Player: Will set record when he tees off at Augusta this year
A record for Gary Player, hole changes and dinner menus - we look at some weird and wonderful facts surrounding this unique tournament.
Player record
Gary Player will create a record the moment he tees off at Augusta - it will be his 51st Masters, one more than Arnold Palmer.
The 72-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.
Missing amateurs
There will be no British amateur taking part in the Masters this year - and no American amateur champion playing with holder Zach Johnson in the first two rounds either.
The British Amateur title was taken last year by American Drew Weaver, who dedicated his victory to 32 fellow students at Virginia Tech killed last April by Korean gunman Seung-Hui Cho. Weaver was on the campus at the time and ran for his life.
Winner of the American title was Colt Knost, but he decided to sacrifice his Masters spot by turning professional. That leaves just three amateurs in the field - Weaver, US Amateur runner-up Michael Thompson and US Mid-Amateur champion Trip Kuehne.
Invitation only
There are 18 different ways to qualify for the Masters, but three Asian players - Thailand's Prayad Marksaeng, Indian Jeev Milkha Singh and China's Liang Wen-chong - have received special invitations from the Augusta National Club.
"This is also another component in our objective of growing the game of golf worldwide utilising the Masters brand," said club chairman Billy Payne. "We think the interest in golf in each country will heighten when these players compete in the Masters."
All change
There have been changes to four holes since last year's Masters. The first tee has been extended by 10 yards at the front in case there is a strong wind into the players' faces again, while on the seventh the green has been enlarged to the left to accommodate more pin placings.
At the ninth the severity of the green has been eased somewhat and on the 11th some trees down the right have been removed. Not because Tiger Woods broke a club on one of them in last year's final round, Augusta National say, but because it gives spectators a better view.
Anyone straying into the trees on the 15th and 17th could also find themselves playing off pine straw rather than grass.
Commentary duty
European Ryder Cup captain Nick Faldo will again content himself with a commentating rather than playing role at Augusta this year.
Three-time champion Faldo is exempt for life, but sat out the event last spring for the first time since 1987. He did play in the Open at Carnoustie, however, and has another 10 years of that exemption.
Debutants' challenge
Europe will have five debutants in the Masters line-up - England's Nick Dougherty, Swede Daniel Chopra, Danes Anders and Soren Hansen and Germany's Martin Kaymer.
Dougherty and the Hansens - no relation to each other - qualified from the world's top 50 at the end of last year and Chopra by winning the US tour's season-opening Mercedes-Benz Championship in Hawaii in January.
After winning the Abu Dhabi Championship and finishing second to Tiger Woods in Dubai Kaymer is assured of being among those who earn places 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
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 for dinner?
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 milk shakes the first time he won, Bernhard Langer had wiener schnitzel and Mike Weir came up with wild boar and elk.
Making bridges
Three bridges on the course are dedicated to Ben Hogan, Byron Nelson and Gene Sarazen, while there are plaques to Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus.
Par three jinx
When Mark O'Meara missed the halfway cut last year nobody was really surprised. The American did, after all, have to carry a jinx into the event.
O'Meara won the eve-of-tournament par-three competition - and ever since it started in 1960 the winner 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.
