March Madness is over.

That means it's April, azaleas, Augusta National, Amen Corner ... the Masters.

Local golf fans will have a double pleasure watching this year's Masters because, for the first time, there will be two Hawai'i players in the season's first major championship — Dean Wilson and Casey Watabu.

And they're only the fourth and fifth golfers from here ever to play in the Masters, joining David Ishii, Guy Yamamoto and Stan Souza in a very elite group.

We talked about Watabu and his entourage last week.

This week we caught up with Wilson, who's making his first Masters appearance after a breakthrough year in 2006 when he finished 22nd on the money list with $2.5 million and posted his first PGA Tour victory in the International.

Wilson will have his own ohana as well — his mom, Grace, brother Kess, and two close golfing buddies, Dr. Carl Ho and Mark Chun.

They all got together Tuesday night to "talk story," chow down on Hawaiian-style grinds prepared by Mid-Pacific Country Club chef Norman Asao at a house in Augusta, Ga., rented by the Watabu family.

What was on the menu?

"Simple stuff. Local boy beef stew, Chinese chicken salad, fish patties," Asao said.

Rice and potato salad with the beef stew?

"Of course," said Asao, adding that miso butterfish, kalua pig and "plenty of steak" are on the menu later this week.

So a good time is being had by all.

Now Wilson and Watabu are hoping they'll have a good time on the lengthened Augusta National golf course as well. They're hoping to become the first from here to make the cut in the Masters.

Wilson and Watabu played a practice round together Tuesday and they were joined by Mike Weir, the 2003 Masters champion and Wilson's former BYU teammate.

"He's a very nice guy, very talented," Wilson said of Watabu, who got a coveted invitation to the 2007 Masters by winning the U.S. Men's Amateur Public Links championship last year in Bremerton, Wash.

"He's excited about playing in the Masters," added Wilson.

Watabu should be. The 23-year-old Kapa'a, Kaua'i native got more of an adrenaline boost when he found out he'll be playing with Tom Watson and Fred Funk in today's opening round. Thanks to the Kaua'i Kid, the average age of the threesome will be lowered dramatically.

Wilson is equally excited about his first Masters.

"I'll try to play the best that I can play and just enjoy myself," said Wilson, a 37-year-old Kane'ohe native now in his fifth year on the PGA Tour.

Although his play so far this year has been "sporadic and spotty with some good tournaments and lots of bad rounds," Wilson says his game "feels good coming into this week."

His best showing in 10 events this year is an eighth-place finish in the FBR Open for the biggest chunk ($174,000) of his $417,633 in earnings for 56th on the money list.

"Putting is always a premium here, that's for sure," Wilson said. "The greens are very undulating. It's tough to get the speed. Guys with experience (at Augusta) have an advantage."

The long-ball hitters will definitely have a big advantage, according to Wilson, "because the course is very long. I've got to hit 4- or 5-irons into the some greens and they aren't meant to hold long irons."

One of the ways they lengthened the fairways on practically every hole is by mowing them back out against the grain so that there's less of a roll, Wilson said.

Still, just being able to play in the Masters is a thrill, said Wilson, who along with Watabu are among 18 first-timers in this year's field. (Sports Illustrated, by the way, ran photos of the two local lads in this week's special Masters Preview issue).

Watabu will ditto Wilson's feeling. While he can't win any money, he'd like nothing better than to be the highest finisher of the five amateurs in the field.

And the 2007 Masters also will be a thrill for Hawai'i's golf fans, who are in store for a double treat when they watch it on television.

Now, if the W&W Boys can survive the cut and make it to the weekend, it'll be doubly delightful.

Chef Asao might need to air-freight more local kine provisions to feed the gang.