Masters notebook: Tuesday's updates from Augusta National

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Tiger Woods was a popular figure for autograph seekers during Tuesday's practice round at Augusta National.

AUGUSTA, Ga. -- PGATOUR.COM's crew is at Augusta National and will file updates throughout the day Tuesday, so check back often. Notes on Tiger Woods, who practiced Tuesday, are identified with special TW branding.

For complete coverage of the 2010 Masters, check out our Masters home page. Click here MORE MASTERS: Power Rankings | Where will Tiger finish? | Inside the Field | Inside the Course

TIGER'S PARTNERS: Mark Stevens of the TOUR's communications group just researched the numbers -- Tiger Woods has had more than 1,300 playing partners in his PGA TOUR career as a professional. Out of those 1,300 players, just 18 have gone on to win the tournament that week.

Obviously, that doesn't bode well for the chances of Matt Kuchar and K.J. Choi this week, since they will be paired with Tiger in the first two rounds (see more notes below).

The average finish of Tiger's playing partners, according to the ShotLink data, is 22nd, with 247 players missing the cut, seven withdrawing and two being disqualified.

Of those 1,300 players, below are the number of players who eventually finished in the top 10 of that particular event:

WHAT ABOUT THE AUSSIES? In assessing the chances of the Australian contingent in the Masters field this week, the leading Aussie, Geoff Ogilvy, thinks a couple of his countrymen -- Adam Scott and Marc Leishman -- certainly have the game to thrive at Augusta National.

Ogilvy on Scott: "Scotty is coming into form, he won the Australian Open last year and he's played solid enough this year without doing anything scary but solid enough to think that he's in good enough form to do well enough. He's got a perfect game for this place."

Ogilvy on Leishman: "Marc Leishman has a great game for this place. It's his first time here and I played nine holes with him today and he's taking it all in and really enjoying it, but playing really well. He's got his mindset on doing well, which I'm pretty sure he's capable of."

Both players would be surprises, however, to be in contention on the back nine Sunday. Scott has never broken 70 in 28 previous rounds at Augusta National, while Leishman is making his first Masters start.

And what about Ogilvy's chances? He won the season-opening SBS Championship but has not produced a top 10 since then.

I've played OK, but not anything great," he said. "I mean, I don't want to make excuses but we did have a baby in the middle of February, which kind of threw the schedule around a little bit, and there's always that unknown of when he's going to show up." -- Mike McAllister

STRICKER'S TIME?: Eight-time winner on TOUR. No. 2 in the world. Three-time member of the Presidents Cup team. member of a Ryder Cup team. Comeback Player of the Year -- twice. A 10th Masters appearance this year. So, Steve Stricker, what's missing?

"A major?" he responded, before adding, "Is that the way I'm supposed to answer that? That would be a nice capper to it all.

"It's hard to dream about it and not think about it and expecting too much. There's a fine line there of trying to make this your time and trying to let it come naturally."

Stricker has certainly been close, albeit not at the Masters. He finished second at the 1999 PGA Championship and twice tied for fifth at the U.S. Open. His best finish here was a tie for sixth last year.

In terms of his chances this year, Stricker said he needs the fairways to play fast and the greens to be soft. So far, they are. Well, the greens are anyway. Otherwise, Stricker said it's hard for him to compete on what's become a "big-hitters course." -- Brian Wacker

CHOI ON TIGER PAIRING: K.J. Choi found out on the 14th hole during his practice round that he was going to be paired with Tiger Woods in the first two rounds. The Korean doesn't seem worried about the circus-like atmosphere that will surround his threesome, which also includes Matt Kuchar.

"I'm very pleased," Choi said. "I've played with him many times. I'm so happy. That's good news. I hope everyone supports the players out there."

Choi said it was an honor to be paired with Woods.

"He's a very humble person. He's a great player, a great talent. ... This week I've watched the gallery support him. My concentration will be more higher. It's already starting." -- Melanie Hauser

TIGER AND STRICKER: Why didn't Steve Stricker end up playing a practice round with Tiger Woods on Tuesday after Woods said a day earlier the two would? "He gets up pretty early," Stricker joked.

Stricker was only half-kidding, though. Because Woods was teeing of at 8 a.m. and Stricker was scheduled for a 3:30 p.m. news conference, Stricker didn't want to spend all day at the course. Instead, he got to Augusta National mid-late morning after seeing Woods earlier in the week on Sunday.

