Masters Insider

Where to go: Arnold Palmer plaque

Palmer was the Masters Tournament’s first four-time winner and competed in 50 consecutive Masters from 1955 to 2004.

Palmer, who now serves as an honorary starter, was honored in 1995 with a bronze plaque affixed to a drinking fountain behind the 16th tee.

The plaque recounts Pal­mer’s charges to victory at Augusta and reads in part: “Ar­nold Palmer had changed the game of golf with those heroic charges and appreciative legions of fans formed around him. They were called ‘Arnie’s Army.’”

Under the oak tree: Johnny Miller

Johnny Miller, 65, won 25 PGA Tour events and two major championships, the 1973 U.S. Open and the 1976 British Open.

He never won the Masters, but had three runner-up finishes in 19 appearances. He shares the record for low front nine at Augusta National with his score of 30 in the third round in 1975.

Now an analyst for NBC’s golf telecasts, Miller has come back to the Masters in recent years to do work for Golf Channel and compete in the Par-3 Contest.

Q: Why did you decide to start coming back to the Masters?

A: My motto for years was I’d rather be going north fast rather than somewhere slow. Watching a tournament was somewhere slow. I was always on the run.

Finally, now my goal is to slow down and relax a little bit. Not drive so fast. Try to stop and smell the roses, so to speak.

So I’m trying to do that, even though I get antsy and want to go fly-fishing or go fast on a motorcycle or something.

Q: What do you like about the Masters?

A: The bottom line is I’m trying to enjoy the atmosphere, because it’s fantastic.

It really is a sacred place, it’s got a spirituality to it. Everyone feels it, that’s why the decorum is so good. You just feel like you’re in a special place, which you are. I love being here.

Q: You had some close calls here, and you set the record for low final 36 holes in 1975 (65-66). What happened in the first two rounds?

A: Just nervous. My putter would choke under heavy pressure. I would have won quite a few majors with my ball striking.

If I had Tiger Woods putt for me, I probably would have won eight majors. For me, putting and pressure of the majors made me not putt well. I just had bad nerves.

Q: How long will you stay?

A: (I’ll leave) Friday morning. I want to be home so I can watch it on TV and so I can report on it at The Players Championship and the U.S. Open. There’s so many people here on the weekend, I can’t see anything.

History lesson: Moving day

The third round is typically a good day for scoring, and it provides golfers a chance to move up the leaderboard.

The record for most consecutive birdies, seven, is shared by Steve Pate (1999) and Tiger Woods (2005). Both streaks came during the third round, and both started on the seventh hole.