Nick Watney's goal in his Masters Tournament debut last year was to finish in the top 16 and get an automatic return engagement for 2009.

Nick Watney tees off during practice rounds at the World Golf Championships in Doral, Florida. (Chris Thelen/Staff)

He did that, finishing in a tie for 11th, but not many people remembered it.

When Watney tapped in the winning putt to win the Buick Invitational in February, the first thing a TV announcer said was that Watney had just earned an invitation to the Masters.

In his post-round interview, the first question was: "Three behind with five to play. Are you surprised to be sitting here going to the Masters?"

Watney, who is so polite he calls reporters "gentlemen" and thanks them after an interview, played along, not correcting the reporter.

So the question arises: Does the 27-year-old, who has won twice on the PGA Tour, feel underappreciated?

"I wouldn't say that," he said. "I would say I'm not in the spotlight, but I think that comes with good play. That's not why I play golf; I don't play for the attention. I play to try to win titles. I figure if I continue to play well, I'll get the attention some feel like I deserve."

He should have received some notice for the way he played in the final round of the 2008 Masters. With wind gusts reaching 35 mph, Watney shot 1-under-par 71. It was one of just four under-par rounds that day.

"I was very, very pleased to be one of the four," Watney said. "To shoot under par in difficult conditions in my first Masters, I was very, very happy."

The conditions were so difficult that when asked what he thought the true par was that day, Watney said "about 731/2 or 74."

"The wind was difficult, and the greens were probably as firm as we saw them all week," Watney said. "They were the toughest conditions we saw by far."

Watney's play last year at Augusta National Golf Club -- he shot 75-70-72-71 -- leads him to believe he can have success there. "The golf course suits my eye off the tee. I play a draw, and we all know it's a draw-type golf course."

His game was stellar all week until he reached those treacherous Augusta National greens. Watney finished tied for second in greens in regulation (51), third in driving distance (290.6 yards) and tied for 13th in fairways hit (42). In putting, he was 42nd with 124 putts, 12 more than the winner, Trevor Immelman.

Only three players had more putts among those who made the cut.

"I didn't make many putts, but I didn't three-putt all that much," Watney said. "I think I putted OK for my first tournament. It was kind of a microcosm of my whole year. I didn't putt very well last year."

Indeed, he finished 127th in putting on the tour in 2008, a stat that sent him to work on that area in the offseason with his instructor, Butch Harmon.

"Hopefully, if I can improve on that and continue to hit it well, maybe I improve on the 11th place, too," Watney said.

"We worked a little bit on stroke," he said of his sessions with Harmon. "Butch gave me a putting track-type thing. But also more on my routine and confidence and simplifying it as far as picking a target and hitting it at that target. If I make it, great. If I miss it, I did all I could do."

Watney was 13 when he decided he'd make his living playing golf.

"I really don't know what I would do if I couldn't play," he said. "I made that decision, and so far it's going all right."

Reach David Westin at (706) 823-3224 or david.westin@augustachronicle.com.

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