Masters starts today

Press, Volume CXVI, Issue 34123, 8 April 1976, Page 32

Masters starts today

i (N.Z.P A -Reuter—Copyright) I AUGUSTA (Georgia) ■■ Players in the fortieth I Masters tournament, I one of golf’s premierj events, tee off today, I 1 with Jack Nicklaus! J|again in his customary i'role of favourite. t Although he has won only [ one of the five tournaments he has played in this year, , the 36-year-old Nicklaus is r strongly favoured to capture ijhis second consecutive Masjjters title and his sixth over’jall at the August National ;|GoIf Club. , I Nicklaus, who has ruled > as the favourite at Augusta - every year since he won his il second Masters championIship in 1965, said the 7030 yd r course was in excellent conLdition after playing 18 holes ) alone late yesterday after- - noon. i| While Nicklaus is the man " to beat, at least half a dozen Mother golfers in the field of 163 professionals and 10 amateurs are given a good 'chance of winning the cov-i .eted green jacket which; : | symbolises a Masters cham-, upionship. Foremost are Tom Weisijkopf, runner-up here four ■ times, and Johnny Miller,; ■ winner of two United States I tour events this year and, ■ who tied with Weiskopf fori {second place in the 1975; Masters. i Other strong challengers i are Hubert Green, winner of; I the last three tournaments | lhe has played in and thei

[leading money-winner on the | American circuit this year, [Hale Irwin, the 1974 United 1 States Open champion who has won two events this [year; Ben Crenshaw, making [a “comeback” at the age of'

24 and who has two tc victories in 1976; Lee 1 vino, tw’o-time winner both the U.S. and Brit opens but currently in t midst of a long vict<" ■drought.