Some Masters facts and figures

One of the best features of Augusta National is that it yields birdies to outstanding play, but can exact a heavy price if a player is struggling. That makes not only for dramatic tournaments, but for fascinating stats:

• Gary Player won one Masters shooting a 40 on the final nine (1961) and another shooting a 30 on the final nine (1978). When Tiger Woods won in 1997, he shot 40-30 on his first two nines of the tournament.

• Craig Wood opened with rounds of 88-67 in 1936; Mike Donald with 64-82 in 1990.

• Byron Nelson made up six strokes on Ralph Guldahl on two holes-the 12th and 13th-in the final round in 1937 to come from four behind to win.

• Ben Hogan shot a 30 on the back nine at age 54 in 1967.

• Jack Nicklaus had three wins and a second in one four-year stretch (1963-66) and seven straight top-four finishes in a later seven-year stretch (1971-77).

• Nicklaus won with 72-hole totals of 271 and 288 in consecutive years (1965-66).

• Tommy Nakajima and Tom Weiskopf each made a 13 on a hole: Nakajima on the 13th in 1978 and Weiskopf on the 12th in 1980.

• Dan Pohl played a stretch of four holes in six-under par in the third round in 1982 (eagle-eagle-birdie-birdie, starting at the 13th).

• Tom Watson and Sandy Lyle played with Jack Nicklaus in his historic 1975 and 1986 victories, and Seve Ballesteros accompanied Gary Player during the latter's stirring charge in 1978. Watson, Ballesteros, and Lyle all won two years later.

• Tiger Woods's 12-stroke victory margin in 1997 was the greatest of any major in the 20th century.