Yamamoto’s Masters moment

When he was 32, Kauai’s Guy Yamamoto rode a remarkable hot streak to the U.S. Public Links national championship, leaving a line of stunned college players in his wake.

What he remembers most about that week in Montana in 1994 was the opportunity it provided for him 22 years ago this week — a chance to play in the 1995 Masters.

“Just the whole week was like, ‘Wow, pinch yourself, this is really happening,” Yamamoto says now. “Like anything that’s good, it didn’t last long enough. You wish it could last forever.”

The memories do and Yamamoto seemingly recalls every moment. He still has a camellia in his scrapbook.

The Sunday before The Masters, the late Seve Ballesteros asked Yamamoto to play the 18th with him in the Augusta dusk.

Monday, he teamed with Phil Mickelson to take a little money off Tom Watson and Jeff Maggert during a practice round. Later Yamamoto — the only University of Hawaii player ever to play The Masters — had another Watson moment.

“Back in that day Freddie (Couples) was the most popular guy,” Yamamoto recalls. “We were signing autographs after the practice round and I heard Tom Watson say ‘You can put your pen away soon — here comes Freddie.’ We were signing and all of a sudden everybody goes whoosh … over to Freddie. Watson says, ‘OK, we’re done.’”

Tiger Woods was there too, in his first Masters. He didn’t yet have the “whoosh” effect. He was 19, came with his sports psychologist and finished as low amateur. His mother ate with Yamamoto’s wife Terry at the dinner for amateur spouses in Butler’s Cabin.

The next day, Yamamoto’s practice partners were Tommy Nakajima and Scott Hoch. Ernie Els tracked Yamamoto down to make good on a promise made four months earlier, at the Grand Slam on Kauai, to play with him Wednesday.

They were joined by Gary Player, who lost $60 to a guy who was then in the midst of a 14-year career as Olomana Golf Links General Manager.

Yamamoto came close to missing out on that cash and The Masters tournament that day. Earlier, he was playing behind Sam Snead in the annual Par-3 Tournament. He saw Snead hit into the water and tried to salvage the ball when he came around. Yamamoto caught his spike and almost fell in the lake.

Fate and fortune intervened. There was no fall or injury, physical or emotional. The Guy who is now GM at Mililani Golf Course and was recently named VP of Sales, Marketing and Promotion for YHB Hospitality Hawaii’s Royal Hawaiian, Ewa Beach, Hawaii Kai, Ko’olau and Mililani courses, would go on to miss the cut but not a moment of the unique atmosphere.

He remembers every shot — especially the 171-yard hole-out for eagle at No. 10 — and chance meeting with golf greatness. Beyond those he played with, he met Snead, Jack Nicklaus, Byron Nelson, Ben Crenshaw and Arnold Palmer — who was in the group behind when Yamamoto hit it in from the 10th fairway.

“So the crowd was huge behind the green,” Yamamoto says, smiling at the memory of the fourth 10th-hole eagle in Masters history. “Just when I was thinking, ‘Is my ball going to go in?’ there was this explosion of noise.”

If he had it to do over again, he says now, he would simply be more patient.

“I three-putted (No.) 5 so now I’m trying to hit it closer to the hole and I’m hitting it farther …,” he recalls. “Being patient would probably be the rule of what to do in the future.”

His future was still bright. He has had a successful career outside the ropes and was inducted into the Hawaii Golf Hall of Fame in 2014.

Today, his priority beyond Terry and sons Marcus and Micah, is to bring Mililani back to the future. Since YHB took over in 2009 it has invested nearly $4 million.

The focal point is a new irrigation system to bring good grass — and better lies — back to the fairways. Mililani still has its peaceful feel and a priceless variety of trees, including Monkeypods, Cook Pines and Mindanao Gum.

“I remember back in the JAL Rainbow Open days the greens were quick and the course was in good shape,” Yamamoto says. “We want to bring it back to its old glory. The ones who were not around when it was nice can discover it, the younger generation can experience a good golf course.

“The trees and the climate … it has a whole different feel from any other golf course here except maybe Leilehua.”

And it has a Masters’ connection, beyond the beautiful trees.