AUGUSTA, Ga. – Jordan Spieth atop the leaderboard might be the latest tradition at Augusta National.

One year later, he’s still the man to beat at the Masters.

Six tough par saves and six birdies sent Spieth to a 6-under 66 on Thursday and a two-shot lead in a strong wind that made Augusta National play tough for just about everyone except the defending champion.

Coming off his wire-to-wire victory last year, Spieth now has five straight rounds in the lead, and six out of the last seven when he was tied or leading. One more and he would match the longest streak since Arnold Palmer in 1960 and the opening two rounds of 1961.

And just like last year, now it’s time for the rest of the field to try to catch him.

“We’re through one round,” Spieth said. “There’s going to be a lot of different changes. There are going to be a lot of different birdies, bogeys and everything in between. We know how to win this golf tournament, and we believe in our process. And if the putts are dropping, then hopefully it goes our way.”

They were dropping, which is why Spieth had the only bogey-free round on a day where the wind made that seem unlikely.

He had a two-shot lead over Danny Lee and Shane Lowry.

Canada’s Mike Weir had a 4-over 76.

The battle among the modern “Big Three” and other top players expected to contend did not take shape.

Jason Day, the No. 1 player in the world and Masters favorite, was on the verge of catching Spieth until a mini-meltdown. He three-putted for bogey on the par-5 15th, pulled his tee shot into the water on the par-3 16th and made triple bogey, and then sailed the green on the 17th for another bogey. Just like that, the Australian was back to even par.

“It could happen to anyone,” Day said. “Even though I gave up five shots in three holes, I’m only six back. I know I can catch up.”

Right when Day was falling apart, McIlroy holed an 18-foot eagle putt on the 13th and looked to be on his way in his bid to win a green jacket and complete the career Grand Slam. He was within two shots of the lead until he three-putted the 16th for bogey and missed the 18th green to the right, was plugged in a bunker and dropped another shot for a 70. Even so, it was his best start since 2011.

“If somebody had given me a 70 on the first day, I would have taken it,” McIlroy said. “I’m a little disappointed in the way I finished.”

Bubba Watson, a two-time champion, had a 41 on the back nine and shot 75. He wasn’t even low Watson – 66-year-old Tom Watson, in his last Masters, shot 74. Adam Scott, coming off two victories in Florida last month, opened with a 76.

Rickie Fowler had his worst score ever at Augusta National by posting an 80, with 44 of those shots coming on the back nine.

Spieth simply picked up where he left off a year ago.

Never mind that he discovered a hairline crack in his driver during Wednesday practice and had to find a backup for the opening round. Or that he was hearing questions about what was wrong with his game from not having seriously contended in the last two months.

Spieth was at Augusta National, a course that feels like home for the 22-year-old Texan.

“That was a flawless round of golf,” said Paul Casey, who played with Spieth and posted a solid 69. “I played a wonderful round of golf, but it was great to have a front row seat to watch that.”

For all the birdies – none longer than 12 feet – the pars make Spieth look so tough to beat.

He settled himself early with a beautiful pitch across the first green to 2 feet. He pumped his fist with a tough pitch over the bunker and to the upper tier on No. 4. He gambled with a 4-iron through a tiny gap in the trees on the 11th and made it pay off with another par. On 16, he kept his card clean by ramming in a 15-foot par putt.

By the end of the day, no one could do better.

Casey was among five Europeans at 69, joining Justin Rose, Ian Poulter, Sergio Garcia and Soren Kjeldsen. Two more were at 70 – McIlroy and Danny Willett, along with Americans Billy Horschel and Scott Piercy.

Nine players couldn’t break 80, a group that included Ernie Els, who took six putts from 2 feet on the opening hole for a 9. He played the rest of the day at 1 over.

The day ended with a name at the top that was familiar.

“I would have signed for 2 under today and not even played the rough, knowing the conditions that were coming up,” Spieth said. “Just scored extremely well, which is something I’ve been struggling with this season. If I can kind of straighten out things with the iron play, hopefully we’ll be in business. But yeah, I’m extremely pleased with that round today. I felt like we stole a few.”

AUGUSTA, Ga. – The Big Three for Jason Day on Thursday: 15, 16 and 17.

Had any of those holes gone better, golf’s Big Three would all be on the first page of the Masters leaderboard.

But Day went bogey-triple bogey-bogey on those three holes, dropping five shots down the stretch to finish the day at even-par 72.

