By David Shefter, USGA

Galloway Township, N.J. - The roar emanated from Amen Corner, through the tall pines and the azaleas and up toward the clubhouse. Arnold Palmer was there, but the rising audible tones weren't being caused by The King. The cheers were for an amateur enjoying his first Masters experience in the tournament's opening round.

Faced with a tricky 78-yard shot on the final leg of one of golf's grandest stretches of holes, Ryan Moore, who earned his invitation to Augusta National by virtue of winning the 2002 U.S. Amateur Public Links Championship, lofted his approach toward the green. "I was honestly trying to play 20 feet right of the hole," said Moore.

But he pulled it slightly and the ball started drawing ever so slightly toward the flagstick. Moments later, the gallery erupted. The eagle had landed. The three at No. 13 put Moore at 2 under par and a spot on the leaderboard.

"It was awesome," said Moore, who played the first two rounds with Palmer and later received a crystal glass goblet for recording an eagle. All players that eagle a hole at the Masters receive the same award. "If you were out there playing by yourself when you hole out a shot it's not a big deal. But when 5,000 people see it, then it's a little bigger deal. That was cool. I enjoyed that."

Moore didn't stay on the leaderboard long, but he did survive the 36-hole cut - one of three amateurs to do so - and thus became just the second APL champion (Trevor Immelman, in 1999, was the other) to achieve the feat since the Masters began inviting the winner in 1989. Unfortunately, Moore missed out on low-amateur honors, which went to Ricky Barnes, the reigning U.S. Amateur champion.

Still, it was a special week for the 20-year-old Moore. He stayed in the Crow's Nest with the other four amateur participants and walked the fairways with some of the game's greatest players. On Monday, he played a practice round with former champions Gary Player and Seve Ballesteros.

"I was so nervous on the first tee," said Moore during APL Media Day on June 30 to promote this year's championship at Blue Heron Pines Golf Club's East Course. "I hooked the ball into the woods. Seve came up to me and said, 'That's OK. I made a lot of money hitting those kinds of shots.' "

Moore eventually tied for 45th, but he knows he could have performed even better. And at Media Day, he told an assembled group that he's ready to defend his APL title July 14-19 in south Jersey knowing that the likely invitation to the 2004 Masters is one of the perks for the champion. Augusta National has the right to pull the invitation at any time so winning the championship doesn't guarantee a spot in the field.

"Putting your name on the trophy is something that you'll always have, but a trip to the Masters is priceless because there's only four ways of doing it," said Moore.

Traditionally, the Masters invites the champions of the APL, U.S. Amateur, U.S. Mid-Amateur and British Amateur as well as the runner-up from the U.S. Amateur.

If Moore's recent track record in USGA amateur events is used as a barometer, don't count him out. He's participated in three with an overall match-play mark of 14-2. The Puyallup, Wash., resident lost in the finals of the 2000 U.S. Junior Amateur to Matt Rosenfeld and was ousted in the quarterfinals of last year's U.S. Amateur by Dustin Bray. At the 2002 APL played at The Orchards Golf Club in Washington, Mich., he played his final 63 holes in 25-under par, including his 10-and-9 dusting of Lee Williamson in the 36-hole final. It was the second-largest margin of victory for a final. In fact, Moore bogeyed his first hole of that match before playing the next 26 holes in 13-under par.

"I would have hated to play me today," quipped Moore after the match.

He later used a line familiar to those who watch Dan Patrick on ESPN's SportsCenter - "En fuego. I was just on fire."

But 2002 proved to be a breakout year for Moore, who was a second-team All-America this past season at the University of Nevada-Las Vegas. He qualified for the U.S. Open at Bethpage State Park (he missed the cut), then won the APL and completed the summer by reaching the quarters at the U.S. Amateur.

If Moore wasn't on the national radar screen before last summer, he certainly had everyone's attention now. "I think I earned a little more respect," said Moore. "But it hasn't changed me as a player. It does change people's mindset about you."

Moore's play - he had six top-10 finishes this past season at UNLV, including one victory - did land him a spot on the USA team that competed in the Copas de las Americas competition held in Puerto Rico June 25-28. Along with Barnes, the USA placed second behind Canada and Moore, thanks to a final-round 69, finished second as an individual.

He hopes that performance, along with his recent accomplishments in USGA competitions, will land him a spot on this year's Walker Cup squad. The Walker Cup is scheduled Sept. 6-7 at Ganton Golf Club and the USA will be looking to end a two-match losing streak to the Great Britain & Ireland team. The USGA will select the 10-person team later this summer.

But first up is the APL where Moore should have plenty of tough competition. Chez Reavie, the 2001 champion is entered, as is 2001 U.S. Junior champ Henry Liaw and 2002 APL semifinalists Chris Stroud and Brady Stockton, and 1999 U.S. Mid-Amateur champion Danny Green, who was a runner-up to Reavie in '01.

They will face a Blue Heron Pines East Course that has been stretched to 7,127 yards and plays to a par of 71. The links-style course, designed by Steve Smyers, opened in 2000 and features high fescue and undulating green complexes.

"The course fits my game pretty well," said the easy-going Moore. "It's the kind of golf course that I think I can play well on. Just knowing the golf course and knowing what to expect is always good going into a golf tournament."

The even-keeled Moore feels he has an advantage in match play because he doesn't get emotional. He tries to stay the same whether he's winning or losing. It's an attribute he learned from his father, Mike, an accomplished player himself.

"I don't want to give away too many of my secrets," said Moore, "but in match play … if someone hits a bad shot and you can see his emotions, I'm thinking I've got this guy. He's beating himself up, so I don't have to beat him. I don't want to let (my opponent) feed off any negative energy."

Of course, Moore will have a bull's-eye on him at Blue Heron Pines. Then again, Moore doesn't get carried away with expectations.

"I'll take that as confidence and use that to my advantage," said Moore. "Match play is so unpredictable, so I am not going to put a lot of pressure on myself. I want to come here and play as well as I can, but if I lose in the quarters or in the first round, then that happens."

NOTE: Course designer Steve Smyers has competed in 18 USGA championships, the last being the 2002 U.S. Mid-Amateur, where he was on the wrong end of a 7-for-12 playoff for the final match-play spots. Smyers' wife, Sherrin, has competed in five U.S. Women's Opens. … The 7,127 yards ties the APL record for the longest course in the championship's history with Edgewood Tahoe Golf Club, the site for the 1980 event. … Moore will be trying to become the fifth player in APL history to repeat as champion. The last person to accomplish the feat was Billy Tuten in 1982-83. Others to repeat include Jodie Mudd (1980-81), Richard H. Sikes (1961-62) and Carl Kauffmann (1927-29). Kauffmann actually was in four straight finals, losing the 1926 championship to Lester Bolstad. … Billy Mayfair is the only player to win the APL (1986) and U.S. Amateur (1987).