Young amateurs Justin Hastings, Hiroshi Tai part of Masters field repping 26 nations and territories

AUGUSTA, Ga. (AP) - Justin Hastings grew up on a Caribbean island akin to a tropical paradise, a golfer’s nirvana if only it had a few more holes.

Hiroshi Tai picked up the game at Singapore Island Country Club, about as far from Augusta National as one could get.

Yet the pair of amateurs have made it to the Masters, overcoming long odds to continue a tradition that was dear to club cofounder Bobby Jones. Hastings and Tai are among a field of 95 teeing off for the first round Thursday representing 26 countries and territories, the most in the tournament’s history.

In the case of Hastings, the second player ever from the Cayman Islands, the game was learned from his father, a casual player himself. The 21-year-old Latin America Amateur champion was soon getting dropped off after school every day to hit balls, even though his playing options were limited to an 18-hole public course and a 9-hole private course.

"I come from a competitive family. I was competing in tournaments very early,” Hastings said, "and I think that's what drove me especially is just getting better and seeing myself compete and eventually win."

Lest anyone think he doesn’t have some game, consider this: Hastings currently has the best career scoring average at San Diego State, a mark he took from Xander Schauffele, the reigning PGA Championship and British Open winner.

"I was not aware of that," said Schauffele, who met Hastings when he crashed one of the Aztecs’ practices. "I would never have called myself some all-star in college, but that’s good for him. And thank you for that. That’s helping my confidence."

There is no shortage of confidence in Tai, the first player from Singapore to earn a Masters invitation. It came after winning the NCAA championship last May, when the then-Georgia Tech sophomore outdueled two of the game’s top amateurs, Luke Clanton and Gordon Sargent.

"Obviously being at Georgia Tech," Tai said, "there's a lot of history involved with the Masters with Bobby Jones being a founder, and obviously he played at Georgia Tech, graduated from there. So there's a lot of history at Georgia Tech and connected with the Masters. It's been a really cool experience."

Mike Weir, Corey Conners, Taylor Pendrith and Nick Taylor were striding up the eighth hole during their practice round Tuesday when a fan wearing a green and yellow "Make America Great Again" cap politely clapped for them.

The four Canadians just as politely acknowledged him.

Turns out there's no place for partisan politics at the Masters.

"Probably more jokes about being the 51st state than anything," Taylor said, when asked what it's like playing in the U.S. during this unsettled moment for longtime allies. "Nothing crazy. Uber driver here or there that if somehow it comes up I'm Canadian may apologize, may not. I don't know. Yeah, it's definitely an interesting situation for us, but I've been down here a long time. It is what it is. I try to ignore it, to be honest."

That's not always easy to do, especially when someone is trying to be "frat-boy funny," Taylor said.

"I particularly don't find it that funny," he added.

Seve Ballesteros was the first Spaniard to win at Augusta National. Carla Bernat Escuder is the latest, triumphing last weekend in the Augusta National Women’s Amateur. In between came countrymen Jose Maria Olazábal, Sergio Garcia and Jon Rahm.

Why has Spain produced so many champions at the home of the Masters?

"I think the main inspiration for all of us is simply one man, and that's Seve," said Rahm, the 2023 champion. “What he did early on winning here as a 23-year-old, being the first European to win and being able to do it multiple times, it kind of set something special for Spanish players, and then Ollie quickly after followed that. I think it all started with Seve.

"At the same time, for the most part, Spanish players being known for being rather creative with good short games, I think that's usually a recipe that works really well at Augusta National. And there's no surprise that there's now five champions here."

The Spaniards often stick together, too. Rahm was joined by Olazábal, Garcia and Josele Ballester - who last August became the first player from Spain to win the U.S. Amateur - for his practice round Tuesday.

Rory McIlroy is not just trying to complete the career Grand Slam at Augusta National, the site of so much heartache and so many close calls. The Northern Irishman also is trying to deliver the Emerald Isle its first green jacket.

McIlroy has been closest, finishing a distant second to Scottie Scheffler in 2022. His good buddy, former British Open champ Shane Lowry, tied for third the same year. Padraig Harrington won the British and PGA Championship but never did better than a tie for seventh at the Masters, while another British Open winner - Darren Clarke - never managed a top 20.

Good results for those from Ireland and Northern Ireland. Just not quite good enough.

"Look, I think obviously if it’s not me, I hope it’s him," Lowry said of McIlroy triumphing on Sunday. "Trying not to think about it too much because obviously it would be a very special thing to happen. We’re both in good form, we have both prepared very well, I know that, and we both will give it our best shot. That’s all we can do."