Masters Digest

A round-up of today's other Masters stories in brief.

Rose revisits scene of the disaster

JUSTIN ROSE couldn't resist a wayward walk off the 17th tee in practice the other day . . . he wanted to see the tree that effectively ended his charge towards a green jacket a year ago, when he crashed at the 71st hole to finally let go of Zach Johnson's shirt-tails in the run to the finishing line.

The Englishman, who eventually finished tied-fifth, had just had a tap-in birdie on the 16th to trail eventual champion Johnson by one when he pulled his tee-shot on the 17th. The ball ricocheted off a tree and finished up on the 15th fairway from where he ran up a double-bogey six.

In practice on Tuesday, Rose revisited the scene of his meltdown.

"I took a long, hard look. I don't think they would appreciate me chopping it down," said Rose.

"It's just a narrow driving hole, to be honest with you."

Last year's European number one is coming into the Masters under the radar.

In five outings on the US tour this season, Rose has failed to manage a top-10 finish. His best was a tie for 14th in the Pods championship.

No beef at captain's lunch

NICK FALDO had lunch with opposing Ryder Cup captain Paul Azinger at Augusta yesterday - 24 hours after saying "there's no beef between us at all".

What was on their plates is not known, but the meeting was a chance for the two to discuss the weekend's events when Azinger took shots at Europe's captain.

Faldo has already said since the publication: "We've spoken several times and we'll probably go fishing at the end of the Ryder Cup."

In the Mail on Sunday, Azinger stated: "The bottom line is that the players from his generation and mine really don't want to have anything to do with him."

The American later said he had an "open and friendly" relationship with Faldo and added that the spirit of his comments was taken out of context.

"I spoke to Nick. It doesn't surprise me that this sort of thing has happened. Nick and I have dealt with the media our entire career and we are burned by the media at times. But Nick and I are friends and we'll be friends after the Ryder Cup matches are over. I can see where the tabloids would try to turn it into a "Nick v Paul" Ryder Cup."

Bags of memories from Amen Corner

FOR TOUR players attached to club manufacturer TaylorMade, each appearance at a major has a special treat. The company arranges for special bags at each major.

But there is an added quirk for this year's Masters, with each bag featuring a blue patch celebrating the 1958 tournament when the term "Amen Corner" - the stretch from the 11th to the 13th holes - was first coined.

The patch is a replica of the entry ticket 50 years ago, and features a pair of hands in prayer - "Amen", get it? - with the graphics of greens, one with AP 58 (Arnold Palmer won the 1958 tournament) and another with HWW (Herbert Warren Wind came up with the phrase Amen Corner) beside the outlines.

Each player representing TaylorMade has been given two bags: one he keeps, the other he autographs to be auctioned in aid of The First Tee programme, which is also alive and thriving in Ireland these days.

Weir hoping for luck of the draw

CANADIAN LEFT-HANDER Mike Weir is hoping that playing with Pádraig Harrington for the opening two rounds will prove to be a lucky omen. Back in 2003, on the way to his Masters triumph, Weir played alongside the Dubliner for the first 36 holes. Harrington missed the cut by a shot, but Weir went on to claim the green jacket.

"It's five years down the road since I won, but nothing has changed: it is still the tournament you most want to win," said Weir.

"You know, I am here for the rest of my life. My name is on the board inside the clubhouse and my name is on that trophy. And that is something they can't take away from you."