AUGUSTA, Georgia, April 9 (Reuters) - Brandon Holtz said he had "already won" by making it to Augusta National, even if the 39-year-old amateur was left frustrated by a ragged opening round on Thursday in his Masters debut.
Holtz, a real estate agent from Illinois who earned his place in the field by winning the U.S. Mid-Amateur at Troon Country Club in Arizona last September, said the occasion lived up to everything he had imagined despite a difficult day on the course.
"The experience as a whole is incredible. This is a dream come true really," Holtz told reporters after his opening round nine-over 81 left him near the bottom of the leaderboard when he walked off the course.
"Definitely not what I wanted to do on the golf course today, but I had a lot of fun."
Holtz said he repeatedly found himself out of position, a costly mistake at Augusta National, where wayward shots are rarely forgiven. But he also struck a reflective note after completing the first major championship round of his life.
"I'm 39, chasing a dream and here we are," he said. "But at the same time I'm not happy with how I played. But we got tomorrow so let's see what happens."
The nerves arrived early.
Holtz said the walk to the first tee and the opening moments under the gaze of patrons and playing partners brought a sensation unlike anything he had experienced, even during his run to the U.S. Mid-Amateur title.
"It was a little jittery for sure," he said. "It was something I've never felt before."
His father was on the bag, adding to the emotion of the moment and helping calm him down when needed. Holtz said his father, who had a tendency to drop things earlier in the week, was "pretty solid" during the round and "talked me off the ledge a couple times."
Holtz also revealed he had received an old driver back on Thursday morning after it had been sent to the USGA Hall of Fame, but chose not to put it in play despite recent struggles off the tee.
"I didn't feel like it was fair to myself to try to hit it, so I stuck with the original one," he said, adding that he was unlikely to make the switch for Friday's second round.
Away from the scorecard, Holtz embraced the atmosphere at Augusta, praising the patrons, volunteers and staff while soaking in amateur traditions like staying in the Crow's Nest.
"It'll be hard to go to work next week for sure," he said. "But I got kids and a family to feed."
Still, with another round ahead and the U.S. Open on his mind, Holtz was not ready to close the book on his week just yet.
(Reporting by Rory CarrollEditing by Christian Radnedge)
