A host of area caddies have stepped out in their back yard this week to serve as seconds in the golf's first major championship of the year.

Six caddies working the 62nd Masters grew up in the shadows of the Augusta National Golf Club. Carl Jackson, Bennie Hatcher, Buck Moore, Chris Holroyd, Mike Harmon and Joe Collins were working this week, but only Collins, with Scotland's Colin Montgomerie, will be around this weekend.

Jackson is an Augusta native who now lives in Union City, a suburb of Atlanta. Jackson, 51, has been a caddie for 40 years, including 36 years in the Masters. He has caddied for two-time Masters champion Ben Crenshaw for the last 22 years and has also caddied for three-time Masters champion Gary Player in the event. Jackson caddies for Donnie Hammond on the regular PGA Tour.

``Obviously, 1995 is my most memorable Masters moment,'' said Jackson, of Crenshaw's emotional win that year. ``When I first started out (at Augusta Country Club at age 11) I was just trying to make some money for the house to help my mother out. The money kept getting better and better.''

Jackson said he quit school when he was in the ninth grade, but is opposed to anyone who wants to caddie at an early age like he did. He went on to get his high school diploma through a home course as he continued to caddie.

He doesn't know how long he will continue to caddie, even though he hinted at least until 60. But he said being a caddie pays better than any job he could get started on at this juncture in his life.

His wife, Debra, is a Laney High and Medical College of Georgia graduate. Debra works at the health department in Atlanta. She said the caddie business can be tough, especially on the family.

``We have to make good use of the time that we do have together,'' Debra Jackson said. ``The traveling to different tournaments that he has to do makes it very difficult on a marriage and our family.''

Hatcher caddied for Ken Bakst at this week's Masters. Hatcher is a regular caddie at Augusta National and has been doing it for 36 years. He has caddied in 20 Masters for the likes of Ed Fiori, Tom Weiskopf, four-time Masters champion Arnold Palmer and Lanny Wadkins.

Hatcher, 48, said his favorite golfer of all-time in the Masters is Wadkins.

``I've been doing this since I was 12 years old,'' Hatcher said. ``It's good exercise and I get paid for it. Wadkins was my favorite because he paid me. I'm not going to tell you what he paid me, but he paid top dollar.''

Buck Moore, the father of current Connecticut and former Westside High basketball guard Ricky Moore, caddies for Kelly Gibson on the regular tour, but was working for Mark Brooks in the Masters this week after Brooks ditched longtime caddie Mark Hensell recently. Moore has caddied for Andy North, Ed Fiori, Andy Bean and Lon Hinkle in past Masters.

He said Ricky, who led Westside to the 1994-95 Class AAA state title, trying the game.

``He's playing a little bit,'' Buck said of Ricky. ``I bought him sone Mizuno clubs. I love golf. Back in the '50s and '60s that was the only means of making money back then.''

Moore will be with Gibson in the MCI Classic at Hilton Head Island and at the Chrysler Greater Greensboro Open in the next two weeks, before taking a week off. Moore caddied in 29 tournaments in 1997 and likely will caddie in that many in 1998.

He's looking forward to spending a weekend in Augusta to play around with a couple of bundles of joy after Greensboro.

``I'll be glad for the week off,'' Moore said. ``I have two grandchildren and it'll give me a chance to have some fun with them a little bit.''

The youngest of the six area caddies this week is Chris Holroyd, a former Westside High, Augusta State and Georgia Tech golfer, who caddied for Charles Coody. This is the second time that Holroyd, 26, has caddied here; he toted for Doug Ford last year. Ford set a new Masters record with his 46th Masters appearance in 1997.

Coody didn't make the cut, but Holroyd plans to stick around for the weekend and see the action. The former Jaguar standout plays on the mini-tour, which has stops through Georgia and the Carolinas. He plans to play in a qualifying tournament in Greensboro, N.C., in hopes of making the Greater Greensboro Chrysler Classic field in two weeks.

He's been coming to the Masters since he was 11 years old.

``Hopefully, one day I'll play out here,'' Holroyd said. ``I hope so. I'll probably hang out here and see the action (on Saturday and Sunday). I can't get enough of this.''

Harmon caddied for Olin Browne and Collins caddied for Montgomerie. Collins replaced Montgomerie's regular caddie, Alistair McLean, who went back to England to have back surgery.

Harmon, 49, is a North Augusta native and Augusta State graduate who now lives in Pinehurst, N.C. This was his 10th Masters appearance. He started to caddie after he was unhappy with his job in Columbia.

Harmon's wife, Debbie, is a former University of South Carolina golfer who is currently on the mini-tour.

``I'm going to keep doing this until I can't keep up anymore,'' Harmon said.

For Collins, 45, this was his 20th Masters. He has been working at Augusta National for 27 years. He has been a caddie for Jay Haas and Ed Sneed in past tournaments.

His most memorable Masters moment was when he caddied for Jim Jamieson in 1973 and Jamieson tied for third with Jack Nicklaus. He plans to find a bag on the PGA Tour and go out this season. He hasn't been on tour since 1973.

``I started out at the Augusta Country Club,'' Collins said. ``I stayed next to the golf course and after school I would just go out and pick up balls at the course. I'll probably do this for as long as I live.''

There are six caddies with local ties working this year's Masters. They include:

Joe Collins: Augusta National club personnel recommended the National caddie after Colin Montgomerie's regular caddie, Alister McLean, went home to England earlier this week to have back surgery.

Mike Harmon: North Augusta native and former Augusta State baseball pitcher works regularly for Olin Browne. Harmon has worked for Mark Weibe and D.A. Weibring in previous Masters.

Bennie Hatcher: Augusta National caddie hired earlier this year by Mid-Amateur champion Ken Bakst. Caddied for Arnold Palmer and Lanny Wadkins in previous Masters.

Chris Holroyd: Augusta National caddie, who is a former Augusta State and Georgia Tech golfer, is working for Charles Coody.

Carl Jackson: Former Augusta National caddie works for Donnie Hammond at other PGA Tour events, but has toted for both of Ben Crenshaw's Masters victories.

Buck Moore: Augusta resident and former Augusta National caddie hired by Mark Brooks after Brooks' regular caddie, Mark Hensell, was fired. Moore, who caddies regularly for Kelly Gibson on the PGA Tour, is the father of former Westside High and current Connecticut basketball point guard Ricky Moore.