That’s six behind the leader, second-ranked Jordan Spieth, and four in back of No. 3 Rory McIlroy, who finished at 2 under, in a tie for ninth.

“I felt I played some really good golf going up until then,” said Day, who won the PGA Championship last year and is currently atop the world ranking. “I was at 5-under par. But if you get yourself out of position here at this course, it’s very difficult to salvage par.”

Here’s what “out of position” looked like with the wind whipping around the back nine:

– On the par-5 15th, Day laid up and gave himself an awkward yardage for his pitch across the pond. He ended up easing up on a 52-degree wedge from 83 yards and pushing it right, above the hole, then three-putted for bogey.

– On the par-3 16th, he was trying to tuck a shot onto the small slice of green between the water and the hole, which was positioned in the centre left. “I just pulled it a little to the left,” and into the water, he said. After the penalty, not wanting to make that mistake again, he hit his third shot to the right. That forced him to hit a 40-foot putt on a 90-degree angle away from the hole, hoping to work it down the slope and near the cup; very hard to get down in two, and he didn’t.

– On 17, he yanked his tee shot under trees on the left, punched out to the right of the green and couldn’t get up and down to save par.

“Four bad holes, really, in among some really terrific golf,” Day said.

Thanks to an eagle 3 on the par-5 second and a birdie on No. 8, Day finished the front in 31. That 41 on the back brought made it an even-par round that was anything but ordinary.

“If I’d shot 41 on the front and 31 on the back side, I’d be celebrating,” he said. “It’s just a number. I’ve just got to understand that the next two days are going to be really difficult, with the wind conditions.”

The breezes are expected in the 15 mph range the next two days. That, in Day’s view, means nobody will run away with the tournament.

His job: Stay patient and stick around. Which, he said, shouldn’t be that hard.

“I’m not frustrated with how it all unfolded at the end,” Day said. “I’m not saying I don’t care. I can’t dwell on the past. I just have to keep fighting.”

AUGUSTA, Ga. – Ernie Els was 2 feet from a par to start the Masters.

Twenty-four measly inches.

Then, the unimaginable happened.

One miss. And another. And another. And another. And another. And another.

Finally, on his seventh putt – a one-handed swat that showed his total disgust – Els finished off a sextuple-bogey 10 that essentially ruined any hope of contending for a green jacket on the very first hole Thursday.

Talk about a hard one to take for the Big Easy.

Els posted the worst score ever at No. 1, a 445-yarder known as “Tea Olive.”

No one at Masters had ever gone higher than 8 on the par-4 hole.

Making the whole scene downright surreal, none of the putts appeared longer than about 4 feet. Video quickly began making the rounds on social media showing Els knocking the ball back and forth past the cup, totally bedeviled by the slick, treacherous greens at Augusta National.

Apparently, the video didn’t even show his first miss, the one that could’ve gotten him off the green with a par.

After the fourth putt, Els stared at the ball with a disbelieving smile. By the end, he let his frustration get the best of him, making a half-hearted flick at the ball with one hand on the club from less than a foot away. Naturally, it lipped out, leaving him with a double-figure debacle and 17 more holes to play.

This one would’ve been tough to take for a weekend duffer.

Imagine how a guy who has won four major titles must’ve felt, though it wasn’t the first time Els has come down with the yips at a major championship.

At the first hole of the 2014 British Open, Els struck a spectator in the face with his opening tee shot and was still shaken when he got to the green. He missed a 1-foot putt, and then missed again when he carelessly tried to back-hand the ball into the hole.

But that was only a triple-bogey.

This was much worse.

The sequence was so far-fetched, the high-tech shot tracker on the Masters web site couldn’t handle it. The system at first showed only seven shots for Els, went down temporarily, and finally returned with all 10 shots logged in. Apparently, no one had planned on a professional golfer needing that many strokes on one hole.

For Els, it was a far cry from his start a year ago, when he opened the Masters with a 5-under 67 that left him only three strokes behind eventual winner Jordan Spieth.

There was no chance of Els shooting a 67 this time around.

Not after a seven-putt.

INCREDIBLE!! @TheBig_Easy suffers a NIGHTMARE at #TheMasters hitting a 10 on a par 4. #GoingForGreen #Golf pic.twitter.com/ef9brhINM5

— FOX Sports Asia (@FOXSportsAsia) April 7, 2016

AUGUSTA, Ga. – The Masters is underway after a pair of ceremonial tee shots from Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player.

