Isaac Lee strolled away from his waiter duties for a few minutes Sunday, claiming a spot beneath the mammoth live oak that shades the veranda of the clubhouse at Augusta National Golf Club.

He wanted to watch a minority tee off as the leader in the final round of the Masters. When Woods claimed the green jacket a few hours later, the first minority champion of a major tournament, an entire group of Augusta employees paused for a silent celebration.

Except for two minority members who were reportedly added since the issue of racially exclusive clubs came to the forefront a few years ago, most minorities at Augusta National can be found in service jobs - caddies, waiters, trash collectors.

``It's not as bad as it used to be, but everybody around here knows their place,'' said Lee, a 25-year-old minority bedecked in a gold jacket, black pants and bow tie, waiting on a mostly white membership. ``It's a good job. As long as they don't show it (racism) too blatantly, it's OK.''

Sunday, though, was a day to remember. Thanks to the 21-year-old Woods, all the myths about golf being a white man's game were shattered for good. Woods' father is black, his mother is Asian.

``We were just joking around about how it's going to be around here,'' Lee said, grinning broadly.

Still, there was some trepidation about how a new era in golf will be received at a place such as Augusta National, which treasures its traditions so dearly.

``I don't think the atmosphere is going to be the same around here, I really don't,'' he said. ``We won't know the story until next week, when all the guests and fans are gone and all the regular members are back.''

But this was a moment for minorities to celebrate. In the employee's break room, everyone was abuzz about Tiger. Along the course, workers assigned to pick up trash paused for a moment when Woods went by. A young girl doling out drinks in the media center stopped in her tracks when Woods popped up on the television screen above her.

``Wait a second. There's my husband,'' she joked.

Woods has started a foundation to promote minority golf, but he doesn't go out of his way to be a racial pioneer.

``That's very peculiar to me,'' Lee said. ``He's not concerned with all that. He's just concerned with being a golfer. But for everybody else, that's what we're looking at.''

The major battles in the struggle for racial equality on the golf course were fought by men like Lee Elder, the first black to play in the Masters in 1975. Elder was on hand Sunday to follow Woods around the course, amazed that a mere 22 years after the first black played Augusta National there was now a black man wearing the green jacket of a champion.

``This is going to bring in a nice, fresh atmosphere,'' Elder said. ``I'm not saying it was a bad atmosphere before, but it's going to be better now.''

When Elder first played in the Masters, he went out of his way to speak with as many black workers as possible. They were thrilled to see a black man actually playing the course rather than raking out the traps.

There was the same feeling when Woods made his way around the course Sunday for a dominating victory. ``It's a good thing to see a black man in a position like that,'' said 17-year-old Ernest Gaines, who patrolled the grounds in a yellow jumpsuit and a cap that said ``Litter'' above the bill. ``When you see people of my race, you tend to think of violence.

``Then you look at him,'' he said, motioning out to Woods, ``and you see a guy who's living out his dream. It shows that not all of us are out there shooting up people and drinking liquor.''