Lynn Taylor was mesmerized by the scene. Standing there in the 18th fairway in complementing black outfits were her son and Gary Player: separated by 40 years, 48 Masters Tournament starts and three green jackets, yet side by side walking up to the green.

Augusta's Vaughn Taylor (left) and playing partner Gary Player walk down the second fairway during the opening round of the Masters Tournament. (Annette M. Drowlette/Staff)

"Can you imagine how awesome that feels?" she said. "I hope somebody got a picture."

A few minutes later, Vaughn Taylor calmly lagged a sweeping, downhill 45-footer to within a few feet of the cup, and Player stepped up for a congratulatory fist bump. That he would make the putt for 71 was all but conceded.

"That was pretty cool," the 31-year-old Augusta resident said after shooting his first competitive sub-par round at Augusta National Golf Club.

"Cool" is an understatement for Taylor's day. The Ryder Cup player never let the difficulty of the course rattle him on a day when so many players struggled with the conditions.

Over and over, Taylor faced lengthy par-saving putts in the 6- to 12-foot range and drained almost every one of them. He missed the first seven greens but managed par on all of them. He holed out a bunker shot on No. 12. He shot 12 strokes better than each of his playing partners.

"He did some serious putting out there," Player said. "He must have made at least eight putts of six or more feet. He keeps his cool. He's a nice man to play with. But he hung in there with his putter, which is what you've got to do."

The result was another in the growing list of milestones for Taylor. As the co-leader in the clubhouse when he finished his round, Taylor was invited to the interview room for the first time and was introduced by former U.S. Sen. Sam Nunn. He admitted to similar nerves on the podium as he had on the course.

"It's a dream," Taylor said of the attention. "It's a good feeling to be here. There's a long way to go, and hopefully, I can make it back in here."

Growing up playing Goshen Plantation and attending Hephzibah High School and Augusta State University, Taylor always imagined getting the chance to compete in his hometown major. That his first trip to the tournament was in 1987 when another local boy, Larry Mize, chipped his way into immortality only fueled his ambition.

Augusta has been waiting for another local hero. Charles Howell and Taylor represent the finest combination Augusta has ever sent into the Masters, though the list has never been long to begin with. Before the two of them started making headlines on the PGA Tour, only Mize and Walker Inman Jr. (1956) had ever represented the host city.

Among Taylor's sizeable cheering section was his high school math teacher during his senior year, Mike Shaw. A badge holder since 1993 after 29 years on the waiting list, Shaw used to give his tickets to friends; now he follows Taylor every step of the way.

"It's just incredible," Shaw said of watching his former student play his way onto the leaderboard. "He's really made me a golf fan."

Despite his participation in last year's Ryder Cup, Taylor is still trying to make a name for himself at the highest level of golf. Along with three other American rookies, he was cited as one of the weak links in last fall's rout by the Europeans in Ireland.

For one day, however, on an even grander stage than the Ryder Cup, Taylor and his fellow rookie class were the class of the American side. All four of them - Brett Wetterich (69), J.J. Henry (71) and Zach Johnson (71) - shot under par.

"It feels good to get a good, solid round under my belt and get some confidence," Taylor said. "It's good to know that you can do it."

A year ago, Taylor missed the cut by less than an inch Friday when his final birdie putt on the 18th hole didn't drop. He has grown since then, though. He has looked more relaxed and comfortable every day this week as he strolled around Augusta National. He looks as though he belongs - and played accordingly.

"This time around it feels a little bit more normal, like a been-there-done-that type thing," Taylor said. "I've come here so many years as a spectator, and I think that helps, just to be comfortable with the grounds and the feeling of the golf course. It's definitely easier this time around."

Today, Taylor will go off again with his Hall of Fame playing partner. This time, though, his name will be stripped across the leaderboard.

That's a picture worth getting.

Reach Scott Michaux at (706) 823-3219 or scott.michaux@augustachronicle.com.