Stricker said the two talked for a few minutes in the parking lot and added that he's looking forward to spending time with him and playing together. -- Brian Wacker

PHIL'S OUTLOOK: Phil Mickelson won't exactly be overflowing with momentum when he tees off in Thursday's first round.

After a stellar finish to his 2009 season, Mickelson has struggled out of the gate in 2010, having posted just one top-10 finish in seven starts. He has stumbled after making the cut, having posted just three of 14 rounds in the 60s on the weekend.

Putting was a problem early on the West Coast, and his ball-striking has been the trouble spot of late. He's been working with his swing coach Butch Harmon this week and hopes to find a solution.

"I would have liked to have had better performances in tournaments, especially on the West Coast, heading into Augusta," Mickelson said during his Tuesday news conference. "My performance has not been what I wanted. ... I'm not overly concerned, but I would have liked to have been in contention, sure."

He doesn't have to be concerned because he knows Augusta National is a forgiving place, a place in which he can make mistakes and still make an impact.

"There's something that relaxes me a bout this golf course because I don't feel like I have to be perfect," he said. "I don't feel like I have to strike it great. As long as I can control my misses and put it where I can get up and down, I can let my short game save me strokes here and there." -- Mike McAllister

WHO LIKES COUPLES? MICKELSON DOES: Phil Mickelson wouldn't be surprised if 50-year-old Fred Couples is in contention on Sunday afternoon. Like everyone else in golf, Mickelson has been impressed by Couples' dominance as a rookie on the Champions Tour this year, as well as his track record at Augusta National. Couples won the 1992 Masters and finished third here just four years ago.

"I think Fred's got an incredible chance to win this week because he's playing some of the best golf of his career," Mickelson said. "And he's been winning. ... He comes into this tournament with championship trophies under his belt, holding onto these big, glass crystal things as well as huge checks."

Couples has won three times in four starts on the Champions Tour and finished second the other time. In his first 12 rounds on the Champions Tour, Couples -- who last week was retained as U.S. Captain for the 2012 Presidents Cup -- has yet to record a score higher than 68.

"Having that confidence of winning, I think brings an edded element to his game," Mickelson said. "He hits the ball as long as anybody out on TOUR still, and he's putting better than he's ever putted, and he knows the golf course as well as anybody. I expect him to have a great week, I really do." -- Mike McAllister

TRACKING TIGER PART II: Though Tiger Woods said Monday that he was going to play a practice round with Steve Stricker on Tuesday, Mark O'Meara continued on with Woods on the back nine here at Augusta National.

At one point, Woods pulled out his cell phone. According to O'Meara, Woods was videotaping his putting stroke because O'Meara has a loop in his stroke that he's trying to correct.

When the two reached the par-3 16th hole, the patrons urged them to skip their golf balls across the pond. Much to the delight of the gallery, they obliged, simultaneously hitting shots from just in front of the tee box. Neither ball made it across.

When Woods finished on the 18th, he hugged O'Meara. On Woods' walk up from the green, he was surrounded by heavy security and joined by his agent, IMG's Mark Steinberg, before disappearing into the clubhouse. -- Brian Wacker

PADDY'S APPROACH: A year ago, Padraig Harrington came to Augusta National looking to make it three straight wins in the majors, having claimed the British Open and PGA Championship in 2008.

But after tinkering with his swing, Harrington enters this week looking to end his drought from the winner's circle since raising the trophy at Oakland Hills.

Even so, he doesn't see much difference in terms of his approach.

"It feels the same to me as it did last year," Harrington said during his news conference Tuesday. "I don't feel any different. Maybe you guys feel different about me in terms of my chances of winning.

"But the way I'm approaching it, I feel the same. I feel under every bit as much stress last year as I do this year."

Harrington is keen to claim the third portion of a career Grand Slam, which is why the Masters and U.S. Open are at the top of his must-win list. He's had four top-10 finishes in 10 starts at Augusta National.

"My whole career is now, after winning three majors, going to be judged on majors," Harrington said. -- Mike McAllister

TIGER TO PLAY WITH KUCHAR, CHOI: The pairings were just released, and Tiger Woods will be paired with Matt Kuchar and K.J. Choi in the first two rounds.

The threesome will tee off at 1:42 p.m. in the penultimate group in Thursday's first round, and will tee off at 10:35 a.m. in Friday's second round.

Kuchar, who is making his first Masters start since 2002, has been paired with Woods at the Masters on one previous occasion, the first round in 1998 when Kuchar was the reigning U.S. Amateur. Woods and Choi have been paired at other PGA TOUR events, but never at Augusta National.