Fifteen minutes after the ceremony, the tournament began for real with Jim Herman and Steven Bowditch going off in the first group on a sunny, brisk morning at Augusta National, the course dampened by overnight thunderstorms.

Herman made a birdie on the first hole to put his name atop the leaderboard, sure quite a thrill for the 38-year-old journeyman playing in his first Masters. He was the last player to qualify for the tournament, getting in with his victory last weekend at Houston.

Watch the Honorary Starters hit their tee shots to open #themasters.https://t.co/fMG8WZ87hj

— Masters Tournament (@TheMasters) April 7, 2016

The most meaningful start to this Masters was a ceremonial tee shot that wasn’t even hit.

Arnold Palmer was on the tee Thursday morning.

That was enough.

Palmer, the four-time Masters champion known in the golfing world simply as “The King,” rode a cart out to the first tee at Augusta National, offering that familiar wink and a thumbs-up. He watched Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player hit their shots to officially begin the 80th Masters.

The 86-year-old has slowed significantly and struggles with his balance. He said last month he would not be hitting a tee shot.

Masters chairman Billy Payne introduced him as “not driving this year, but forever a part of Masters tradition.”

“I think he was delighted to be out there,” Nicklaus said. “I think we were delighted to have him there. I think Gary and I felt it was more about Arnold this morning than anything else, and I think that was just fine.”

Player, the 80-year-old South African who said he prepared by doing 1,300 sit-ups and crunches, belted his drive down the middle. Nicklaus, who 30 years ago this week became the oldest Masters champion at 46 when he won his sixth green jacket, hit it high and shorter than Player.

“Gary won his tournament this year,” Nicklaus said with a grin. “I hit a pop-up.”

“I wouldn’t be too concerned about me outdriving you too much, because you did it to me for 50 damn years,” Player said to Nicklaus.

There was plenty of levity, as usual, for the original “Big Three.” Rivals and lifelong friends, they combined to win seven straight Masters during the 1960s and collectively have won 34 major championships.

Even so, this moment was all about Palmer.

The King dislocated his right shoulder in December 2014 and still was determined to get to the first tee at Augusta National. This year, he couldn’t make that happen. Last month, he chose not to hold his press conference at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, did a taped segment for the broadcast and seen only in a cart watching his grandson, PGA Tour player Sam Saunders.

He walked out of the clubhouse on a crisp Thursday morning in his green jacket, holding onto the arm of Buzzy Johnson, the senior director of the Masters. His steps were short and choppy as he was helped into a cart. His face came to life when he looked out a corridor of fans leading to the first tee. The affection hasn’t changed after all these years.

“To have longevity has been a special gift,” Player said. “And to come here today and to be on the tee with Arnold being a part of us, it was gratifying and sad, because everything shall pass. But it was nice to have him on the tee. I dedicated my first tee shot to him in respect. It’s a very special moment.”

Nicklaus asked Palmer to play with him in the Jamboree last month, a members-only event at the club. Nicklaus and Palmer are the only Masters champions who also are members of Augusta National. Nicklaus said Palmer wanted to join him except that it was the week of Bay Hill.

And then on Tuesday night at the Champions Dinner, Nicklaus made one last pitch.

“I think he would have preferred to hit a golf ball,” Nicklaus said. “I talked to him at the Masters dinner. I said, ‘Arnold, when you’re out there, what if we just take you up and had you hit … I don’t care if you putt it off the tee. I think everybody would love to have you do anything.'”

He said Palmer told him he would think about, and Nicklaus checked back with Thursday morning.

“He said, ‘I’m good.’ I said, ‘Fine, let’s leave it alone.’ So I think it probably was the right thing,” Nicklaus said. “Arnold’s balance is not good, and that’s what they were worried about.”

AUGUSTA, Ga. – Jason Day was lurking just outside Augusta National Golf Club, wondering if he wanted to go in.

The game just wasn’t fun anymore.

Even though he was set to play in his first Masters in 2011, Day thought it might be time to do something else.

“Golf is a very, very frustrating game,” Day recalled.

Whether he was really serious about quitting, no one will ever really know. Certainly, it’s not a consideration these days.

As the 28-year-old Aussie prepares to tee off in the Masters for the sixth time Thursday, he’s ranked No. 1 in the world and coming off his first major championship, one of the favourites along with defending champion Jordan Spieth and four-time major winner Rory McIlroy.

“I feel comfortable around this course,” Day said. “I know it sets up well for me. It’s a golf course where I can compete and play well and win.”

Working against Day: the last top-ranked player to win at Augusta was Tiger Woods in 2002.

