AUGUSTA, Ga. -- Three Argentine players will compete at this year's Masters, something that hasn't happened since 2001, when Jose Coceres, Angel Cabrera and Eduardo Romero all contested in the tournament.
Emiliano Grillo and Fabian Gomez will be making their debuts, while Cabrera makes his annual trek to his favorite course.
This will be Cabrera's 17th appearance at Augusta National after making his first appearance in 2000, thanks to a fourth-place finish in the Open Championship the previous year. He missed the cut that year, but in 2001, he led the tournament heading into No. 15 on Saturday. Cabrera finally got his sole green jacket in 2009, beating Chad Campbell and Kenny Perry in a three-way playoff. His passion for the Masters transforms his game every time he walks through the club's doors, no matter how low his game may be.
It is inevitable that as years go by it will become increasingly difficult for Cabrera to contend, but golf fans in Argentina have the memories of seeing him play well in Augusta.
A curious fact: Cabrera is the only player in history to have won and lost the Masters in a playoff. With such a range of experience, the veteran will serve as mentor for his two fellow countrymen.
"There are really invisible things here," Grillo said. "Some of the greens' drops seem go one way, and they actually fall in the opposite direction. I feel that I still need to get to know the course; it is a matter of learning how to play the field. Someone who definitely knows the way around here and can help me a lot is el 'Pato' [Cabrera]. On Tuesday we practiced together early. I tried to ask him everything I could, without disturbing him".
A PGA Tour winner, Grillo said he's "waited for the Masters my whole life. I'm 23, and I have been watching it on television for 20 years. When I arrived at the club, I knew there would be many people; the parking lots were already full. You more or less start getting an idea, so it wasn't just any other Monday. Everywhere you look there is someone with a green jacket. I have no idea how many members there are exactly, but they are everywhere to meet your needs, whether it is a question or a specific situation. This is a club where nothing is out of place. I'm trying to take it as any other tournament, even though obviously it is not for all that it means, because I think this is the best competition in the world. Really, I have been waiting for this my whole life".
Everybody knows how difficult it is for rookies to play well in their first time at Augusta National, so a tough challenge lies in store. Grillo came to Augusta a few weeks ago to play a practice round, and Gomez arrived on Sunday for his first test.
Only two players in history won in their Masters debuts. Gene Sarazen did it in 1935, in the tournament's second edition, and Fuzzy Zoeller won it in 1979, after defeating Tom Watson and Ed Sneed on the second playoff hole. This goes to show how important experience is in this tournament.
So for Grillo and Gomez, making the cut should make for a successful week. For Cabrera ... well, being in the hunt is definitely not out of the question.
