Augusta a thrill for first-timers

Players cherish Masters debut

Australian sensation Adam Scott, who took time to play in the sand yesterday, became enchanted with Augusta National upon his first Masters in 2002. (Andrew Reddington/Getty Images)

AUGUSTA, Ga. - Before he walked to the tee at the par-3 12th or pondered whether to challenge Rae's Creek at the par-5 13th, and even before he tried to draw a tee ball around the corner at the par-4 10th or set his sights on the cozy, uphill, par-4 third, there was something that grabbed hold of his senses and wouldn't let go the first time he set foot on the hallowed grounds of Augusta National Golf Club.

A priceless serenity.

"It was so peaceful. It's a beautiful place," said Adam Scott.

He was a heralded star from Australia when he made his Masters debut in 2002. Not yet 22, he wasn't so young and naíve that he took the visit for granted. While he figured there'd be return trips, Scott understood his maiden voyage was something to cherish, so like many who blazed the PGA Tour before him, the brilliant Aussie stopped to smell the roses.

Or, more accurately, he stopped to smell the azaleas.

Savoring the landscape and taking stock of surroundings are not constants within the world of the professional golfer, who is often more immersed in his swing or putting stroke or corporate responsibilities.

None of that, however, is true when the course is Augusta National and the tournament is the Masters. So many of the game's stars have fresh memories of what they felt that first time they set eyes on the place.

"I couldn't believe how wide open it was. It's not what I thought it was going to look like at all," said Scott, who played a practice round before his debut with boyhood idol Greg Norman, who demonstrated a little trick at the green of the par-3 16th.

"We poured some water at the top and it rolled off the green. The water, it trickled. Didn't sink into the green at all. That was pretty scary."

But the view? In no way was that scary. It was a true spectacle for the young Aussie.

"The greens didn't look like I thought they were," he said. "I didn't know the ninth green was right there or the 18th green was right there. You couldn't see that on television."

As with so many others, Scott's connection with the Masters had come through CBS broadcasts, because if there's a consensus about anything within the golf world, it's that the competition in early April is captivating.

"Everyone who grows up with golf feels a connection to the Masters," said D.J. Trahan, who'll make his second appearances when the 72d edition of this fabled tournament gets under way tomorrow. When he made his debut in 2001, Trahan was a collegiate star at Clemson and a participant thanks to his win in the US Amateur Public Links Championship.

"I was even more excited to be playing as an amateur, because that's when it's an honor and a privilege," said Trahan. "I loved the time as an amateur and I stayed in the Crow's Nest. I wanted to take it all in, obviously, with it being such a special thing playing as an amateur."

And Trahan also was enthralled with the stillness.

"I've been here when it's dead empty and it's slightly different," he said. "I think it's extremely more beautiful when you come and there's no one here, because you really get the gist. It's quieter and it's such a special place."

Masters participants know Augusta National in two forms - as a sanctuary where pine trees stretch to the sky and flowers offer brilliant colors, but also as a sports theater lined with passionate patrons who can set the ground quaking with thunderous roars. Brandt Snedeker will never forget the day those two images clashed with a stunning reality.

It was the opening practice day of the 2004 tournament, a lazy Monday morning for the reigning US Amateur Public Links champion, and he slumbered down at the break of day from the Crow's Nest, the legendary clubhouse loft that provides quarters for amateurs during the tournament. So peaceful was the morning, so green the view, but after Snedeker had breakfast, took a shower, got dressed, and returned downstairs, he was jolted to his senses.

"There were 30,000 people out there and I didn't even want to go out and play golf," he said.

For those who grew up with visions of playing professional golf, it's not uncommon to cling to a belief that no visit to Augusta National should be made unless it's to tee it up. PGA Tour veteran Jerry Kelly stuck to that, so the first time he saw the place was 2002, when he played in the Masters. Trahan felt similarly and feels blessed that his Clemson team got an invitation in 2000.

But others felt an undeniable tug to make the pilgrimage, so enamored were they with the aura of the Masters.

"I loved to go down to the 12th and 13th holes, get a chicken sandwich or a ham and cheese sandwich and just watch the golf," said Brad Faxon, who would make the roughly two-hour ride from Furman University in South Carolina. "It was so beautiful."

It wasn't until his ninth PGA Tour season that Faxon, in 1992 at the age of 30, qualified for his first Masters. But oh, how he embraces the fact that 11 more berths arrived over the next 12 Aprils, though for a third straight year he is missing the festivities. That gives him reason to pause and reflect on a pull that hasn't let go since he first set foot on Augusta National.

"I wish I was there," said Faxon, an assessment that many of his colleagues surely must think when they miss out on the Masters.

When he shot 78-75 to miss the cut in 2001, Trahan didn't fret. Rather, he enjoyed the experience, the ambiance, and everything that came with a dream come true. "I think for me, it was soaking it in and saying, 'Wow, this is what it's all about, and I can't wait to come back again as a professional.' Obviously, it's been a little longer than I hoped, but I'm very happy to be back."

Scott is back for a seventh straight appearance and the allure hasn't diminished. Every trip seems to bring another piece of magic, like last month when he made a quiet weekday visit with swing coach Butch Harmon and two PGA Tour colleagues, Fred Couples and Nick Watney. For the first time, Scott was given the opportunity to stay in one of the cabins adjacent to the course - the Stevens Cabin - and that was an unforgettable Augusta moment.

"I thought we'd be in the Motel 6 down the street," said Scott, who as a 27-year-old has won more than $16 million in a PGA Tour career that includes six victories (one being unofficial), yet he had goosebumps that day when he checked into the cabin near the 10th tee.

"The best thing about it was, Freddie stayed in a cabin with me and they took the bags in and said, 'Here's your room, Mr. Couples. I'll put the bags in here and the green jackets are in the closet for you.' That was pretty sweet. I think most people kind of get different when they're at Augusta. Everyone just loves being there."

Surely, there have been bittersweet Augusta moments for Scott, who tied for ninth in his first appearance, but no better than T-23 in five tries since. Not the sort of Masters résumé expected of the world's eighth-ranked player, whose first Masters memory dates to 1987, when an improbable Larry Mize chip-in on the second playoff hole, the par-4 11th, dashed Norman's hopes.

In those days, Augusta was set up at 6,904 yards, and with firm and fast conditions, it played delectably short and would routinely produce eagles and birdies. Now, at 7,445 yards, Augusta National is as stern a test as these players of titanium and graphite will face, a brute of a course that affords fewer birdie chances than it did years ago. Does Scott ever feel a void in his golf life that he never got a shot at the 6,904-yard version?

He merely smiles.

"That would have been great, but I'm pretty happy to be here now, too."

Jim McCabe can be reached at jmccabe@globe.com.