Indeed, this might be the most wide-open Masters since the pre-Tiger days.

Spieth captured the first two majors of 2015 and nearly won the other two. McIlroy is missing only the Masters from a career Grand Slam. Day and 2013 Masters champion Adam Scott are both two-time winners on the PGA Tour this year. Two other Masters champs, Bubba Watson and Charl Schwartzel, also have victories in 2016. So does rising Japanese star Hideki Matsuyama, and let’s not forget Phil Mickelson, a three-time Masters winner and hardly ready to fade away at age 45.

“There’s a lot of guys who have a lot of success here that really brought some strong finishes and motivation and some momentum into this week,” said Spieth, who tied for second in his Masters debut in 2014 before cruising to victory with an 18-under score a year ago. “I know that the people who are down maybe a few _ three, four, five shots after the first couple of rounds _ are capable of making up a lot of ground here.”

Coming off one of the greatest years in golf history, Spieth isn’t even rated the favourite.

That would be Day.

“He can be the favourite,” Spieth said with a shrug. “We’ll go ahead and just do our thing.”

Day hardly felt like the man to beat before the Masters five years ago.

In fact, he had totally lost his love for the game.

“You have to perform, because if you don’t perform, then you’re off the tour,” Day said. “Then you start stressing about, ‘OK, is there enough money up to get my card for next year.’ And then you start losing a little bit of confidence. Then you start getting frustrated out there, and then you don’t practice because you’re frustrated with how you’re playing, and it’s a downward spiral from there.”

Right before the Masters, it almost came to a head during a meeting with his wife, his agent and his sports psychologist.

“I’m like, ‘I just do not like the game right now. I’m just having a very, very hard time picking up the golf club to even just enjoy myself out there,”’ Day said. “But we came to the conclusion of just going and saying, ‘This might be my last Masters ever playing, I may as well enjoy it.’

“So,” he added, with a smile, “I went out there and finished second.”

So much for finding another line of work.

Day followed up with a third-place showing in 2013. Now, having romped to victory at last year’s PGA Championship, he’s rounded out golf’s new Big Three with McIlroy and Spieth.

McIlroy, who looked to be in a league of his own just two summers ago, is now chasing the others.

That, of course, is a bit annoying for the 26-year-old from Northern Ireland.

“I’d be lying if I said those two guys having success doesn’t motivate me,” McIlroy said. “I don’t want to be left behind. I want to be part of that conversation. I’m clinging on at the moment. A few wins will change that.”

He’s not lacking for confidence at Augusta National, a place where he took a four-stroke lead to the final round in 2011 only to throw it all away with a closing 80. He’s finished in the top 10 the last two years but hasn’t really been a serious contender, leaving the Masters as the only major absent from his resume.

“This is one I wish I had caught earlier,” McIlroy, showing the impatience of youth. “You would think that this is a golf course that I can definitely win on. I know that. I just haven’t quite been able to get myself over the hurdle.”

Only five players have captured the modern version of the Grand Slam.

McIlroy is eager to join the exclusive club – the sooner, the better.

“I feel like I’ve got everything I need to become a Masters champion,” he said. “But I think each and every year that passes that I don’t, it will become increasingly more difficult. So there’s no time like the present to get it done.”

AUGUSTA, Ga. – Jason Day didn’t have time to ponder his putt as he clambered up a hill to the first green at Augusta National.

He was too busy keeping his “caddie” moving.

“You’ve got it, you’ve got it,” Day said, urging his son along. Three-year-old Dash Day made it to the top and through all nine holes at the Masters’ annual, mostly-for-fun Par-3 contest. So did Daddy and Mommy.

The event is a fun tradition like no other – at the Masters, at least. Once the actual tournament begins Thursday, the easy laughs, juvenile hijinks and friendly exchanges with fans often only a few feet away on the nine-hole short course will be replaced by the grind of competition.

But this is about fun.

For the record, Jimmy Walker won the competition with an 8-under 19, including a hole in one on No. 2. Craig Stadler, the 1982 Masters champion, and Keegan Bradley tied for second at 5 under. The field is comprised of Masters competitors, past champions and honorary invitees.

Most players had their wives and/or kids carrying their bags in an event that’s been around since 1960 and is popular enough to draw big galleries and a TV audience.

Dash accompanied Day and wife Ellie throughout the round, even if he couldn’t actually carry the bags. Both sported the white jumpsuits with “DAY” on the back. Day quickly headed to slap hands with his son to celebrate that first putt going in.

