After the ceremonial duties of golf's three wisest men, Stewart Cink and Tim Clark are the first of the 97 competitors on to the course.

They are a two-ball group, all but one of the rest are threesomes. They teed off at 12:45 BST, which is five hours in front of Augusta.

Groups go off every 11 minutes until 18:59, when Harris English, Lee Westwood and Russell Henley are the last three men out of the clubhouse.

Rob Hodgetts
BBC Sport at Augusta National

Image source, AP

Patrons pack around the first tee awaiting Arnold Palmer, Gary Player and Jack Nicklaus. An excited buzz in the crisp air. Soon enough Palmer, in lime green, Player, in his familiar black and beaming from ear to ear, and Nicklaus in purple, emerge from the clubhouse and are ushered to the first tee.

A short introduction from chairman Billy Payne and Palmer is up first. "I'm not sure there's enough room down there," he said. "He's really not kidding," said Nicklaus. But Palmer knocks a straight one down into the valley.

Player next, and the 78-year-old, as bouncy and lean as ever, spanked his halfway up the hill. Finally, Nicklaus took to the tee. He said something that got a good laugh, but with this audience could literally have said anything. A couple of practice swings and he outdrives Player by a few yards. The Masters is go.

OK, so maybe I'm getting a little bit carried away, but the Masters is one of the best sporting weekends of the year, right?

What's more, it's already under way...

And at the end of it all, Augusta will again crown the Master, adorning him with the coat that forever signifies he was a champion.

In Cincinnati, the phone at the Hamilton Tailoring Company will ring.

A new Green Jacket is required.

Image source, Getty Images

Four days of Sarazen's albatross, Nelson's play-off, Tiger's chip and Lyle's bunker.

Of Mickelson from the pine straw, Faldo and Norman, Fuzzy's debut, Bubba's blubbing, Nicklaus winning at 46 and Player coming from seven behind.

Of Adam Scott and cries of "Come on, Aussie."

And the players?

The best of the best are here (bar one notable exception). Invite only, so it's just the golfing elite - along with grand old champions and talented young bucks.

For four days they will tussle for the most iconic prize in their sport, a beautiful war on the most pristine battleground.

Four days to create your own piece of golfing history, your Masters moment.

Some 600 miles away, the Augusta National in Georgia is ready.

The Champions Dinner has been eaten, the mirth and curse of the par-three course is completed.

The patrons walk (not run) through a sea of pink azaleas to plonk green folding chairs around picture perfect greens and fairways. The caddies zip up their white boiler suits.

Image source, Getty Images

At 490 E McMillan Street in Cincinnati, Ohio, the Hamilton Tailoring Company is getting ready for an order to be placed.

It comes at the same time each year, just after the weekend of the first full week of April. The sizes differ, but the garment never changes.

A green jacket.