McElhinney has to pinch himself as dream begins to take shape

Dreamland. This is the world Brian McElhinney has entered. Jim Furyk, a US Open champion, has won over $25 million. Colin Montgomerie, winner of eight European Tour money titles, has earned over €20 million. Paul McGinley, a two-time Ryder Cup hero, has amassed over €8 million in winnings.

Geoff Ogilvy, the Accenture World Matchplay champion, has banked over $2 million this season alone. McElhinney, the British Amateur champion, upholds the Corinthian spirit - for now - of playing for the honour and the glory.

Augusta National is like no place McElhinney has experienced. Reared on a diet of links golf in Donegal, and with two British Open appearances behind him, McElhinney, at the ripe old age of 23, arrived here on Sunday. One of the first people to come over to him was Gary Player, the Black Knight.

"What a young man to be playing in the Masters, wonderful," said Player, introducing himself. McElhinney had to pinch himself. It hasn't stopped over the succeeding days.

On Sunday, Furyk, who he had played with in the Open at Troon two years ago, came up to him on the practice putting green.

"It's good to see you again," said Furyk. "Do you want to join me and Rocco (Mediate) for a few holes?"

McElhinney didn't need to be asked twice. The more you can watch and learn from experienced hands, the better.

On Monday, McElhinney - who has among his entourage the president and captain of his home club, North West, and Mark Gannon, the Walker Cup selector and former Irish team captain - played nine holes with Luke Donald. Yesterday, he took up the offer from McGinley to play a practice round, to learn the nuances of the course. Monty and Ogilvy were the other members of the four-ball.

It doesn't stop. Come his Masters debut tomorrow, McElhinney will share the first tee with Tom Watson, a five-time British Open champion, and Michael Campbell, the current US Open champion. This is the world he has stepped into, and the one he aspires to be a part of.

A life as a professional is beckoning, although for now this quietly-spoken player with a winner's instinct prefers to let that career path be part of his future. The present, this week, is all about the Masters. It is all that matters.

"For Brian to make the cut would obviously be an accomplishment, and if he can do that, great," said Donald. "For an amateur, that would be a fantastic achievement. But it's more about going out there and having some fun. This is a tough course, and I told him, 'middle of the green on most greens is pretty good'. This course will change quite a lot (by Thursday), and it is going to be quite different (from the practice days)."

McElhinney stayed in the Crow's Nest on Monday night, when the amateur dinner, a tradition instigated by Bobby Jones when the amateur players in the field are dined, if not wined, by officials from Augusta National, the USGA and the R&A. The offer to stay in the Crow's Nest, a dormitory-style room on the third floor of the clubhouse, is optional. The 30x40 foot room is divided into four cubicles by partitions. Three have room for a single bed, and one has two beds. There is one full bathroom and an additional sink.

It was a one-night stay. For the week of the tournament, McElhinney has decided to share a house with his parents, Charlie and Helen, brother Cathal and caddie James O'Donnell, a North West clubmate.

"I'm looking forward to the experience, just to try and play as well as I can," said McElhinney. "You need to be thinking on every single shot here.

"The main difference is the galleries. There's so many people. You don't get crowds like this at amateur events. If I can overcome that, it'll help. This is the toughest course I've ever played. The greens will get even quicker, and that is the scary thing. They are a kind of a nightmare. If you are behind the hole at all, it is all downhill."

McElhinney is one of four amateurs in the field, along with Italian Edoardo Molinari, the US amateur champion he beat in last week's Georgia Cup, and Americans Dillon Dougherty and Kevin March.

The leading amateur who survives the cut will be awarded with the Silver Cup, while the runner-up receives the Silver Medal. For McElhinney, it is a tournament within a tournament.