You hear stories about me beating my brains out practising, but the truth is, I was enjoying myself. I couldn't wait to get up in the morning, so I could hit balls. When I'm hitting the ball where I want, hard and crisply, it's a joy that very few people experience.

I have always felt and said that a man who can be a champion in one era could be a champion in any other era because he has what it takes to reach the top.

Certainly, if you can't manage your game, you can't play tournament golf. You continually have to ask yourself what club to play, where to aim it, whether to accept a safe par or to try to go for a birdie. You can't play every hole the same way. I never could.

A shot that goes in the cup is pure luck, but a shot to within two feet of the flag is skill.

Golf is not a game of good shots. It's a game of bad shots.

When I practiced, I practiced to get it right.

Reverse every natural instinct and do the opposite of what you are inclined to do, and you will probably come very close to having a perfect golf swing.