BY STEVE KEIPERT AT AUGUSTA NATIONAL GC

If practice discipline counts for anything, Jason Day will have the edge during the 79th Masters at Augusta National Golf Club this week.

The diligent 27-year-old was at his meticulous best during a nine-hole practice session that took him four-and-a-half hours to complete the second nine, a day after requiring five-plus hours to play the outward nine. Day moved quickly from tee to green but spent 20 minutes or longer on and around each green, practising a variety of different chips, pitches, bunker shots and putts. Caddie and coach Col Swatton placed white discs on the greens to simulate likely tournament hole locations as Day laboured intensively on his short game, which he concedes might not be as sharp as he'd like to see it.

Jason Day signs autographs for fans during a practice round on Monday. PHOTO: Getty Images Jason Day signs autographs for fans during a practice round on Monday. PHOTO: Getty Images

It's a smart, measured approach. Day has been in town a few days already and completed several full rounds before the rest of the field arrived. Now, the official practice days will become intensive nine-hole sessions focusing on the short game. Day, who owns two top-three finishes in four Masters appearances, was so thorough that he frequently called following groups to play through.

"I'm really trying to familiarise myself with how the greens are," Day said afterwards. "It's not so much about the firmness because obviously that changes later on in the week, but it's really what kind of lines I need to take on certain chip shots and certain putts just in case I do have them during the week. It's better to over-prepare here than under-prepare and having all the information gathered, I can make a better, educated decision when I'm out there playing."

Adam Scott hits an approach shot as caddie Mike Kerr looks on during his practice round Monday. PHOTO: Getty Images Adam Scott hits an approach shot as caddie Mike Kerr looks on during his practice round Monday.
PHOTO: Getty Images

Adam Scott and John Senden were others to eschew playing the Houston Open last week in favour of an early arrival at Augusta. Both men have several practice rounds under their belts, while Adelaide amateur Antonio Murdaca spent four days playing Augusta National in early March before returning last week in time for several more pre-tournament laps. Today was the first time he'd played here in front of a gallery.

Geoff Ogilvy, who is making his first Masters start since 2012, joined Finland's Mikko Ilonen for a morning practice round and is buoyed to be back at a course he loves.

Sadly the sixth Australian in the field, Marc Leishman, remains in doubt to start this Masters due to the health of his wife, who remains in a Virginia hospital. Audrey Leishman was placed in a medically induced coma last week after suffering severe infections as a result of gastroenteritis and pneumonia. While she is now conscious, Marc remains with her and has until the tournament begins on Thursday to confirm his place in the field or withdraw.

TODAY AT AUGUSTA

* Jason Day has repeatedly voiced his desire to one day reach World No.1 but the Queenslander bristled when AP golf writer Doug Ferguson asked him which he'd prefer, a green jacket or the No.1 spot. After a chuckle and a moment to reflect, Day conceded he'd dance around the question and not give a concrete response.

"This is tough because this is the tournament that got me into golf," he said of his affection for the Masters. "Being No.1 has always been a lifelong goal of mine - just to be able to say you were No.1, the best golfer on the planet just for one day would be the best thing ever ... But to be able to slip on a green jacket? That's a difficult one."

Tiger Woods hits a chip shot on the practice range as caddie Joe LaCava looks on. PHOTO: Getty Images Tiger Woods hits a chip shot on the practice range as caddie Joe LaCava looks on. PHOTO: Getty Images

* Tiger Woods arrived on the practice tee mid-afternoon Monday and in between hitting balls he caught up with some old buddies, including long-time friend Mark O'Meara, his former caddie, Mike 'Fluff' Cowan and European Ryder Cup captain Darren Clarke. There were plenty of man hugs before the 14-time major champion got back down to business trying to sharpen up his short game.

Tiger Woods and Darren Clarke have a hug. PHOTO: Getty Images Tiger Woods and Darren Clarke have a hug. PHOTO: Getty Images

* Gareth Jones, the coach and caddie for Adelaide amateur Antonio Murdaca, today sported a crisp white T-shirt underneath the traditional white caddie uniform. In previous days, Jones had worn a coloured shirt but was subtly told that wouldn't be a good idea come Masters week. So he headed for a local Walmart and purchased some white T-shirts for the princely sum of $4.88 apiece.

* Murdaca's parents, Domenic and Antonia, are eagerly following their son's progress this week. They had cause to smile at one another while standing behind the 12th tee today when a group of locals in the gallery could be heard boasting how Murdaca qualified for the Masters as the reigning Latin America Amateur champion. He is, of course, here by virtue of winning the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship in convincing fashion at Royal Melbourne last October.

* A dislocated shoulder will sadly keep four-time Masters champion Arnold Palmer from participating in Wednesday's Par-3 Contest. He will, however, still strike an opening tee shot on Thursday as one of the honorary starters. Replacing Palmer in the Par-3 three-ball that also includes Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player will be Ben Crenshaw, who is contesting the Masters for the final time on the 20th anniversary of his second victory.

* For those with lawn envy, here are the cutting specifications for Augusta National this week (weather permitting): fairways 3/8 inch, the 'second cut' is exactly an inch longer, tees 5/16 inch, collars 1/4 inch and greens 1/8 inch.