European Tour Insider: All eyes on Augusta National

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Rory McIlroy is making his debut at Augusta National this week. The 19-year-old won on the European Tour earlier this season.

Editor's note: Nick Dye is going to be giving PGATOUR.COM viewers an inside look at what's happening on the European Tour. Dye, who works with European Tour Radio, will be at more than 30 events this year and will file weekly columns on Wednesdays.

You can guarantee this week, with very few exceptions, pro golfers the world over will be watching a lot of TV -- just like the rest of us.

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The Masters has clashed with the Madeira Islands Open on the European Tour in the past, and the bars of Funchal would be crammed with players, straining to see as much of Augusta as they could, and dreaming that one day they'd be there.

Many will be cheering on their peers and countrymen, and keeping a keen eye on the debutants.

FIFTY FLY THE FLAG

A record 50 European Tour members tee it up in Georgia this week.

Padraig Harrington goes for a third major in a row, a quest that has become known as the Paddy Slam.

There'll be plenty of roaring for Rory as young McIlroy keeps a level head despite all the adulation.

Paul Casey is up to a career high sixth in the world after his Shell Houston Open win, and aims to keep the form alive, having thrived until the last day last year.

The 2008 Order of Merit winner Robert Karlsson has the accuracy and composure not to be phased, and Henrik Stenson also aims to be the first Swedish winner.

But what about the less-feted Euro exports?

HOME AWAY FROM HOME

Oliver Wilson makes his tournament debut, but it's certainly not his first visit.

A student at Augusta State University, he first got to play in 2000: "It took us ten minutes to drive up Magnolia; we kept stopping to take pictures."

He'd hoped to be the first graduate to make it back as a professional, but Vaughn Taylor beat him to it.

"I've been looking forward to it for five years," Wilson said. "I've been trying get here every year, and this is finally it".

A lot of friends and former teammates will be watching, and he's confident he can please them: "I won it on the way down in the car, actually," he said.

CURSING KJELDSEN

Soren Kjeldsen effectively booked his ticket to Augusta by winning the Tour-ending Volvo Masters at Valderrama last November, but the in-form Dane who recently claimed the Open de Andalucia in Seville had an anxious time waiting to find out for sure.

A Danish writer told him he would be 50th and making his debut: "I was relieved and so happy, and I took the boys out and hit a few balls," he said. "Nice lunch, and then the phone rings."

The journalist warned about Richard Sterne's form in South Africa. He must not win, or he'll jump higher in the ranking.

"I watched Richard making birdie after birdie, winning the playoff, and I was just so disappointed," Kjeldsen recalled. "I put on my running shoes. It was snowing outside, but 10 miles along the beach, screaming and shouting for a couple of hours. Got back, felt better, went to bed, and the phone rings at midnight."

The scribe had forgotten details about Prayad Marksaeng, and Soren would after all finish 50th. He's traveled in good shape and expects to compete.

"I got a lot of confidence out of Doral where I played well," he said of his seventh-place finish. "Everybody in the top 50 was there, and I played well and competed, so it's going to be really exciting."

LUCKY LOUIS

Louis Oosthuizen hopes he can follow up the unexpected success of countryman Trevor Immelman 12 months ago.

Like Oliver Wilson, he has yet to record a European Tour win, but --- again like Ollie --- he's had several close runs.

He was second in Abu Dhabi and again the following week in Qatar. The Desert Swing concluded with another top-10 in Dubai, and yet another came in Malaysia.

"I was sitting there waiting for the world rankings to come out, watching the computer, and I saw I was on the number 50," said Oosthuizen, who had a later qualification date than Kjeldsen.

"I definitely had a drink when I saw that, because I was very nervous, I wanted this really bad, and it's just a great experience."

TANG'S TASTE

The 34-year-old Lin Wen-tang makes the grade courtesy of his stunning victory over Rory McIlroy in a playoff at the UBS Hong Kong Open.

His smile was infectious, and though to European eyes he was just about the least well known of the contenders on the final day, he proved a very popular winner -- especially for the swashbuckling manner of his win.

He'd found the trees at the 18th in sudden death, but produced a miraculous recovery over the water to 6 feet to deny McIlroy, who'd looked in pole position. Lin then followed up by making birdie the next time on the 18th to become the first Asian in a decade to claim the title.

IF AT FIRST YOU DON'T SUCCEED

Former Walker Cup stars Graeme McDowell and Luke Donald tee it up at Augusta National, as well. Nick Dougherty reveled in making his debut last year, though he has to watch the TV this time.

What about their teammate from 2001, Michael Hoey? He actually played the Masters in 2002 when he was the reigning British Amateur champion, but he's been slower at making the grade in the pro ranks.

It's taken a long time, but the 30-year-old has now followed his teammate's lead with a win on the European Tour. Hoey came from five back on the final day to claim the Estoril Open de Portugal in a playoff over Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano.

"It's been a really tough journey, there's been a lot of disappointment as well, but there were a few little highlights along the way," he said. "A few wins on the Challenge Tour, and a few decent results here helps you to financially keep going as well. I've looked at the likes of Graeme, Luke and Nick and I've thought I can do this, but let's just figure out a way of doing it."

The Northern Irishman can reorganize his intended schedule with a two-year exemption, and he's likely to buy his first house.

"I've never really owned anything," he said.