For a few hours, Day wasn’t the No. 1 golfer in the world and a Masters favourite.

He was just Daddy.

“It was so fun,” Ellie Day said, with Dash calling for “Daddy” from a nearby golf cart. “It’s funny, because we almost didn’t do it. We almost didn’t have Dash come out today because last year he was 2-1/2 and it was a million degrees. And he was kind of crazy.

“But he was so good. He never gets to actually see Jason play golf, so he got to actually be right there. He was like, ‘I want to watch him. Let go of my hand.’ He just wanted to watch Daddy. It was so fun.”

There was good golf, too. Fans gleefully celebrated nice shots and even bantered with players who were often more laid-back and chatty than during a tournament round.

Justin Thomas aced the fourth hole, one of nine holes in one. Not to be outdone, so did playing partner Rickie Fowler moments later.

Webb Simpson closed his round with a finishing hole in one on No. 9. OK, it wasn’t as glorious as a victory-clinching finale on Sunday. Still cool, though.

“It’s just always been a miniature dream to have a walk-off hole in one,” Webb said. His caddie was longtime swing coach Ted Kiegiel, a former Augusta National staffer who first brought a 12-year-old Webb to play the course.

There were a lot of things fans won’t see on Sunday.

Justin Rose took a selfie with his children Leo and Charlotte, two fans he was more than happy to pose with in the middle of a round.

Little Caleb Watson carried one of his Daddy Bubba’s clubs, that was about as tall as him. Dash Day walked along the ropes giving high-fives to fans on the final hole.

And as usual some players allowed their caddies or kids to putt out on 9. It’s a fun way to close out the competition, and it nullifies their scorecard so they can’t win the competition. And since no Par-3 winner has ever won the Masters, some superstitious golfers don’t want to take any chances.

“I’m not going to jinx it,” said Branden Grace, whose own caddie celebrated a pretty nice downhill putt. “I’m not going to be the first one to find out.”

AUGUSTA, Ga. – Masters champion Jordan Spieth expected the nerves to hit long before he is announced on the first tee Thursday.

Spieth had to host the Champions Dinner on Tuesday night, a great honor for any golfer, but a bit daunting for a 22-year-old in a room that included greats like Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player and Ben Crenshaw.

“I imagine the chairman will maybe ask me to say a few words,” Spieth said before the dinner. “I’ll certainly think of something that makes sense, given the time. But I’ll probably do less talking and more listening tonight. There will be nothing that I’ve ever done before or will ever do that will match the first time talking to that audience. It’s a bit odd to think about.”

The reigning champion gets to set the menu, and the Dallas native went with salad greens, authentic Texas barbecue (beef brisket, chicken, pork ribs), barbecue baked beans, vegetables and a warm chocolate chip cookie with vanilla ice cream.

Here is the menu @JordanSpieth selected for tonight’s Champions Dinner: pic.twitter.com/UBGspJA5pF

— Masters Tournament (@TheMasters) April 5, 2016

Only Masters champions are invited. Spieth’s caddie, Michael Greller, found that out the hard way from Spieth’s agent, Jay Danzi.

“At first I think he thought he was going to be able to be there,” Spieth said. “He was a bit surprised when … I think it was Jay who told him, ‘No, Michael, nobody goes.’ He was like, ‘This is going to be the coolest dinner ever.'”

AUGUSTA, Ga. – Jack Nicklaus says he thinks Tiger Woods will win again. After seeing him a few weeks ago, Nicklaus is surprised Woods isn’t playing the Masters this week.

Woods is missing the Masters for the second time in three years as he recovers from two surgeries on his back last year. He has not played since a tie for 10th in the Wyndham Championship in August, and he has not won since Firestone in August 2013.

“I don’t think he’s done,” Nicklaus said Tuesday afternoon before going to the Champions Dinner. “I think Tiger is going to win more tournaments.”

Woods announced late Friday that he was not ready to return to competition. He said he had been hitting balls and training every day, but that “I need to be cautious and do what’s best for my long-term health and career.”

Woods was planning to attend the Tuesday night dinner for Masters champions, his second social event of the year. Nicklaus hosted a Ryder Cup dinner at his home on Feb. 24 that Woods attended. Nicklaus said he thought Woods looked great physically, and that Woods told him he was able to putt and chip without feeling any pain.

“I’m very surprised he’s not here,” Nicklaus said. “Maybe he’s not ready. But he’s too good of a talent not to win.”

