When he got the green light to carry the bag for Jim Hallet at the 1983 Masters, all Jack Tosone could think about was walking into a shrine. He soon discovered that people wanted to talk about him walking into the history books.

“The press just kept making a big deal of it,” said Tosone. “A guy representing ‘Trivial Pursuit’ called me up and asked if it would be OK if they used my name for an answer.”

What was the question? “They told me it was going to be something like, ‘Who broke the last color barrier in sports?’ ”

Tosone isn’t sure if the game ever used the question. He’s not even sure if the question is legitimate. He only knows that the Masters of 1983 remains an indelible memory, not because of his role, but because every day and every turn of the head produced a sound or a sight that still brings a smile to his face.

But first, the history thing.

It centered around Augusta National’s policy for employing only the local black caddies and not allowing competitors in the Masters to use their own.

Then came 1983 and the announcement by Chairman Hord Hardin that Masters competitors were free to bring their own caddies. Sixty-five of the 82 entrants took advantage, including the unheralded amateur from Cape Cod who had earned his berth with a stunning march into the quarter-finals of the 1982 U.S. Amateur at The Country Club.

Tosone was on the bag there, too, “and Jim told me I was going to caddie for him at the Masters,” said Tosone, a Rhode Island native and Hallet’s golf teammate at Bryant. “I said, ‘I can’t, Jim, I’m not black.’ ”

Hardin’s decision changed that a few months later, but how Tosone earned extra special media recognition at the ’83 Masters was pure happenstance. While Elizabeth Archer, daughter of George Archer, was the first woman to caddie at Augusta, and Bruce Edwards was in attendance as Tom Watson’s caddie and still lauded for the drama of the previous summer’s U.S. Open at Pebble Beach, Tosone is the one who the media said broke the color barrier.

Why? Because he was the first non-ANGC caddie to register.

A chapter in this enjoyable read is devoted to Jack Tosone and his appearance at the 1983 Masters.

“Caddies were playing cards, there was dead silence, and they all stared at me,” said Tosone of that first trip to the caddie shack. He explained that he was a caddie for one of nine amateurs in the field, hopefully appeasing them that he wasn’t taking a money player from their grasp.

“I think that helped,” laughed Tosone, who received his sneakers, socks, hats, and the famed white jumpsuit. Oh, and for registering first, he also got caddie locker No. 1.

“The press made a big deal out of it,” laughed Tosone, who heard that longtime ANGC caddie Willie Peterson, one of 17 club caddies who would work that week, was offended because he wanted locker No. 1. But Jack Nicklaus, who won his first five Green Jackets with Peterson and would use him again that week, made Tosone feel welcome.

So, too, did the club caddies not named Willie Peterson.

“When Jim played well and shot 68 in the first round,” said Tosone, “all the caddies came up to me and congratulated me.”

But the historical stuff is a footnote to Tosone, who is the General Manager at Weekapoag GC in Westerly, R.I. Having a front-row seat to his friend’s golf and absorbing all the unforgettable moments is what that week was all about.

The 68 alongside Bob Goalby left Hallet a shot off the lead and Tosone said it didn’t matter “that to this day it’s never rained as hard as it did that day.” It also doesn’t matter that Friday’s golf was wiped out by heavy rain because for Saturday’s second round, Hallet was paired with Arnold Palmer and Seve Ballesteros.

Talk about the passing of generations – Ballesteros turned 26 that Saturday and would go on to win his second Masters; Palmer was 53 and with 68-74 it not only was his last whiff of Masters “contention,” it was the last time he made the cut at Augusta.

And smack in the middle was the amateur golfer who went to Bryant to play goalie for the hockey team, and his college golf teammate and friend.

“I remember it was so wet you could hear Arnold walking. Squish, squish, squish,” laughed Tosone. “Jim said, ‘Should I say something?’ and I said, ‘Oh, my, no, you can’t say something like that to Arnold Palmer.’ ”

And Seve? “He was so special to watch. We got along great. When we saw him (Monday) after his win, he said, ‘You guys are coming to my victory party, right?’ ”

Heck, for Tosone the week felt like one long victory party.

From daily rides Tosone made down Magnolia Lane (Hallet stayed in the Crow’s Nest), to plush accommodations Hallet made through a friend (Hallet’s family, Bryant golf coach Archie Boulet, and Tosone stayed in the guest house on an estate), to watching Hallet receive his silver cup and gold medal for low amateur, the joy still percolates.

Those memories, plus his Masters tie, credential, and caddie’s hat from the week, seemed fulfilling enough. But more rolled his way.

Tosone thought he was barely mentioned in Ward Clayton’s book, “Men on the Bag,” a great read about the history of caddies at ANGC, “then my daughter showed me that an entire chapter (No. 20, to be exact) was devoted to Tosone’s history.

Then last year, for his 60th birthday, at the request of Tosone’s daughter, ANGC forwarded two different photos of the then 22-year-old caddie working the bag for Hallet in the 1983 Masters.

“I haven’t been back since,” said Tosone, a PGA member. “I’ve thought of it, but it would be hard to top ’83.”