By Will Pearson, europeantour.com
at Augusta National
They are all proven winners, experienced, talented, one of them even currently heads The Race to Dubai, but for the five European Tour debutants this week perhaps tops the lot as the rookie quintet fulfil the lifelong dream of teeing it up at the hallowed Augusta National in the 2015 Masters Tournament.
Race to Dubai leader Danny Willett is one of the group making his maiden appearance at the Masters this week, and the 27 year old Sheffield native is joined at the iconic Georgia venue by American Brooks Koepka, India’s Anirban Lahiri, Irishman Shane Lowry and Austrian Bernd Wiesberger.
Famously, there has only been one victorious debutant in the last 79 years, when Fuzzy Zoeller overcame Ed Sneed and Tom Watson in a play-off in 1979 to claim a Green Jacket at the first time of asking, but before getting ahead of themselves, this year’s rookie crop are already embracing what is undoubtedly an incomparable golfing experience.
“This is one of those events that everyone associates the sport with when growing up as a kid,” said Lahiri, who, in the space of just five months has gone from Qualifying School graduate to Masters contender thanks to two European Tour victories this year at the Maybank Malaysian Open and the Hero Indian Open.
“For anyone who plays golf or watches golf, follows golf, or just even general sports fans, they know the history and the prestige of the Masters and I am no different.
“It’s very exciting. The first thing that hits you is how different it is from what you see on television, because that's where I've seen Augusta.
For me, it's easy being a rookie. You can just go out there and express yourself and have fun. Having said that, I know that if I can play anywhere close to my A Game, I will be there on Sunday.
Anirban Lahiri
Lowry this week completes his set of competing in all four Major Championships, having posted a best finish of tied ninth place at The Open at Hoylake last year, and the two-time European Tour winner could barely contain his enthusiasm at finally being in a position to take his place at the revered Alister MacKenzie-designed course.
“I’ve played quite a few holes since Sunday so I’ve got a feel for the place now and I’m enjoying every minute,” said Lowry. “It’s one of the most amazing places I’ve ever been. I’ve got a few friends and family over here, I’m playing in the par three this afternoon with my dad as caddie, so that’s going to be cool. It’s one of those weeks where it’s hard to explain in words how good it actually is.
“In terms of the golf course, I’ve just been trying to figure it out for myself. I played a good few holes on my own and took my time around the greens and stuff, just trying to work out what’s there.
I’m sure there’ll be times in the week where I short side myself but that’s just the way it is.
Shane Lowry
World Number 42 Wiesberger, who this week becomes the first Austrian to play in the Masters, added: “I’m really enjoying the atmosphere. It’s surprising and surreal seeing it in real life and playing it. The width of everything; looking down the holes and seeing how open it is, and the undulations and how big the slopes are which you really can’t tell on television.
“As a rookie I want to make sure I have a good time but being a competitive guy I go into every tournament wanting to do well. It’s the way we are as professional sportsmen.”
In addition to Zoeller, two other debutants have triumphed in the illustrious history of the Masters – Horton Smith in the inaugural playing of the event in 1934 and Gene Sarazen the following year (he did not contest the first edition) – with the intricacies and subtleties of Augusta National often proving unsurprisingly daunting for the first-timer.
There have, however, been signs in recent years that the trend could yet be bucked.
Four rookies have finished inside the top ten in each of the last four years of the Masters, most notably last year, when the hugely promising young American Jordan Spieth and Sweden’s Jonas Blixt shared the runner-up spot behind Bubba Watson.
Back in 2013, Denmark’s Thorbjorn Olesen finished tied sixth on his bow at Augusta, while Australian Jason Day was runner-up to Charl Schwartzel four years ago in his maiden foray into the Masters.
Incidentally, only three players have won the Masters in their second appearance at Augusta National – but even that has only happened once in the last 68 years. Schwartzel was that man, in 2011, while the other two players to have accomplished the feat were Jimmy Demaret in 1940 and Herman Keiser in 1946.
Padraig Harrington, three times a Major winner, is making his 15th appearance at the Masters this week, still searching for a so-far elusive Green Jacket, and says the famous Augusta National layout is an eternal puzzle.
“You’re always adding notes, no matter how many times you play here, you are working out different perceptions for every shot,” said the Irishman, who has finished in the top ten four times at the Masters with a best finish of tied fifth in 2002 and 2008.
The one thing you figure out after a while is that you can’t control everything at Augusta.
Padraig Harrington
"In terms of the first-timers, I know Fuzzy Zoeller did it, but I think you can see it is a long-shot for a rookie to win here.
“But, saying that, if you play good golf, hit fairways, hit greens then you can do well on any golf course. It’s a big ask to go and win it but I would add that I am not a great believer in the cliché of ‘Just go and enjoy it’.
“You should always enjoy it, whatever, but I would say be careful of measuring yourself too harshly because even the most seasoned pros can be made to look decidedly average out there!”
Padraig has spoken. To the rookie five, to the Augusta debutants, all that is left to say is: Good luck gentlemen and have a memorable maiden Masters.
