Going Home

Masters Experience Overshadows Disappointment For Amateurs

April 6, 2007

By Alex Davidson

Augusta, Ga. - John Kelly made the only birdie at the par-3 fourth hole. Dave Womack rattled in a 40-foot birdie putt at the ninth and was one of just five players to birdie the contentious 11^th hole. Casey Watabu birdied the 18^th to cap a round that was nine strokes better than the previous day.

None of the five amateurs competing in the 71^st Masters Tournament made the cut Friday at Augusta National Golf Club, but that didn't mean that their second round was without highlights.

"It was awesome, the whole experience," said Kelly, the U.S. Amateur runner-up, whose second straight 77 resulted in a 10-over-par 154 total, just two off the cutline and the lowest score among the amateurs. "I didn't play that bad at all. Right now it hurts (not making the cut) but an hour from now it will be pretty cool to look back on."

Dave Womack finished with an 81 Friday. (USGA Photo Archives)

U.S. Amateur champion Richie Ramsay, playing with defending champion Phil Mickelson, never got anything going and posted 80-156, 12 over par. Ramsay was one of three players who didn't make a birdie in the first two rounds.

Meanwhile, Julien Guerrier, the British Amateur champion who played two rounds with three-time winner Gary Player, was two strokes improved from a first-round 83 to finish at 20-over 164. Womack also had an 81 with a triple bogey on the home hole for 165, while Watabu rebounded from an 87, the worst score of the opening round, to shoot 78. It included two birdies, the last an 18-footer that brought a big smile to the Hawaii native's face.

"I hit some good shots. I hit it better than my score shows and I putted better than my score shows, but that's what happens around here," said Womack, the U.S. Mid-Amateur champion, who didn't have to go far to get home to McDonough, Ga. "There's really nothing that can prepare you for this. You anticipate it's going to be hard, but you just don't know until you get out there. But it's still the greatest experience."

Watabu, the U.S. Amateur Public Links champion, agreed.

"I had two great partners (Tom Watson and Fred Funk) and just tried to enjoy the day, not put any pressure on myself," said Watabu, who just completed his senior year at the University of Nevada. "Whatever you shoot doesn't matter because it's really something special.

"I finished on a good note, I guess. That was really nice. I tried to play the best I could. Whatever I finished is what I finished, but I played a lot better; it could only get better after yesterday. It's a lot easier to play after shooting 87. You can only do better."

Watabu, 23, said he has been mulling over turning professional, but now plans to remain an amateur and play a full amateur schedule in hopes of making the United States Walker Cup team. He said he would wait to compete in the PGA Tour qualifying school this fall or even next year.

"I have a lot of events coming up," he said.

They won't compare to this one, though. "I enjoyed myself so much, and I got a lot of experience. I'm going to take that and run with it."

Alex Davidson is a freelance writer whose work has appeared previously on www.usga.org .