One of five amateurs playing this year, 30-year-old Puga hails from a tough part of Los Angeles, working as a professional caddies at the swish Bel-Air club in California.

It's a club that has been able to list Bing Crosby, Jack Nicholson, Clark Gable, Fred Astaire, Gary Cooper and James Garner among its regulars.

But after qualifying for Augusta by winning the United States Mid-Amateur title last year, Puga is able to assume celebrity status himself.

"He was about 11 or 12 and I was 16 or 17. We were putting on the practice green and we bet each other five dollars for low putts for 18 holes," said Puga.

"I was four up on him after 14 holes and then he says 'I don't want to play this any more. Let's play something else'.

"He never paid me. So when I see him I'm going to tell him he still owes me five bucks. You think he can afford it?"

Mixing with the Hollywood world as he does, there is already talk of Puga's life being turned into a film.

The other amateurs involved are Finn Mikko Ilonen, winner of the British title last June, and Puga's fellow Americans Jeff Quinney, James Driscoll and DJ Trahan.