Vegas: After some work on the back 9, it was time for fun

One of the surprise success stories of 2011, Jhonattan (pronounced Jonathan) Vegas is the first golfer from Venezuela to compete in the Masters Tournament. Winning the Bob Hope Classic in only his second stint as a full-time member of the PGA Tour, the 26-year-old has a powerful game and charismatic personality, making him a popular player both in his native country and to U.S. golf fans. Jhonny Vegas will share his rookie Masters experience with The Augusta Chronicle.

I played late in the afternoon today. Nobody was around. I just wanted to see what the back nine looked like in the afternoon. Ricky Barnes joined me, and the back nine was fun. I really hit some great shots. It really felt great.

Pretty much every shot is memorable here. The drive on 10. The second shot on 11. The tee shot on 12. The second shot on 13. Amen Corner is so nice.

I had a great back nine and then went and played in the Par-3 Contest. It was really fun. I had my mom on the bag as the caddie. It was really exciting. The whole atmosphere with everyone around, it was pretty neat.

I hit a good shot into No. 9 to 4 feet and spun it back to the front of the green. I hit some good shots. I let my mom (Maritza) putt a little bit. It was really cool. It was a fun experience for the entire family. We love the whole thing.

The Par-3 is more about having fun with the family and everyone. It's definitely a good atmosphere. The crowds are really fun out here. I really love the crowds here, because everyone is so appreciative about the game and everything. Always getting claps and getting "good shots" makes it real neat.

It was really fun. I really enjoyed myself and everything about being out here. It's sweet having the whole family around.

The main thing about the course is where the pin positions are going to be and where I really want to put the ball. That's the main thing I've learned so far, because there are some pin positions that can be so tough that you've really got to figure out where to put it. I went around and spent a couple of days with (Ben) Crenshaw and (Angel) Cabrera. I really got some good insights on what to do around the course.

I tee off at 1:59 in the last group. It's tough, but the great thing about me is that I sleep really well. That's fun being able to wake up a little later. I don't really get impatient when I have a late tee time. I just love sleeping so much. But yeah, I'm going to be excited to be here and hit that first shot in the Masters. I can't wait to do that.

I really have in mind that winning is possible. It's not going to be easy, but I totally believe that I could win if I do things right. The odds are not on my side, but we are going to go and give it a chance.