Threes a crowd: Toms and Harrington kept the Par 3 curse alive
Some Masters facts from the curse of the Par 3 winner, Tiger's menu choice and the history of the green jacket.
What a player
Gary Player will extend his record number of Masters appearances to 52, two more than Arnold Palmer.
The 73-year-old South African, winner in 1961, 1974 and 1978, made his debut in 1957 and has missed only the 1973 tournament since then.
His 15 top-10 finishes - the last of them in 1980 - are seven fewer than Jack Nicklaus.
Amateur field
The British and American amateur champions take their place in the Masters field, but they are actually a Dutchman and a New Zealander this year.
Reinier Saxton became only the second player from Holland to capture the British title - the first was Rolf Muntz in 1990 - while 18-year-old Danny Lee took over from Tiger woods as the youngest winner of the US Amateur.
Other amateurs lining up in the opening major of the season are
Americans Drew Kittleson, Jack Newman and Steve Wilson. Kittleson was runner-up to Lee, Newman won the Public Links title and Wilson the Mid-Amateur.
Debut delights
As things stand five Europeans have qualified for a Masters debut - Northern Ireland teenager Rory McIlroy, England's Oliver Wilson and Ross Fisher, Dane Soren Kjeldsen and British amateur champion Reinier Saxton of Holland.
A sixth, Spaniard Alvaro Quiros, is set to make it too from the world's top 50 the week before the tournament.
Green with envy
It was over 70 years ago that members of Augusta National began to wear green jackets, but not until 1949 that one was awarded to the winner of the tournament.
Sam Snead was the first recipient. The custom then developed of the new champion being helped into his jacket by the previous year's winner.
When Jack Nicklaus became the first to make a successful defence he put the jacket on himself, but Nick Faldo was helped into his by club chairman Hord Hardin in 1990 and Tiger Woods by Hootie Johnson in 2002.
Amen to that
The 11th, 12th and 13th holes are known as "Amen Corner". The description was used by American golf writer Herbert Warren Wind in 1958 and was taken from a jazz recording entitled "Shouting at Amen Corner".
Twice winner Seve Ballesteros used the name when he formed a company promoting golf events.
Tree trouble
Of all the trees at Augusta none is more famous than the Eisenhower pine in front of the 17th tee.
The former United States president was a club member and hit the tree so often he proposed it was cut down, but then chairman Clifford Roberts ruled him out of order and adjourned the meeting.
Play-off pair
If there is a tie after 72 holes a sudden death play-off will start at the 18th. The 18th and 10th will then be played alternately until the champion is determined.
Since sudden death was introduced in 1976 it has never taken more than two holes to settle the outcome - much to the relief of everybody as daylight is fast disappearing by that stage.
What's on the menu
The defending champion hosts a dinner for all other winners in the Augusta National clubhouse on Tuesday evening of Masters week.
Sandy Lyle had haggis, neeps and tatties on his menu, Tiger Woods went for cheeseburger and milkshakes the first time he won, Bernhard Langer had wiener schnitzel and Mike Weir came up with wild boar and elk.
Par 3 poser
The winner of the eve-of-tournament par-three competition has never gone on to be crowned Masters champion four days later.
Ray Floyd was the closest in 1990, losing a play-off to Nick Faldo. Sandy Lyle won the par three in 1997 and 1998, Padraig Harrington shared it with David Toms in 2003 and then won it outright 12 months later.
