Masters and commander commemorated on film

AS the 98 players who will contest the 68th Masters pore over the pairings issued late last night for tomorrow’s opening round, they would do well to turn over the sheet and digest the words written in red ink.

Alongside a map of Augusta National and a copy of the scorecard, the reverse side carries a message which reads: "In golf, customs of etiquette and decorum are just as important as rules governing play. It is appropriate for spectators to applaud successful strokes in proportion to difficulty, but excessive demonstrations by a player or his partisans are not proper because of the possible effect upon other competitors.

"Most distressing to those who love the game of golf is the applauding or cheering of misplays or misfortunes of a player. Such occurrences have been rare at the Masters, but we must eliminate them entirely if our patrons are to continue their reputation as the most knowledgeable and considerate in the world."