Woods has long been associated with his pursuit of Nicklaus’ 18 professional majors. Woods won his 14th major at the 2008 U.S. Open at Torrey Pines when he was 32. Nicklaus won his 14th major when he was 35.

Woods hasn’t won another major since then. He had knee surgery in 2008, followed by the crisis in his personal life when he was caught in a shocking web of infidelity, and then more leg injuries and three back surgeries over the last two years.

Asked if his major championship record was safe, Nicklaus smiled and mentioned Rory McIlroy, Jordan Spieth, Jason Day and “Tiger is still out there.”

“Does that mean his chances are as good as they were? Of course it doesn’t mean that,” Nicklaus said. “But he’ll be able to play healthily – if he gets healthy – until he’s 50. I caught lightning in a bottle at 46.”

Nicklaus is the oldest Masters champion, winning in 1986 for his 18th and final major.

Woods, who turned 40 at the end of December, last met with media at his Hero World Challenge in the Bahamas, and he was more blunt than usual when he said anything else he does in golf “will be gravy.”

Nicklaus brushed that off as Woods being tired of answering questions about his future.

“That’s probably an easier answer than ‘I’m going to get back out there next week’ and really doing it. He’s probably tired of saying that,” Nicklaus said. “If he says the other, then all of a sudden, everybody writes him off for a while, and then he’s got to show up for his 1980 and his 1986. I think he’ll show up for that a little bit.”

The reference was clear.

Nicklaus was 40 in 1980 when he won the U.S. Open at Baltusrol and the PGA Championship at Oak Hill, giving him 17 majors. It was the fifth time in his career that Nicklaus won two majors in one season. And in 1986, he won the Masters.

One big difference is that Nicklaus was rarely injured. He didn’t withdraw until back spasms at the old World Series of Golf at Firestone in 1981 when he was 41, and he had to pull out again two years later after one round of the 1983 Masters.

“I was just lucky from a physical standpoint,” Nicklaus said.

He also said he trimmed his schedule and geared them around the four majors. Nicklaus won his 18 majors over 25 years.

“So when you do that, you’re not abusing yourself too much. You can play a longer time,” he said. “Tiger and I both won young. And he may span 25 years himself.”

AUGUSTA, Ga. – When golf returns to the Olympics in Rio, the winners will receive more than a gold medal.

They’ll also get a free pass to all the major championships.

The governing bodies for men’s and women’s golf announced the exemptions Monday at Augusta National, adding a little extra incentive for the Olympic champions.

The men’s winner will be assured of a spot in the Masters, U.S. Open, British Open and PGA Championship in 2017. The winner on the women’s side will automatically qualify for their final major of 2016, the Evian Championship in September, and the first four majors the following year: ANA Inspiration, Women’s PGA Championship, U.S. Women’s Open and Women’s British Open.

While the winner might already be qualified for the major championships, limits on the number of players who can represent each country at the Olympics could clear the way for a lower-ranked player to claim the exemptions.

“Whether it’s someone that is in the top rankings in the world or someone who is a Cinderella story, in both ways it’s a positive,” said Pete Bevacqua, chief executive officer of the PGA of America.

Some players are skeptical that the Olympics will carry nearly as much importance as the men’s majors or the Ryder Cup, and there have also been complaints about a trip to South America in early August adding to the grind of an already packed schedule.

Billy Payne, the chairman of Augusta National and head of the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, shrugged off those who question the need for golf in the Summer Games.

“There is nothing — nothing — more powerful than representing your country,” Payne said. “I suspect that you will see that take over and totally capture the enthusiasm of the players for golf.”

Payne and other leaders in the sport are counting on the Olympics to expand golf’s global reach.

“We believe our game’s visibility will be dramatically elevated by the global platform that only the Olympics offer,” Payne said. “New audiences from all over the globe, some for the very first time ever, will be exposed to our great sport and come to know and appreciate the amazing athletes and heroes in golf.”

AUGUSTA, Ga. – Fred Couples is out of the Masters because of acute back pain – the first Masters the 56-year-old former champion has missed since 1994.

Couples won the green jacket in 1992 and remains relevant at Augusta National. He shared the 36-hole lead in 2012 and was one shot behind going into the weekend in 2013.

His career has been slowed by back problems the last two decades. Couples says the recent pain has been too much for him to prepare or to compete.

Couples has played only three times this year, once on the PGA Tour. He missed the cut at Riviera while visibly struggling with his back.

With Couples not playing, the field is 89 players, the fewest since 2002.