Isle golfers at Augusta

For the first time in Masters history, two Hawaii golfers are in the field in the same year and Star-Bulletin sports editor Paul Arnett will be at Augusta National to cover every shot.

Castle High product Dean Wilson and Kauai's Casey Watabu qualified in different ways for the most prestigious golf tournament in the world. Wilson is playing in his first Masters thanks to finishing among the top 40 money winners in 2006.

Watabu punched his ticket by winning the 2006 Amateur Public Links Championship.

Watabu is one of five amateurs in the field of 107 golfers and has been in Georgia the past two weeks getting ready for the biggest thrill of his life. Wilson skipped this week's stop on tour to prepare himself for his first run at the famed green jacket.

The last Hawaii golfer to qualify for the Masters was Guy Yamamoto in 1995 after he won the public links title.

The other two golfers to play in the first major on the PGA Tour are David Ishii in 1990 after he won the United Airlines Hawaiian Open and Stan Souza, who qualified in 1976 for reaching the semifinals of the U.S. Amateur when he played at Brigham Young University.

Players to Watch

Tiger Woods

Age: 31
Country: United States.
World ranking: 1.
Majors: Masters (1997, 2001, 2002, 2005), U.S. Open (2000, 2002), British Open (2000, 2005, 2006), PGA Championship (1999, 2000, 2006).
Worldwide victories: 65.
Last 5 Masters: T3-Won-T22-T15-Won.
Masters moment: Setting the scoring record (270) and margin of victory (12 shots) in his first major as a pro.

Charles Howell III

Age: 27
Country: United States.
World ranking: 15.
Majors: None.
Worldwide victories: 2.
Last 5 Masters: Cut-Cut-T13-T28-T29.
Masters moment: Finishing one shot behind Charles Coody in 2006.

Phil Mickelson

Age: 36.
Country: United States.
World ranking: 3.
Majors: Masters (2004, 2006), PGA Championship (2005).
Worldwide victories: 30.
Last 5 Masters: Won-10-Won-3-3
Masters moment: "The Leap." After making an 18-foot birdie on the final hole in 2004 to capture his first major, he was so overcome with joy that he leapt an estimated 13 inches.

Robert Allenby

Age: 35.
Country: Australia.
World ranking: 17.
Majors: None.
Worldwide victories: 19.
Last 5 Masters: T22-Cut-Cut-T39-T29.
Masters moment: Has won the Masters in Malaysia, Britain and Australia.

Paul Casey

Age: 29.
Country: England.
World ranking: 14.
Majors: None.
Worldwide victories: 9.
Last 5 Masters: DNP-Cut-T6-DNP-DNP
Masters moment: Two shots behind going into the final round in 2004 until closing with a 74.

Ernie Els

Age: 37.
Country: South Africa.
World ranking: 4.
Majors: U.S. Open (1994, 1997), British Open (2002).
Worldwide victories: 58.
Last 5 Masters: T27-47-2-T6-T5.
Masters moment: Standing on the putting green in 2004, hoping for a playoff, listening to an enormous cheer for Phil Mickelson's birdie putt that ended the Masters.

Geoff Ogilvy

Age: 29.
Country: Australia.
World ranking: 8.
Majors: U.S. Open (2006).
Worldwide victories: 3.
Last 5 Masters: T16-DNP-DNP-DNP-DNP.
Masters moment: Closed with a 71 to finish in tie for 16th in his Masters debut, assuring that he would be eligible this year. Of course, this was before he won the U.S. Open.

Henrik Stenson

Age: 31.
Country: Sweden.
World ranking: 6.
Majors: None.
Worldwide victories: 9.
Last 5 Masters: Cut-DNP-DNP-DNP-DNP.
Masters moment: Attended the '99 Masters when his wife, who played golf at South Carolina, got tickets. Took one look at Jose Maria Olazabal and meant to place a bet on him -- but he forgot.

Jim Furyk

Age: 36.
Country: United States.
World ranking: 2.
Majors: U.S. Open (2003).
Worldwide victories: 14.
Last 5 Masters: T22-28-DNP-4-Cut.
Masters moment: Making a quiet run for the green jacket in 1998, his approach on the 15th went over the green and into the water.

Adam Scott

Age: 26.
Country: Australia.
World ranking: 5.
Majors: None.
Worldwide victories: 11.
Last 5 Masters: T27-T33-Cut-T23-T9.
Masters moment: Tied for ninth in his Masters debut in 2002, hasn't been in the top 10 since then.

Trevor Immelman

Age: 27.
Country: South Africa.
World ranking: 12.
Majors: None.
Worldwide victories: 5.
Last 5 Masters: Cut-T5-Cut-DNP-DNP.
Masters moment: Making a hole-in-one at No. 16 in 2005 when he tied for fifth.

Sergio Garcia

Age: 27.
Country: Spain.
World ranking: 13.
Majors: None.
Worldwide victories: 16.
Last 5 Masters: 46-Cut-T4-T28-8
Masters moment: Low amateur in 1999, two weeks before his professional debut.

Retief Goosen

Age: 38.
Country: South Africa.
World ranking: 9.
Majors: U.S. Open (2001, 2004).
Worldwide victories: 28.
Last 5 Masters: T3-T3-T13-T13-2
Masters moment: Finished second to Woods in 2002 and asked if that meant he won the green trousers.

Luke Donald

Age: 29.
Country: England.
World ranking: 11.
Majors: None.
Worldwide victories: 4.
Last 5 Masters: T42-T3-DNP-DNP-DNP.
Masters moment: Tied for the B-flight in 2005, seven shots behind Woods and Chris DiMarco.

Chad Campbell

Age: 32.
Country: United States.
World ranking: 32.
Majors: None.
Worldwide victories: 3.
Last 5 Masters: T3-T17-Cut-Cut-DNP.
Masters moment: Led the 2006 Masters after Saturday -- having playing only four holes of the third round.

Vijay Singh

Age: 44.
Country: Fiji.
World ranking: 7.
Majors: Masters (2000), PGA Championship (1998, 2004).
Worldwide victories: 53.
Last 5 Masters: T8-T5-T6-T6-7.
Masters moment: Getting into an argument with Phil Mickelson in the champions locker room over metal spikes.

Jose Maria Olazabal

Age: 40.
Country: Spain.
World ranking: 28.
Majors: Masters (1994, 1999).
Worldwide victories: 29.
Last 5 Masters: T3-Cut-30-T8-T4.
Masters moment: Walking up the steep hill to the 18th green to collect his second Masters victory in 1999, this after coming back from an injury that made it painful to walk to the bathroom.

Sports Editor Paul Arnett has been covering sports for the Star-Bulletin since 1990. Reach him at parnett@starbulletin.com.