Were it to sit untouched on the same shelf for 25 years, a book would be covered in dust. Newspaper clips from 2001 would be yellowed and brittle and prone to easy tearing.
But memories? They are raw, rugged, and ignite passion and perspective. Especially when they involve a prodigious family drawn together by the youngest child’s athletic achievement.
James Driscoll’s appearance in the Masters 25 years ago is a buoyant fountain of joy, not because an opening 68 thrust him onto the leaderboard, nor the bunker shot he holed for birdie at No. 16, nor for playing at various times alongside Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, Greg Norman, and Tom Watson.
No, the memories of that 2001 Masters come from snapshots of a family’s unabashed love.
What is recalled is how the father of this family from Brookline, Mass., Richard Driscoll, was where he felt comfortable, walking up in front, his stats sheet folded in his hand. His wife, RoseMary, meanwhile, was at her modest and unpretentious best, hundreds of yards behind, concerned less about how her youngest son was doing inside the ropes and more in tune with what was going on with so many other members of what was called Team Driscoll.
“My mother was probably nervous we’d do something,” laughed Tim Driscoll, brother No. 2.
In constant motion, strewn here and there over Augusta National’s dramatic and pristine landscape, James’ five older brothers – Richard, Tim, Billy, Paul, and John – and his only sister, Molly, beamed with enormous pride. They walked in haphazard fashions with spouses, children, cousins, more spouses, uncles, aunts, and anyone with a Boston accent who could shake their family tree and find a Driscoll somewhere on the branches, not to mention a whole lot of other folks who pahked their cars in this quaint Georgia town, wore Red Sox hats, claimed a fondness for golf at “The Rivah,” and knew someone who knew someone whose cousin had a friend who could get a ticket.
“I mean, we only had like seven or eight tickets,” said Tim, “and we all had friends with us.”
“They all figured out how to get in,” laughed Paul. “I don’t know how they did it.”
We’ll leave it at this – there is book smart and there is street smart – and this was a large gathering of those with PhDs in street smarts. It was beautiful, it was vivacious, it was parochial to the nth degree, everyone roaring in support of James Driscoll, the 23-year-old kid who owned two State Amateur titles and an impeccable amateur golf record, his berth in the 2001 Masters a reward for having finished runner-up at the previous summer’s U.S. Amateur.
I addition to five bedrooms in the rental house, “we had air mattresses and our extra friends found a patch on the floors,” laughed Molly. “My father’s philosophy was, ‘Good things happen when you show up,’ ” and oh, how they showed up those April days 25 years ago and basked in so much good.
Snapshots prove so.
^ ^ ^
Tim is inside the ropes? When James Driscoll stepped to the first tee in the annual Par 3 Tournament, that was brother Tim in the famed white jumpsuit, and oh, yeah, Palmer was on the tee, too.
“James was supposed to play with Jeff Quinney (the U.S. Amateur winner),” said Paul Driscoll. Only Nicklaus, scheduled to play alongside Palmer, shrugged and suggested “we mix this thing up.”
But what was with Tim in the caddie suit? Well, three brothers stood nearby when James said he needed a caddie quickly because his regular guy was not doing the Par 3. Emergency measures were employed.
“Rock, paper, scissors,” laughed Paul and that was right in Tim’s wheelhouse – or so he said. “I have some strategies there,” said Tim, whose mastery of Rochambeau earned him the white overalls.
^ ^ ^
As for the real bag? James Driscoll had asked for an Augusta National caddie and in Marion Herrington he got one of the best. “Believe in yourself,” Herrington told Driscoll from Day 1, and it turns out that the caddie was all-in on Driscoll.
Herrington had won a Masters on Seve Ballesteros’ bag and it was revealed that the great Spaniard had requested his old partner for 2001. Herrington said no. “It’s a strained relationship,” he said.
^ ^ ^
Positive pairings: James Driscoll had written to Nicklaus a few months earlier, requesting a possible practice round. It didn’t appear to be possible, mostly due to rain Tuesday morning. But when the weather cleared, Nicklaus changed his mind. He sauntered out to the first tee where Driscoll and Greg Norman were about to tee off. Check off another box.
