Glen Day, a man who wears his heart on his golf cap, heads a group of 14 players making their Augusta National debuts in the 1999 Masters.
Day qualified through two avenues -- by finishing in the top 30 on the 1998 PGA Tour money list (he was 15th) and by finishing in the top 50 in the World Ranking (he was 44th) at the end of 1998.
Day, a 33-year-old resident of Little Rock, Ark., has a Southern charm that makes him a favorite in interview rooms across the country.
Then there is his golf cap. Since the birth of his first child, Whitney, in 1994, he has worn a button on the right side of his cap with her picture on it. When his second child, Francis Christina, was born in 1996, he updated the picture with the family's new addition.
The button is so big that the photo of his daughters is easily seen.
``They have fun with it when they see it on TV,'' said Day.
Day's wife, Jennifer, gave him the idea of wearing the button.
``When my youngest was born and my wife wasn't coming out on tour anymore, she'd put cards or something in my briefcase that I'd find when I unpacked,'' Day said. ``Once, she sent me a little button of Whitney, and I put it on my hat and I've worn a button ever since.
``People see it all the time. I didn't do it as any kind of media thing. I started doing it for me. If someone writes about it, that's great, but I'm not doing it for that purpose.''
Joining Day as first-timers in the 1999 Masters are Thomas Bjorn, Brandel Chamblee, Trevor Dodds, Joe Durant, Carlos Franco, J.P. Hayes, Brandt Jobe, Frank Lickliter, Brian Watts and amateurs Sergio Garcia, Trevor Immelman, Hank Kuehne and Tom McKnight.
Day is coming off his best year on the PGA Tour, where he has played since 1994. By finishing 15th on the money list, he won $1,283,416. Though he still hasn't won on the tour, Day finished second in the 1998 MCI Classic and tied for second in the 1998 Players Championship.
It was a breakthrough year for Day, who had never finished better than 45th on the money list before last year.
``I'm just now getting into my good years,'' Day said. ``It's a good time to be playing because of the money coming into the tour. I'm peaking at a good time. But you've got to continue going and doing. You can't rest on last year.''
Day credits his improved play to maturity.
``I've been steadily getting better and better over the years,'' he said. ``The numbers may not have looked that way. I got some good breaks at the right time and some confidence. That's all it takes to get you up to that next level.''
It's ironic that the first year Day qualifies for the Masters, Jack Nicklaus isn't playing. Day is a close friend of Nicklaus' son Gary, whom he met when both were playing pro golf in Europe. Whenever Day and Jack Nicklaus are in the same tournament, they normally hook up for a practice round.
Jack Nicklaus, of course, isn't playing in the 1999 Masters because of hip replacement surgery, but he plans to be back for the 2000 Masters.
``Gary (Nicklaus) and I have been friends for a long time,'' Day said. ``Mr. Nicklaus is a very nice man. I enjoy being around him, not because of what he did playing golf, just because of the person he is. People ask me about him all the time. He just happens to be the father of a friend of mine, and he just hapens to be probably the greatest player to ever play the game of golf. He's just a nice guy. I've got a lot of different friends. He's just another friend.''
Jack Nicklaus isn't averse to kidding around with Day whenever their paths cross. When Nicklaus heard a golf announcer call his friend Glen ``All Day'' because of his deliberate play, Nicklaus picked up on it.
``He heard it and thought it was funny,'' Day said. ``He calls me that all the time.''
Day, who has improved his pace of play since being given the nickname, is now known as ``Half Day'' on the tour.
Chip shots: Glen Day
Glen Day has already designed a golf course, Salem Glen near Winston-Salem, N.C.
First Masters caps good year for Day
