For any golfer, professional or amateur, the dream is to play at Augusta. This week six European Tour players will fulfil that dream with their first Masters start.
So what does it feel like to play drive down Magnolia Lane for the first time?
“It’s just surreal.” said Andy Sullivan.
The Englishman earned his invite to this year’s tournament thanks to a breakout year in 2015, which included three European Tour victories, and it’s safe to say he’s smiling even more than usual this week.
“I am absolutely loving it – it’s just an incredible experience.” said the 29 year old. "The golf course is as awesome as everyone tells you. I have actually played it four times now, because I played last Wednesday and Thursday. You kind of feel like you know the course but playing it is awesome.”
Knowing the challenge that Augusta presents, Sullivan and his caddie Sean Mcdonagh seeked the help of an experienced local caddie Gray Moore.
"Every time I hit a shot or a putt he called it exactly. It was unbelievable. Gray caddied for Tom Watson here in the past and he was not only an amazing caddie but also just a great guy. I learned so much from him.”
Fellow Brit and Masters rookie Russell Knox is also making his first start at Augusta. It’s safe to say he’s soaking it all up.
“It’s awesome.” he said. "If you can’t get excited for this, you can’t get excited for anything.”
Knox, who catapulted into the top 50 in the world with his win at the WGC-HSBC Champions last year, played his first practice round of the week alongside his countryman and 1988 Masters champion Sandy Lyle.
“I asked him a lot of questions and he gave me a lot of great advice. It was a lot of fun. I was only planning to play nine holes but he wanted to keep going. I could hardly turn down the chance to play more golf at Augusta with a Masters champion.”
It seems seeking advice from those who experience at Augusta is the number one lesson for Masters rookies and Knox said he learnt a lot from his time with Lyle.
“He told me a lot about how the ball reacts around the greens, things I wouldn’t have known if I didn’t play with him. Where to hit belly-wedges, where to chip. It was great.”
Watch @Rooknox describe "a dream come true" in his first diary from #themasters.https://t.co/lhQnyCRzt6
— Masters Tournament (@TheMasters) 5 April 2016
Another Masters rookie and one of the hottest players around at the moment, Rafa Cabrera Bello, was also on the course today.
"It’s a very special experience." he said. "It’s everything that I thought it would be and more – it’s beyond perfect to be honest."
Cabrera-Bello finished third in the WGC-Dell Match Play two weeks ago before notching a top five finish at the Shell Houston Open last week. The 31 year old has been seeking the advice from a fellow Spaniard and Masters champion José María Olazábal.
"Olly texted me when he knew I was in and I told him that I would be hassling him for the advice of a champion. I will text him tonight and get some advice after playing 18 holes today. There are a lot of questions I will ask, mostly about which shots to go for, when to be aggressive and when not be."
“I was ten when Jose Maria won his first Masters and I have dreamed about playing here since then. I feel honoured to be here this week and hopefully I can play well and enjoy it."
Andy Sullivan gets his first Masters officially underway on Thursday morning with Harris English while Cabrera-Bello and Knox play in consecutive groups at 12.22pm and 12.33pm respectively.
