and fellow Australians Jason Day, 2013 winner Adam Scott and 2020 runner-up Cameron Smith can at least enjoy relatively low-key starts this year after being overlooked for the marquee groups for the opening two rounds.
Lee will join 1992 champion Fred Couples and Thai sensation Fifa Laopakdee, who earned a spot with victory at the Asia-Pacific Championship.
Contesting his milestone 25th straight Masters, Scott will play alongside Americans Daniel Berger and Brian Harman.
Smith will be the first Aussie out, also with home hopes Jake Knapp and Sam Burns, while Day will tee off with fellow former world No.1 Dustin Johnson and Irishman Shane Lowry.
AUSTRALIAN FIRST-ROUND MASTERS GROUPINGS (ALL TIMES AEST)
Thursday 11.19pm: Cameron Smith (AUS), Jake Knapp (USA), Sam Burns (USA)
Thursday 11.43pm: Jason Day (AUS), Dustin Johnson (USA), Shane Lowry (IRE)
Friday 2.03am: Adam Scott (AUS), Daniel Berger (USA), Brian Harman (USA)
Friday 2.25am: Min Woo Lee (AUS), Fred Couples (USA), Fifa Laopakdee (THA)
