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Day & Johnson's strong showings and Spieth's pedigree - the 2017 Masters in Opta numbers

The Masters logo on the green jacket

The first major of the year gets underway at the fabled Augusta National on Thursday, with numerous contenders vying to be crowned Masters champion.

Jordan Spieth will be aiming to vanquish his demons after a fourth-round collapse stopped him defending his title in 2016, while world number on Dustin Johnson will be hoping to continue his impressive form at golf's top-tier competitions.

For Rory McIlroy and Jason Day a first Masters title will be the ambition, with the former hoping to complete his set of all four majors.

Ahead of the action getting underway, we examine the Opta numbers that could prove influential in deciding who will be wearing the green jacket on Sunday.

81 – This will be the 81st edition of the Masters, the most recently established of golf's four majors.

2 – Jordan Spieth has never finished worse than tied second in his three Masters appearances, matching Tiger Woods' lowest score at the major when winning in 2015.

3 – Phil Mickelson has won the Masters more times than any other player in the field. Victory this time would send him level with Tiger Woods and Arnold Palmer, but Jack Nicklaus is the competition's most successful player with six triumphs.

1 – The Masters is the one major still eluding Rory McIlroy. This will be the Northern Irishman's ninth appearance at Augusta, the only place he has recorded a top-10 finish in one of golf's four premier events in the last three years.

7 – Spieth has been the outright leader at the end of seven of the last eight rounds played at the Masters. A final-day collapse infamously costing him the chance to become the first man to secure back-to-back wire-to-wire triumphs at a major last year.

52 – Jason Day has secured a top-10 finish in 52 per cent of his major appearances (13 out of 52). He was tied second in his first Masters in 2011 and that remains his best finish at Augusta.

2016 – Danny Willett's victory last year made him the first European to don the green jacket since Jose Maria Olazabal in 1999.

7 – Dustin Johnson has placed 10th or higher in seven of his last 10 major outings.

14 – Since winning his first and only major at the Masters in 2013, Adam Scott has not finished higher than tied 14th at Augusta.

21 – Bubba Watson has won two of the last five Masters, but since triumphing in 2014 his best finish at a one of the top-tier competitions is joint 21st at the 2015 PGA Championship.

29 – Rickie Fowler will be looking for his first major win in his 29th appearance, but he has not made the top 10 in any of his last eight.

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