Wednesday 8 April 2015 11:12, UK
Ahead of the most eagerly-anticipated Masters in years, our man in Augusta Keith Jackson takes a look at some of the lighter talking points from Tuesday at Augusta National.
Media friendly
Rory McIlroy's reputation as an "approachable superstar" is well earned – and well maintained.
After around 45 minutes dealing with the world's media in his Tuesday press conference, the world No 1 left the building to be confronted by a gaggle of TV reporters for yet more scheduled questioning.
After a couple of interviews, Sky's Tim Barter was next in line. Tim made a point of apologising to Rory for having to go through the process again – after all, there are only so many ways you can describe what it would mean to complete a career grand slam.
"Absolutely not a problem," replied McIlroy, adding that there was no need for an apology, therefore putting Tim very much at ease.
McIlroy clearly knows all too well the importance of having media support, something that many of his fellow pros often disregard.
Great timing
Having just completed a live interview with Richard Boxall for Sky Sports News, it was time for Kirsty to answer questions about cousin Stephen for our 'Gallacher v Gallacher' challenge.
James Haddock fired the first question, and then totally stumped Kirsty with the second, and the third, and so on.
And to pile further pressure on Kirsty, Stephen's son Jack suddenly appeared in the background and was highly amused to see her struggling. It transpired that, purely by coincidence, Stephen had just teed off on the first hole for a practice round.
Don't miss Gallacher v Gallacher, coming Wednesday on all Sky Sports digital media platforms.
Keeping the stars informed
Sticking with Kirsty, she greeted former US Open champion Justin Rose on his arrival at the platform to the right of the first fairway as they prepared for another live interview shortly after Thursday's tee times had been announced.
"Hey great, you're playing with Bubba," announced Kirsty.
"Am I?" replied Rose. "If you say so!" He genuinely had no idea!
Spirits are high in the Team Rose camp. His representative told me his form is getting better every week, and he's confident of being in contention at Augusta.
Rose has had a slow start to the year, which he had attributed to a "relaxed" winter break involving plenty of family time and minimal practice. Difficult to criticise that!
The new Tiger?
The talk of the media centre at Augusta, apart from Rory's grand slam bid, has been the apparent new, relaxed attitude of Tiger Woods over the first couple of days of Masters week.
The four-time champion has been in great spirits in his practice rounds with Mark O'Meara, and it was noticable that Woods was extremely sociable while on the range.
And then it was announced that Woods would take part in Wednesday's par-three contest, with his children as caddies. No doubt they will get the chance to take a few putts over the last couple of holes, as has become traditional in recent years.
It's evident that he has not just been working on his game during his extended break since managing only 11 holes at Torrey Pines. It seems he may have hired a "mind coach" – a sports psychologist who has hammered home the importance of what many have been urging Woods to do for years – lighten up!
Repeat menu
Bubba Watson's menu for Tuesday evening's Champions Dinner has been a closely-guarded secret since he slipped on a second Green Jacket last year.
But when he finally revealed what he would be serving, it was something of a letdown. Watson admitted he had chosen the same menu as he did in 2013.
Caesar salad, chicken breasts, green beans, mashed potatoes, corn and macaroni cheese.
Pick a winner
A reporter for an American radio station was asked to list his main contenders for this year's Masters. Half-an-hour later, he told his producer to scrap the idea.
"I've written down 18 names and I'm still going."
This week's tournament really is wide open.
Quotes of the day
It's not just Tiger who is laid back this week. When Henrik Stenson was asked what advantages he has over Rory McIlroy and Bubba Watson, the top two players in the world, the Swede replied: "Better looking!"
Special mention to Phil Mickelson, who joked about his treatment of the Green Jacket: "I would put it in my golf bag and if it was chilly in the morning, I would pull it out."
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