Brandon Holtz has tried to be upfront with his clients at Re/Max Rising. As a real estate associate, his job is to find their dream home in central Illinois. He has still been taking calls and emails and he is edging closer to selling a four-bedroom house in Bloomington for a shade under $300,000.
Recently, however, Holtz has been warning potential customers: 'I'm not your guy right now.' The former basketball player has largely stopped chasing new leads, too.
'Not, obviously, because I don't want the business,' Holtz tells the Daily Mail. 'But I don't feel like it's fair to my buyer or my seller... because, let's be honest, I'm not going to give you 100 percent. Because I can't.'
The 39-year-old has a decent excuse, in fairness. This week, he is playing at The Masters. 'Potentially the coolest thing in my life - outside of my kids and my wife,' Holtz says. So he is passing clients on to co-workers or asking them to wait until he has made his way around Augusta National.
Holtz is one of half a dozen amateurs on the invite list. Back in September, the 39-year-old won the US Mid-Amateur to secure a place at both The Masters and this year's US Open.
It comes 20 years after 6ft 4in Holtz enrolled at Illinois State University, where he played Division I basketball while studying for a degree in marketing and preferred sales. After graduation, Holtz spent several years in professional golf - working as a cart guy at a local club for $10 an hour while scrapping for pay checks on the sport's smaller tours.
He later regained his amateur status and now he is headed to Augusta. It's not his first visit - back in 2004, his father won two lifetime badges to The Masters. Holtz has been coming every year since, so he is familiar with the undulations and unique challenge of this Georgia paradise. All those visits have, Holtz admits, dimmed the 'wow factor' of heading down Magnolia Lane, too.
And yet, his first aim this week? Ensuring the ball doesn't fall off the first tee 'because I'm shaking too much.'
Holtz's clubs would normally be gathering dust in his basement around this time of year. Winter bites particularly hard in Illinois and the 39-year-old's game typically goes into hibernation over winter.
That became impossible after he won the Mid-Am. So, in recent months, Holtz has had to juggle his job in real estate with his duties as a father - to two young children - and his desire to arrive at Augusta in decent form.
The 39-year-old spoke to the Daily Mail during a trip to Florida for warm-weather practice. Holtz is not one to fuss over preparation. He doesn't have any superstitions or lucky charms. 'Get your butt on the range and just figure it out,' he says.
Perhaps that philosophy should come as little surprise. Holtz began playing with his dad at a young age but basketball was always his first love. 'Golf was just a getaway,' he explains. He played on his high-school golf team and in the odd local tournament. At college, Holtz would only get out from time to time.
'I never really had a lesson,' he explains. 'I never had a teacher to say: "You need to do this, do that." These days, there is a guy he will visit when 'really, really struggling.' But that is more about conversation than coaching.
'As long as I'm just playing, I can figure it out. I'd like to say that I got some decent hands,' Holtz says. That much seems obvious.
After college, Holtz spent nearly four years trying to keep his head above water on the lower rungs of professional golf. 'A glorified rec league,' is how he describes the setup several notches below the PGA Tour.
'You're paying to play for money,' he says. That might mean $1,000 just to enter a tournament and another $2,000 on travel and accommodation and logistics. 'So here I am, $3,000 down, putting the ball on the tee, and now we're going to play for $10,000 - if you win,' Holtz recalls. 'Some tournaments, I'd make the cut and make $500 - I'm still down $1,500.'
The 39-year-old would play 15-20 events a year and over four years, he 'probably missed two cuts.' His largest check in that time? $14,000.
He would save cash by scrimping on hotels or staying with family. He worked as a cart guy to earn free practice at a local club. And still, he didn't make any money.
So then he married his wife, Elizabeth, and moved into real estate. 'I like to be really hands on,' he says. 'I want to make sure my clients understand the process - what's happening and why.'
He continues: 'I'm not saying I know it all but if they have questions, I'd like to have the answer.' No doubt many will soon be asking: 'What was it like to play at The Masters?' Others will wonder whether a former professional should be allowed to take a spot reserved for amateurs.
Holtz received his official invitation at Christmas and since then he has had a few chances to play Augusta. But the 39-year-old still has duties to fulfil as a realtor and a father to his young children, Baker and Millie.
'There is no doubt,' he says, that being busy has been a useful distraction. 'It's not like I'm sitting at home thinking about that first tee ball or playing in The Masters 24/7,' he explains. But it will come up in the odd client call.
His victory at the US Mid-Amateur earned him a place at The Masters and this year's US Open
'It's not like I'm answering the phone saying: "Hey, I'm gonna be at The Masters in a week",' Holtz says. 'I’m not one to toot my own horn.' But if they do find out, he enjoys hearing the shock in their voice.
One question keeps popping up. 'Are you ready?' Holtz says. The 39-year-old knows nothing can replicate the task of tackling Augusta but he hopes his college basketball career might provide some threads to pull on. In particular? 'The mental toughness,' he says.
'Being in positions that you're uncomfortable being in and learning how to adapt. Have I teed the ball up in front of 50,000? No, but have I played in front of 20,000? I have.' So his plan is to use those experiences. 'What that looks like, I have no idea,' Holtz admits.
The 39-year-old grew up idolizing Michael Jordan and Tiger Woods as they reshaped their sports. He once - rather cruelly - described his own basketball game by claiming: 'I wasn’t fast; I couldn’t jump; I couldn’t dribble... [but] I could shoot the s* out of it.'
He got by on grit and toughness. 'I did things that may not have made sense to a lot of people; but it got the job done,' Holtz says. 'And that’s exactly what my golf game is.' He explains: 'It’s not a bad swing; in my opinion; but it’s not like I’ve been taught.'
Most years; Holtz will be at Augusta for when the gates open before heading to the store. He and his wife will then walk the back nine—while it is still deserted—before turning for home. His favorite vantage points? By the green of holes two and six.
This week; he will have his own small army of fans. ‘All my buddies are mad at me because they’re having to fork out some dollars and find the right person to talk to get tickets,’ he says.
His father; Jeff; will be his caddie. ‘One of my best friends,’ Holtz says. ‘Finally I get to take him back.’
Holtz has a list of players he would love to play with. At the very top? 1992 Masters champion; Fred Couples.
Holtz has joked that he hopes this Masters appearance might drum up business back home. At Re/Max Rising; he specializes in first-time buyers. This week at Augusta; it is his turn to take a step into uncharted territory. So what are his aspirations - beyond keeping the ball on that first tee?
'Enjoy the moment,' Holtz says. 'Take it in; one shot at a time. And I'm a competitor: I want to make the cut. I want to be the low amateur. And I want to maybe shock the world a little bit.'