"Oh, you mean the champions dinner is tonight?"

Nicklaus, who has had a record six menu choices, recalled his first champions dinner in 1964, when the crusty Clifford Roberts was the Masters chairman.

Hogan, the Masters winner in 1951 and 1953 who first suggested the champions dinner nearly half a century ago but had not appeared at it for more than two decades, died last summer.

Last month, Fuzzy Zoeller made racially offensive jokes about the menu that the Masters winner, Tiger Woods, would choose for next year's champions dinner at Augusta.

Tonight, Singh was to play host to the traditional champions dinner.

"At the champions dinner here every year, I'm the M.C.," the 88-year-old Nelson said.

Faldo, a three-time Masters winner, recalled Sunday that his champions dinner menu in 1997 was fish and chips with mushy peas.

Champions who do not qualify for the Masters would still be invited to participate in the champions dinner, the par-3 tournament and practice rounds.

But once the sisters arrived at the champions dinner Sunday night, they shimmered in perfect harmony.

"I was somewhat in a coma," said Venus Williams, who had fallen asleep at 2 a.m. after the champions dinner.