^ ^ ^
Umbrellas were needed early in the week, but by the show of smiles, the mood was not dampened for those in attendance to cheer on James Driscoll (center) in the 2001 Masters.
Torrid start: He insists the details to Round 1 escape him, “only that it was one of those days when the putts went exactly as I read them,” said James.
He birdied the first two holes, went out in 32, then shrugged off bogeys at Nos. 10 and 15 with birdies at Nos. 13 and 16, the latter being that electrifying hole-out from a bunker.
“I had gotten ahead of the crowd and was front row at 17 tee,” said Paul Driscoll. “Tom Watson (one of Driscoll’s playing competitors) had a wide smile on his face, just staring at James, just waiting to catch (James’) eye.”
Finally, they connected and Paul Driscoll took joy in hearing the two-time Masters champ, still smiling, say, “Ho-hum.” James Driscoll accepted with appreciation.
^ ^ ^
Full house: The house rental was coordinated by Tim, but everyone knew that RoseMary would keep watch and make sure that all was well. “She was always about being inclusive,” said Tim, and Molly called her “a watchful mom, but from a distance. She liked to keep the theater in front of her.”
Though the entertainment went on most every night, James only made it over once. He stayed every night in the Crow’s Next, the famed quarters upstairs in the clubhouse that are for amateur competitors.
“I was pretty isolated,” he said, which isn’t to say he didn’t notice his massive throng of supporters. He stepped outside the ropes for plenty of “team” photos, there was a few hours at the rental home Wednesday evening, and, oh, how he’ll never forget the one voice he picked out of a crescendo of roars when he holed that bunker shot at 16 in Round 1.
“It was as loud as anything I had ever heard,” said James.
When the shot fell, a crescendo of roars rocked the place. Even if he were 300 yards James said he would have recognized that one voice screaming “DRISSSCCCCOLLLLL.”
“My brother Billy,” said James. “I knew it was him.”
^ ^ ^
A precious sweet touch: It is heralded as arguably the most protected real estate in golf – Magnolia Lane. It’s approximately 330 yards, taking you from the entrance gate to the front of the clubhouse, a ride seemingly in a tunnel of magnolia trees. Members and Masters competitors are allowed to make the drive, but security officers made an exception one night that year when RoseMary Driscoll told them she had a special delivery.
Brownies for her son, who was in the Crow’s Nest.
“They were her signature items,” laughed Molly. “Her card would read that they were from ‘The Birdie Factory’ and we didn’t know about the security. But we told the guard what our mission was and after a few minutes he said ok; we just couldn’t get out of the car.”
They drove to the clubhouse, James answered the call to come down and get a delivery and just like that, RoseMary and Molly had driven down Magnolia Lane. “It was magical. Serene, so quiet.”
^ ^ ^
From 68 to 78: Out in 38 in Round 2, James Driscoll was still 2-under and focused on pushing back onto the leaderboard. “Missing the cut never entered my mind,” he said. He bogeyed No. 10, double-crossed an 8-iron up into the pine needles and doubled the par-3 12th, but a birdie at the par-5 13th had him at level par. Masters cuts are traditionally several shots over par, but 2001 offered great scoring conditions and 1-over 145 was needed to get into the weekend.
When James Driscoll doubled No. 17 and shot 78 he was at 2-over 146. “I was so stunned,” he said, and the disappointment was very real for a few days.
^ ^ ^
An epilogue, sort of: Twenty-five years later, James Driscoll embraces “all good memories” and while he concedes he always felt he’d get back into more Masters, he never did. Savor this, though – he played in 243 PGA Tour tournaments between 1998 and 2019 and for nine seasons he had big-league status.
More importantly, there is a level of character that has forever defined him. In late 2025, having suffered a stroke, RoseMary Driscoll needed care and it never crossed James’ mind that it would be anyone but him.
Always, RoseMary had provided a calming demeanor at his golf tournaments, from South Dakota to St. Andrews. “So many tournaments, sometimes just the two of them,” said Paul Driscoll. “Golf is what they shared.”
“We all did our part,” said Molly. “But from mid-November till her death (in December) James pretty much moved into her condo and was around-the-clock. He brought her so much care.”
In thanks to all she had brought to his career.
