Special memories from Santilli

When you ask Angelo Santilli to describe his appearance in the 1954 Masters, budget some time, because the tales he'll share from that week are best served slow, with his intricate details painting a clear picture of a wonderful game played at a special venue during much simpler times.

From the moment his invitation arrived in the mail on that early January day, to the 900-mile drive, to the eight practice days and four tournament days he spent at Augusta National, Santilli recalls it all, always with a smile.

Now 86, he'll position himself in front of the television today and watch this year's Masters, knowing he shares a special bond with the stars on the screen.

"Playing in the Masters, that tops everything," said Santilli, who won the Rhode Island Amateur twice, the state four-ball five times, and was inducted into the Rhode Island Golf Hall of Fame in 2003. "You have to do something special to play in the Masters."

Santilli earned his spot by reaching the quarterfinals of the 1953 US Amateur at the Oklahoma City Golf and Country Club, a tournament that included Ken Venturi and Arnold Palmer, and was won by future US Open champion Gene Littler. In those days, the Masters invited more amateurs, with US Amateur quarterfinalists and Walker Cup team members participating. Santilli was one of 16 amateurs among the 77 players who began the 1954 Masters.

Then, like now, Augusta National was available before the tournament to all qualifiers, so Santilli arrived early, becoming the second player to register. (The defending Masters champion receives player pin No. 1, regardless of when he arrives; Santilli still has his pin, with "Player 3" clearly visible.) "Just coming down Magnolia Lane," Santilli said, "seeing all that green grass, and that flag in front of the clubhouse . . . it gave me chills."

He played a practice round with Tommy Bolt, two with Frank Stranahan, and three with Bob Toski, a Massachusetts native whom Santilli befriended in 1950. The two still stay in touch.

"Oh, Angie could play. He was a good player, a good ball controller. He wasn't exceptionally long, but he could keep the ball in play and had a lot of golf shots, could really shape it," said Toski, who tied for 22d in the 1954 Masters, but won four times that year and led the tour in earnings with $65,819.

"Bob introduced me to the pros, [Sam] Snead and some of the others," Santilli said. "He went out of his way to help me."

It was a chance encounter with Hogan, though, which still resonates. One pre-tournament day Santilli found himself on the range with only one other player, whose back faced him. The swing, though, was unmistakable.

It was Hogan, who in April 1954 was the best player and cut the largest figure in golf, having won all three majors he entered (Masters, US Open, British Open) in 1953. Slowly, Santilli worked his way over. Forty feet, then 30. Hogan could be surly, cold, unapproachable. Santilli rolled the dice and broke the ice, complimenting the Hawk on his ball striking. "I thought he'd tell me to get lost but he was very friendly," said Santilli, who still remembers the calloused Hogan hand that he shook. "He said I would really enjoy the golf course."

Standing on the first tee April 8, 1954, Santilli had but a single thought: Make contact. "After I got off the first tee I was fine, but boy was I nervous."

He bogeyed No. 1 and went on to shoot a first-round 79. Scores of 81-82-75 followed (a cut wasn't implemented at the Masters until 1957), his final round highlighted by three front-nine birdies, the only three Santilli made in the tournament. He tied Denny Shute for 68th place, just ahead of 1941 Masters winner Craig Wood.

Santilli's final-round 75 matched Hogan, who lost a three-shot lead after 54 holes and was caught by Snead, who would win the Masters the following day in a playoff. Santilli was in the gallery.

"I tied Ben Hogan," Santilli said. "That was a bad round for him, a costly round, but it was a great round for me.

"I was very happy with the way I played. Toski said if I break 80 I should be happy, and I did that twice."

Santilli's has been a life lived well. He and his wife, Helen, will celebrate 54 years of marriage this year, and they've lived in the same house in Coventry since it was built in 1960 (sale price: $12,400). No children, but a fulfilling 35-year career at Plantations Steel in Warwick, R.I., retiring in 1987 (the company gave him two paid weeks off to play in the Masters). When the weather permits, Santilli still plays golf three times a week, expecting to break his age, succeeding more times than not.

He's returned to Augusta National twice. The first came in October 1955, when he and Helen stopped by on their honeymoon. Security declined Santilli's request to show his new bride the grounds, so they peeked best they could through the fence and down Magnolia Lane. They couldn't see much.

The second time back was when he secured practice-round tickets for the 1989 Masters. He spent two days there, with the course as green and as beautiful as he'd remembered it 35 years earlier. With one exception.

"I noticed that the trees were a lot taller."

But how many people would recognize Lincicome? She's had a decent career, with three wins and nearly $2.3 million in earnings, but she's not considered one of the LPGA's stars, maybe not at the level of Paula Creamer, Angela Stanford, Christie Kerr, or even Morgan Pressel.

Kerr had been the last American to win an LPGA major, taking the US Open in 2007. After Kerr and before Lincicome, majors had been won by Lorena Ochoa (twice), Yani Tseng, Inbee Park, and Jiyai Shin.

Maybe Lincicome can parlay a win in the year's first major into a big year. It would come at a good time for those who root for the Yanks. The last American named LPGA Player of the Year was Beth Daniel in 1994. Since then, Annika Sorenstam won the award eight times, Ochoa three times, Karrie Webb twice, and Laura Davies once.

Former US Amateur and US Amateur Public Links champion Colt Knost, who gave up a spot in last year's Masters by turning professional, soared to a final-round 81 and crashed down the leaderboard, finishing in a tie for 42d. He faced plenty of criticism when he turned pro in the fall of 2007, but said then it was the right decision for his career and that he'd hopefully have other chances to play in Augusta. He certainly let his best chance since then slip away. Knost won twice on the Nationwide Tour last year to earn his PGA Tour card, and has made five cuts in eight starts this year.

Third-round leaders Bo Van Pelt and Ryan Moore had opportunities to get back to Augusta, but also faded in the blustery final-round conditions. Moore, looking for his third trip to the Masters, shot a final-round 76 and tied for 11th; Van Pelt, who played in the 2005 Masters, had 78 and tied for 19th.

The other two leaders going into the final round fared better. Paul Casey, who had already clinched a Masters berth, beat J.B. Holmes on the first playoff hole for his first win on the PGA Tour. Geoff Ogilvy, already a two-time winner this year, tied for sixth.