Things they don't tell you on TV (Part I). You can book your seat around the greens here. Well, after a fashion you can. First thing you do once you're allowed on the course at 8am each morning is take your fold-up chair down to your chosen vantage point and leave it there with your business card attached. Then you go have breakfast. Simple as that. Augusta tradition decrees that (a) nobody will sit in your seat, no matter how plumb the spot and that (b) nobody will move it. Try that one at Baltray next month, see how far you get.

It's a fair bet that the most unlikely competitor in the field is Steve Wilson, the 39-year-old petrol station manager from Mississippi. Four years ago, his house was flooded to the windows by Hurricane Katrina and eventually caused him to have to give up his part-time professional golfer status. He'd been slapping it about on the Nike tour for a couple of years with no great success anyway so it was no massive loss to him to go get a proper job.

He kept playing for fun and last September won the US Mid-Amateur Championship, punching his ticket to Augusta in the process. That he missed the cut here in the end didn't unduly bother him, not when he was able to take home with him the delight of hearing his nine-year-old son Gavin turn to his mother on Wednesday afternoon and say, "Let's leave Dad and go find Tiger..."

The award for press conference of the week was wrapped up nice and early when 18-year-old Danny Kim came in on Tuesday and, quite unlike the preternaturally-assured Rory McIlroy the day before, completely acted his age. Whereas McIlroy was all calm and collected and avowedly under-awed by the place, Lee, the reigning US amateur champion, was edgy as a banker on budget day.

So Danny, do you think it's possible, could a guy like you at your age and lack of experience win this week?

"No. I'm having really bad nerves at the moment, seriously. All of the crowds yesterday, I was nervous, really shaking my clubs, and wasn't swinging properly. I've never seen that many crowds out there... I'm still nervous, and I'm trying to relax every time and trying to practice hard and see how it goes."

Johnny Miller has been quoted as saying that you can contend this week...

"No. I went to the amateur's party last night and some people have been saying that. It gives me extra pressure. I don't know why people think I'm so good at golf. Because I won the US Amateur?

"When I get nervous, I can't really talk properly, because my nerves are breaking down and I have a stomach ache, too. I'm serious. I'm trying to relax and trying to calm myself every time, but I know as soon as I go outside the clubhouse and watch all of those crowds out there, I cannot get relaxed or like nice and calm like that. But I'm still working on it."

Poor lad. He held up okay though, his opening 74 beating the likes of Ernie Els, Retief Goosen and Anthony Kim.

Things they don't tell you on TV (Part II). The crowds are actually tiny. Twice as many people are let through the gate on the practice days as on competition days, all so that walking around during the tournament is as pleasant a patron experience as possible. In all – although, it being the Masters, they're never so coarse as to actually give out concrete figures – somewhere in the region of 25,000 people attend each day from Thursday to Sunday. So essentially, you're talking fewer through the turnstiles than your average Connacht Championship game.

Jersey-watch. Two GAA: one Carlow jersey following Pádraig Harrington; one Dubs top in Rory McIlroy's entourage.

One rugby: a Munster polo shirt in the throng lining the fifth fairway as Harrington passed on Thursday morning (more expected today, naturally).

One Manchester United: behind the 12th tee as Tiger Woods took his shot. And considering just how popular AIG are in the US at the moment (hint: about as popular as membership applications from women to join Augusta National) it was a brave soul indeed who plumped for such a high-profile spot.

For a lady who only took up golf four years ago, there were some mighty interesting rumours going around Augusta about Condoleezza Rice who attended over the weekend.

It seems the former US Secretary of State is being lined up for a job with the PGA Tour, with some even venturing that she may be on course to be the next commissioner of the tour after Tim Fichem finally hangs up his blazer.

A black woman – and not a lifelong golfer at that – in the top job in American golf? Truly we live in interesting times.

Whatever happens today, Kenny Perry has a much more important date coming up in next few weeks. To mark his brilliant Ryder Cup display in his home state of Kentucky last September, he and his wife Sandy will be the grand marshals at the Kentucky Derby.

"A lot of waving and hand-shaking," he replied when asked what he expected.