Autograph hunter Charley Hoffman outshines his Masters heroes

Charley Hoffman started his day hunting for autographs and ended it as a headline act at the Masters. Hoffman is a guy who jokes his Masters experience comes as “a TV watcher”.

Yet there he was, the American pro with three victories in 15 years on the PGA Tour who became the first clubhouse leader of the 2015 Masters thanks to an opening, five-under-par 67 carded from the first group of the day.

Hoffman, 38, was the player who took the first competitive swing of the tournament at 7.45am yesterday. Which meant that he shared the practice ground not just with playing partner Brian Harman but three gentlemen by the names of Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer and Gary Player, the Masters’ honorary starters who were taking their ceremonial tee shots five minutes earlier.

“Out there at the putting green, I actually got Jack’s and Arnie’s autograph; they were nice enough to do that. I was sort of scared, should I ask them, should I not ask them. My mind wasn’t really on golf really, I was watching those guys.”

Hoffman said he had been thinking of asking the golfing legends the previous evening and bought a couple of flags but his nervousness meant he did not ask for signatures until Player had already disappeared to the first tee, leaving him to summon the bravery to ask Nicklaus and Palmer.

“I’ll auction them off for my foundation event and make some money for some kids. They were nice enough to do that for me.”

The real nerves, though, came when it was Hoffman’s turn on the first tee as he made his return to the Masters for the first time since his Augusta National debut in 2011.

“I was a little nervous, hit a little hook over in the ninth fairway and was able to get back over to the green and settled nerves and a little two-putt par; and was able to make birdie on the second and third, and that sort of calmed the nerves and I was ready to go.”

Playing in a two-ball with Harman, Hoffman was able to play at a good lick and having dropped a shot at the difficult par-four 11th he got back in the groove with an eagle at 15 before a birdie at the last took him to five under, later to be joined by Justin Rose.

Not bad for a guy nicknamed the “garbage man” at less salurbious tour stops owing to his sponsorship by a waste management company. That deal is the reason Hoffman has worn a green glove for the last eight years - “just trying to get the word out for recycling and sustainability” - and which only now, at Augusta National, seems to be the right fit.

Is green his favourite colour? “It could be,” Hoffman said with a laugh.

“You know, I’m just trying to put myself in position come Sunday more than anything. Obviously I’m happy to shoot two under but that finish, it was nice to get to five under. I’m going to enjoy it. Hopefully I’m there on Sunday. If I’m not, I had a great opening round. But I don’t see any reason why I won’t be there.”