AUGUSTA DIARY

PALMER REMEMBERED

A MOVING start to the 81st Masters, with a fitting tribute to Arnold Palmer at the opening ceremony. Players rose early to see Palmer’s widow Kit escorted to the first tee, and a green jacket was placed over the back of a chair in Palmer’s memory.

RORY SCHOOLS JACK

HOW did Jack Nicklaus (right) outdrive Gary Player when the pair hit their honorary tee shots? He gave the credit to Rory McIlroy. ‘Thanks for the little driver tweak on the range recently, Rory,’ tweeted the great man.

VIEWERS NOT IN CHARGE

ARE the ruling bodies going to do something about viewers ringing in with video evidence and influencing the outcome of majors, as happened with Lexi Thompson? The green jackets believe they are. Look for a change with the rules review in 2019.

HORROR HOLE FOR GREGORY

IT took British Amateur champion Scott Gregory just one hole to learn all about the fine margins at Augusta: 12 yards from the flag in two, he was 24 yards from the flag in four. He ended with a triple-bogey seven on his way to a humbling 82.

PHONE BAN GOES ON

THERE’S surely no other sporting event that doesn’t allow mobile phones and Augusta won’t be budging any time soon. ‘It’s not appropriate and the noise is an irritation,’ said Masters chairman Billy Payne, ending all debate on the matter.

HENLEY STRIKES EARLY

THE last man to receive an invitation to the Masters was the first man out and on the first page of the leaderboard after a 71. For Russell Henley (left), happiness was being out early, and then feeling the wind gather in intensity as he left the course.