None of this really hit for Jim Dunlap until he sat in the car Thursday morning to drive down Magnolia Lane, down that famous dreams become reality. His son was about to be playing in his first Masters. They drove around Founders Circle in front of the Augusta National clubhouse and the Dunlap family got out of the car.

“Okay, I’m officially nervous,” Jim Dunlap remembers his son Nick saying.

They’ll excuse the nerves.

Nick Dunlap is just 20 years old and a professional golfer for only a few months. Now, the former member of the Alabama men’s golf team was about to walk into the world’s most famous golf course for the Masters. A rainy morning had cleared meaning he’d have to wait two and a half hours longer than expected to finally hit his first tee shot.

He was grouped with Jon Rahm, the defending Masters champion. He was grouped with Matt Fitzpatrick, a former U.S. Open winner, too.

“I mean, yeah, I’m 20 and I’m teeing off with Jon Rahm at Augusta on the first tee,” Dunlap said. “I was pretty nervous.

Dunlap had waited all morning and hardly could wait any longer. He walked up to his teed ball and hardly took a practice swing before starting his round. It was abnormally quick for Dunlap in the tee box, his father said.

Those nerves resulted in a ball sent so far left it hit a patron in the head. It was the first of several misses in an overall frustrating day for Nick Dunlap. He shot a 77 (+5) in the first round of the Masters. By the time he stepped into the clubhouse after his round, he was a dozen shots back of the leader and will need to fight Friday just to make the cut.

For all the success Dunlap has had in the last year, Augusta National and the Masters don’t welcome you after entering the first tee. The grounds here are so revered, but come Thursday, awestruck gazes turn to focus. It’s a course that presents opportunity.

But give into the nerves, and Augusta National will bite back.

Through the first few holes, Jim Dunlap tried to gauge how nervous his son was. He watched his breathing.

“Doesn’t look like he’s gonna pass out,” Jim Dunlap said.

Jim Dunlap walked every step alongside his son Thursday. So did his mom, Charlene. His girlfriend was there, his college coach, his college teammates. The Dunlap contingent was there to enjoy this moment. To take in the magnitude of this day. None of them expect their son to win. They want him to learn.

Nick Dunlap received a golden chance for a rookie to learn this week. He played practice rounds with Scottie Scheffler and Justin Thomas. He played with Rahm and Fitzpatrick on Thursday. As they walked down the second hole, Rahm explained to Dunlap the best way to approach the green. Rahm has won a jacket here, he’s as good a source as Dunlap could find.

“I learned a lot from just watching how they played and dissecting some of the holes, and when they were in trouble how they got out of it,” Dunlap said. “It’s something I can definitely improve on.”

The whole Dunlap family has had to learn this year. The Huntsville native’s win at the American Express in January as an amateur vaulted him out of college at Alabama and into a new life as a professional. His win guaranteed him a PGA Tour card for more than two years should he take it. He’d have been a fool not to.

Jim and Charlene Dunlap are no longer looking to Alabama golf events to watch their son but instead traveling the country when they can.

As he walked the front nine and watched his son get out to a +4 start over the first six holes — nerves continuing to grab him as tee shots continued to miss fairways — Jim Dunlap thought about the trips he’s made to watch his son. He’s attended now five of Dunlap’s first seven events as a professional including the Masters.

Nick Dunlap no longer has the travel planning college provides. Nowadays, Charlene Dunlap is in charge of most of the travel. His agent helps too.

And after all this travel, Dunlap was about to make the turn to the back nine at +4. Alabama head coach Jay Seawell said Dunlap is like the racehorse Secretariat. He starts slow, but gains speed as the round goes up to catch up.

Maybe that’s what Dunlap found making the plunge down the hill toward Amen Corner. He made a long birdie putt on the 10th, and capitalized on a strong approach on the 11th in making a medium-length birdie putt.

“Boom,” Seawell yelled in the Amen Corner crowd.

He thought his former player had found momentum. Dunlap clawed back to +2 with three birdies and one bogey on the first six holes of the back nine.

“Honestly, I played well,” Dunlap said. “Except the last two holes.”

When Dunlap finally felt comfortable in a largely uncomfortable round, Augusta National reminded him he’s a rookie. That he’s just 20.

He hit it over the green on the 17th, making bogey. He drove into the bunker on 18 and then over the green on his second before three-putting his way to double bogey.

A frustrated Dunlap at the end of a frustrating round walked over to his bag behind the 18th green and threw his putter at it as if had wronged him. He walked off the 18th green, signed his scorecard and walked to the podium for a brief interview with AL.com. He was so visibly frustrated and said he didn’t think this was a good time, he wasn’t sure how to mask his anger at how his round ended.

But he did the interview. He was composed.

In his first time with a spotlight like this, Dunlap is learning how to be a professional golfer. That’s what he wanted to get out of this week.

Matt Cohen covers sports for AL.com. You can follow him on X at @Matt_Cohen_ or email him at [email protected]