Life of Brian as McElhinney basks in Augusta glow

THE GOOD people of Burnfoot, Co Donegal, are rarely in the limelight, going about their business quietly with no expectation of being in the news.

This week, however, is an exception. One of their number, 23-year-old Brian McElhinney, is competing in golf’s most glamorous tournament, the US Masters, and rubbing shoulders on the practice range with the likes of Tiger Woods, Vijay Singh and Ernie Els.

He’s in Augusta as a reward for his victory in the 2005 British Amateur Championship, thus joining Joe Carr, Garth McGimpsey and Michael Hoey as the amateurs who have represented Ireland in the Masters. McElhinney is no stranger to major championships, as he also competed in last year’s British Open in his role as European amateur champion.

That occasion, though, pales in comparison with this week of life amidst the azalea, dogwood and cathedral pines of this remarkable oasis in the otherwise unremarkable state of Georgia.

Quite rightly, McElhinney isn’t setting any targets but acknowledges making the halfway cut would be something really special. The last European to do so was Sergio Garcia in 1999, when he also claimed the medal that goes to the leading amateur, and McElhinney would love to equal the best round of 73 shot here by Carr and Hoey.

He won’t lack support and has generously used his ticket allocation of eight to enable his immediate family, along with his former Irish amateur captain Mark Gannon and his brother Frank, to make it to the gallery this week.

Brian’s been in the US for the past couple of weeks, during which time he got in a practice round at Augusta National, defeated the Italian Edoardo Molinari to capture the Georgia Cup that is contested annually between the US and British amateur champions and practised at some of the game’s finest facilities.

It just gets better and better. He arrived back in Augusta on Monday and was immediately invited into a practice round with Luke Donald and 2005 US amateur runner-up Dillon Dougherty.

As he was getting his head around all that, Brian made his way to the Crow’s Nest, the traditional home of the amateurs at the Masters. It has living space for up to five and rising from the 30 by 40 foot room is the clubhouse’s 11 foot square cupola, which features windows on all sides and can only be reached by ladder. The room is divided by partitions which create three cubicles, with one bed each and one cubicle with two beds. There is a full bathroom and a sitting area that has a game table, sofa and chairs, telephone and television.

“It’s a very interesting spot,” says McElhinney. “There are golf books, photos and sketches depicting past Masters and other golfing scenes and what’s really nice is that you have to go through the champions locker room to get up there. It’s hard to believe that this is all happening. It was great to play here last week but now it’s a different scenario again because of all the people.

“It’s a totally new experience. I played in the last two British Opens but have never seen anything like this for a practice round on the Monday.

“It’s hard to take it all in, standing here under this famous old oak tree, playing nine holes with Luke Donald today, yesterday with Rocco Mediate and Jim Furyk, tomorrow with Paul McGinley and Thomas Bjorn. Gary Player came over and said how good it was good to see a young man like me playing in the Masters.

“It’s too early to predict what I might do in the tournament. It’s tough out there. They’ve stretched the par three 4th to 240 yards. I played a three wood and was short. I tried a second time and was short again. It’s probably the hardest par three I’ve ever played but maybe not much more difficult than Calamity Corner (the famous par three 14th at Royal Portrush).”

The majority of the field here this week treat the practice rounds as a means of reacquainting themselves with the golf course and do so calmly and without any undue sense of pressure, but for McElhinney playing in front of galleries five deep is intimidating.

“Of course I was nervous, standing up there on the first tee with Luke Donald,” he smiled. “I hit a nice shot up the right side of the fairway and that settled me down a bit. The greens are quick enough and they’ll get quicker. It’s good to have the support of my parents Charlie and Helen and my brother Cathal here and North-West club members, including my caddie James O’Donnell, along with Vincent Grant and Frankie Friel, the captains of the team that won the Irish Senior Cup last year.

Hopefully it will be fun for them as well. I’m really looking forward to it and how I get on may decide whether I turn pro or not.”