Lando Norris: From Golf Newbie to Augusta Enthusiast, Hungover and All

As Lando Norris teed off at Augusta National, the iconic course that hosts The Masters, he was hit with the shakes—not from the pressure of the moment, but from a sleepless, hungover night following his first Formula 1 victory in Miami.

"It was because of the night that had been, and not having slept, which was an experience in itself," Norris, the reigning F1 world champion, told The Athletic. The plan was to fly to Augusta straight after the Miami Grand Prix in May 2024 with McLaren CEO Zak Brown, but Norris's breakthrough win turned it into an all-night celebration. McLaren's first victory in over two years meant partying ensued, yet Norris, with a mere 1 percent recovery score on his Whoop wristband, boarded a plane anyway to honor the tee time arranged through Brown's connections.

"It was surreal, because I’d just come off that (night)," he said, dressed in a blazer and tie in the Georgia heat. Despite the exhaustion, playing Augusta marked a pinnacle in Norris's golf evolution. Just years earlier, he was baffled by the sport.

"I remember being that one guy watching real golf like, ‘What the hell is this?’" Norris, currently fifth in the 2026 drivers’ championship after three races, recounted with a laugh. As a high-speed racer, the slow pace seemed boring and alien to him.

His introduction came in 2019 from then-teammate Carlos Sainz, a golf enthusiast. Living near McLaren’s Woking factory, they frequented a Top Golf center and West Byfleet's driving range. "I couldn’t even hit the ball," Norris admitted. "You see someone swing and miss, and it’s like, oh man… The energy just disappears! You just hear a whoosh!"

Persistent practice followed, including a Sky Sports shoot at Beaverbrook Golf Club despite a rib injury, and lessons at West Byfleet. The COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 provided unexpected downtime. "The only thing you could basically be allowed to do outside the house was to go and play golf," he said. "It’s a one-man sport." Norris honed his skills alone, blistering his hands on the range and setting up a net in his garden, leaving divots for future homeowners.

Competitiveness soon took hold. "Very early on, I got addicted to it," Norris explained. "I would go out every single day to try and practice. I went from not even understanding the game to understanding why people love it so much." Now an eight-handicapper, he spends free time on the course.

Opportunities escalated with pro-ams, like Wentworth in 2022 with Ryder Cup player Tyrrell Hatton, and a Netflix tournament before the 2023 Las Vegas Grand Prix, where he paired with Rickie Fowler. Norris praised Justin Rose, a McLaren friend: "We’ve played golf together and he’s a good friend of McLaren. It’s nice to see someone you know do well. I want to see him win."

At Augusta, daunted by the first hole's dogleg and bunker, Norris's drive landed under trees, but he punched out in awe. "It was incredible, just to go and play it and witness it, from seeing it on TV to playing it and understanding it," he said. Scoring around 100, the experience trumped the numbers. He birdied the par-three on day two, joking, "You know, Tiger (Woods) put it in the water, I birdied it. All relative, mate."

A second round with Brown and Sainz used back tees for challenge. Golf offers Norris escapism amid F1 pressures. "It’s definitely a thing that takes my mind the most away from it, especially if I’m playing on my own," he said. In Monaco, he races buggies across 18 holes in under two hours, headphones blaring.

Yet golf humbles even champions. "Just the other day I hit my best, which is 78," Norris boasted, pausing. "I hit 104 the day after that, but just forget about that." From skeptic to addict, Norris's journey underscores golf's allure for elite athletes seeking balance.