For Quigley, 2 Beginnings
Golfer goes from birth of his first child to his first Masters round — in a whirlwind two days.

By: MICK ELLIOTT
Media General News Service

AUGUSTA, Ga. — When Brett Quigley “had a feeling” early Tuesday afternoon while playing a practice round in preparation for his first Masters, he reached into his golf bag for a cell phone.

Standing just off the 11th green, the 37-year-old gave in to his inner voice and powered up to check for any messages. Almost immediately it rang.

This in itself is an amazing tale simply because bringing a cellular telephone on grounds at Augusta National is a violation normally guaranteed to bring ever-vigilant Pinkerton guards running faster than a glazed-doughnut giveaway. That anyone — player or patron — dared to actually turn it on and hear some annoying musical ditty was risking eternal damnation and a note in their permanent record.

The call was also surprising because of the odds against Augusta National’s jamming devise, used to repel Martha Burk brain waves, just happening to be down at that very moment.

Quigley got a pass, however, because before a fighter jet from nearby Fort Gordon could be scrambled, he already had hustled off the golf course on his own accord.

“I’m probably the first to ever admit having a cell phone on Augusta National,” he said.

The call that sent him scurrying came from a close family friend notifying Quigley he was soon to be a father. Wife Amy, expecting the Quigley family’s first child, had reported her water broke.

A possible conflict of significant life events colliding had been of concern from the moment the couple learned they were expecting with an April 16 due date. Sharing the news with family, they called a 93-year-old grandmother.

“First thing she said was, ‘When’s the due date?’” Quigley said. “I told her it was the week after Augusta. She goes, ‘Couldn’t you have planned that a little better?’”

So when the phone rang, Quigley knew. On one side his first Masters after 10 years of trying. On the other side the birth of his first child.

“There was no hesitation. I told them I needed to go. And off we went.”

Traveling Man

By 3:15 Tuesday afternoon the golfer was on a private plane headed home to South Florida. At 5:25 he walked into the Jupiter Medical Center. Wednesday morning at 2:55, Lillian Sage Augusta Quigley, a healthy 7-pound, 2-ounce girl, came into the world 12 days early.

And Thursday afternoon, the new dad stepped to the first tee at Augusta National and played in his first Masters. “A very accommodating baby,” he said.

At Amy’s urging, Quigley returned to Augusta in time to make his afternoon tee time. And what a good wife she must be. The woman gives her husband a healthy daughter, then sends him out to go play golf.

Memo to Brett: For God’s sake, man, remember to take something home for her a lot better than some lousy T-shirt.

Maybe he’ll take back a story for the ages. The nephew of Champions Tour member Dana Quigley played better Thursday than any sleepless man has the right to expect. He bogeyed his very first Masters hole and made the turn in 39, but steered it home 4 over, which on a difficult opening day put him in a tie for 43rd.

“I hate to say I was too relaxed out there, but I was at such ease just out there playing. I probably wasn’t as sharp around the greens and short game as I would have been being here the last couple of days, but it didn’t matter.”

Easy Day

The score, Quigley said, wasn’t important. He had pictures of mother and daughter tucked inside the cover of his yardage book. He had his dad in the gallery. Still around his wrist was the hospital bracelet.

Maybe never had a man’s first round in the Masters seemed so insignificant.

One day earlier he was with his wife in the delivery room. Together, the couple heard their daughter’s first cry. Even on Augusta greens, a 10-foot putt for par wasn’t a worry.

“It was actually kind of surreal,” he said, remembering the delivery room and Lilly’s arrival. “She just started wailing. I mean wailing. Crying, crying, crying. They cleaned her up and put here in a little blankie and brought her to me. I started talking to her and once she got in my arms she quit crying. And I’ve been crying ever since.”

Quigley was there long enough to change two diapers — “So I feel like a real veteran” — and spend a little time with his wife. Then she said it was time for him to go.

“She really urged me to come back,” Brett said. “I really had a hard time leaving. I’d been there at the hospital 17 hours and didn’t even think [about] leaving.

“Amy wanted me to come back and play.”

So he did. From a land line.