There was no wiping the grin of satisfaction off Kiwi Ryan Fox's face, after he stepped off the Augusta National course on Monday (NZ time).
The Aucklander carded a 73 in his fourth and final round to finish even par and tied for 26th, completing a memorable debut at the iconic tournament.
Fox admitted he was "pretty chuffed" with his efforts, surviving the cut to play the full weekend and earn a payday of approximately US$215,000, despite a testing final round that included two double bogeys.
"If you'd have given me even-par at the start of the week… I would have been pretty dang happy," Fox told Sky Sport. "I feel like I left a little bit out there.
"I think this golf course, the more you play it, the more you figure it out. I definitely hit some wrong shots out there.
"No matter how much you practise to some of these pins, when you actually see them, it's very different.
"Hopefully, I get another crack at it in the next few years and can learn from this experience. Regardless, it's been an awesome one."
The clear highlight came on the par-three 16th, when he came agonisingly close to a hole in one, bringing the gallery to its feet.
"We couldn't really see it," he said of his tee shot. "It was in the shadow there.
"Obviously, by the reaction, we could tell it was really, really close. I hit the shot I needed to hit.
"It's always nice when I can putt them in backhanded for birdies. They're the easy ones to make."
Father and former All Black Grant Fox was at his son's side for the entire experience, claiming he'd noticed a growing appreciation for his son's game the further the tournament progressed.
"We came with no expectations," he told Sky Sport. "Weekend golf is a bonus and if you'd said he'd shoot even par without teeing a ball up, we'd have taken that too.
"It was fantastic walking around with him. What was nice today was getting a wee bit of recognition.
"In America, there are a few guys who are getting to know the Fox name, which is quite nice."
Spaniard Jon Rahm charged home to win the famed green jacket with a score of 12-under overall, four shots clear of Americans Brooks Koepka and Phil Mickelson in second.
