AUGUSTA, Ga. — In his first round at the Masters, Kapa'a's Casey Watabu received a harsh welcome from Augusta National.

Watabu found the water twice on the tricky par-3 12th hole and took a quintuple-bogey eight. Not long after that, caddy John Cassidy had some words for him.

"John said after 16, 'I got a goal for you, buddy. Try and break 90,' " Watabu said.

"I didn't really know I was that close, but I was thinking like, 'Yeah, I'm pretty close. I better get it together coming in."

Watabu, who qualified for The Masters by winning the U.S. Amateur Public Links, did just that.

He shot 15-over-par 87 yesterday, which included a birdie, seven bogeys and two double bogeys, and was last among the field of 96 players.

PGA Tour pro and Kane'ohe native Dean Wilson also made his debut at the Masters.

He had three bogeys and shot 3-over 75 in tough conditions that led to only nine players breaking par.

Brett Wetterich and Justin Rose shared a one-shot lead at 69.

"Happy to make pars out here," Wilson said. "This is just so funny. You come out here on the course that I always remember when I first came here and watched the tournament, you hear all the roars everywhere and you just don't hear any roars today. It's just really tough and no one's making any birdies, so it just seems a little different."

After Watabu was 4-over through the first four holes, he said playing partners Tom Watson and Fred Funk helped calm him down.

He parred three of the next five holes and birdied the par-5 eighth to go out in 4-over 40. He made a good bogey save on 11, but then came 12.

Watabu hit an 8-iron into Rae's Creek, and his next shot as well. After his fifth shot landed in a bunker, he pitched out and two-putted.

"Twelve, it just took everything out of me," Watabu said. "It was tough coming in, but hey, I'm finished now. Regroup and do it tomorrow."