For a complete list of all of Tiger's pairings during his Masters career, click here. For more on the Woods-Kuchar-Choi pairing, click here. -- Mike McAllister

OTHER NOTABLE PAIRINGS: Along with the Tiger Woods-Matt Kuchar-K.J. Choi threesome, here are a few other pairings to keep an eye on:

• Defending champion Angel Cabrera will be paired with Jim Furyk and Korean amateur Byeong-Hun An. Tee time is 10:24 a.m. Thursday.

• The 49-year-old Kenny Perry, who lost in the playoff here last year, will be paired with a couple of young international stars -- 28-year-old Camilo Villegas, winner earlier this year of The Honda Classic, and 20-year-old Rory McIlroy. Tee time is 12:36 p.m. Thursday.

• Phil Mickelson will play with Robert Allenby and Y.E. Yang , the winner of the most recent major, the PGA Championship last August. Tee time is 10:35 a.m. Thursday.

• Tom Watson, winner of eight majors and nearly a ninth last year at the British Open, will be paired with a couple of players still seeking their first PGA TOUR wins, Tim Clark and Steve Marino. Tee time is 9:07 a.m. Thursday.

2-IRON IN THE BAG: Stewart Cink has made an adjustment in his bag this week. He's taking out his hybrid and replacing it with a 2-iron.

"Most players go the other way," Cink said. "I have this 2-iron I love and it's been a big club in a lot of tournaments for me. I just find it to be really reliable. It may not be the exact kind of club you want to go to the green with on 13 or 15 or 2 or 4 or any of the holes, for that matter. But it's a club that I trust." -- Mike McAllister

TRACKING TIGER: It wasn't quite a dawn patrol round, but Tiger Woods was out on the golf course early Tuesday at Augusta National, teeing off around 8 a.m. with Mark O'Meara, who he played with here on Sunday as well.

The gallery was again polite and reserved in its applause for Woods -- save for one patron, who yelled "You the man!" after Woods' tee shot on No. 6.

As for Woods' golf, there was a a mix of good and bad shots. The good: A nearly-holed approach shot on No. 9, where he then rolled in about a 25-footer. The bad: A short approach on No. 3 that came up short, rolling back down the slope fronting the green. On the par-3 fourth hole, Woods actually hit a 5-wood, barely getting the tee shot over the bunker that fronts the green. -- Brian Wacker

CHAMPIONS DINNER MENU: As expected, Tuesday's Champions Dinner will have a decidedly Argentine flavor -- literally as well as figuratively.

Defending champion Angel Cabrera has decided to serve Empanadas de Carne y Pollo (beef and chicken turnovers) and grilled Argentina style rib eye steak with a Malbec demi-glace with mashed potatoes, roasted cipollini onions and grilled asparagus.

The appetizers are a Grouper ceviche over plantain chips and chorizo and morcillas (sausages) Argentinean style. For desert, the former Masters champions will eat Panqueque de Dulche de Leche (caramel crepes with vanilla ice cream). -- Helen Ross

SIGHTS AND SOUNDS FROM TIGER: The strangest thing seen while following Tiger Woods during Tuesday morning's practice round? Two helicopters over the seventh green and eighth tee while Woods and Mark O'Meara practiced there.

It's now known whether they were simply weather or traffic helicopters, but one helicopter did circle and hover over the area for at least five minutes before moving on. A small plane also flew through the area, but it made just a single pass. Augusta National officials says they don't restrict airspace over the property, but one longtime resident said helicopters overhead is "unprecedented."

Woods and O'Meara spent more than a few minutes practice putting on No. 7 before making their way to the eighth tee.

Befor Woods got to the seventh green, though, he walked over to the gallery ropes following his tee shot and hugged what appeared to be two friends of his. They exhanged smiles and Woods jogged up the fairway to catch up with O'Meara.

As mentioned, the applause was polite and reserved for Woods, though he did draw a roar when he holed his putt on No. 9. -- Brian Wacker

FLOYD WITHDRAWS AND RETIRES: Raymond Floyd, winner of the 1976 Masters, will not play this week and will no longer participate as a player at Augusta National. Floyd has made 44 Masters starts in his celebrated career but has not made the cut since 1999.

Floyd plans to continue being part of the tournament and is looking forward the Par-3 Contest. "I can reach most of those holes off the tee," he joked.

For more on Floyd's retirement story, click here for the full story.

WEATHER FORECAST: Outside of a 60 percent chance of precipitation during Thursday's first round, the weather at Augusta National should be near-perfect this week. Here's the extended forecast: