Montgomerie - not present this year (Getty Images).

All US Tour winners could be back in the Masters in a few years' time.

The rule was dropped in 1999 with more emphasis being placed instead on players qualifying through the world rankings.

Of this year's 93-strong field 44 are non-Americans, including a record 21 Europeans.

But Augusta National chairman Hootie Johnson said on Wednesday: "Everybody is entitled to change their mind and we might change ours.

"We will be looking at our qualifications, but the fact that international players have qualified in great numbers would not be a factor in our re-evaluating.

"We will give serious consideration to the possibility of tournament winners receiving an invitation. This will be probably a couple of years off."

Johnson was asked about the fact that Japan's Shingo Katayama received a special invitation this year, but seven-time European number one and former world number two Colin Montgomerie did not.

Montgomerie played in the Far East, Australia, America and the Middle East trying to get back into the world's top 50, but despite five top-six finishes, his best-ever round on United States soil and a score of 60 in Indonesia he did not quite make it.

"Colin will be back in the Masters tournament one way or another, surely," commented Johnson.

"We have a long relationship with Japan. The game of golf has a relationship with Japan. They have been the most populous golfing nation for many years.

"We do have a big broadcast over there and that does influence us. For a golfer like Colin to come real close, then we give him an invitation, that's not something that we would want to do."

There will again be no honorary starters before Thursday's first round, but Augusta are hoping that Arnold Palmer, who played his 50th and last Masters last year, will step into the post some time soon.

"We are going to hold that position until Arnold is ready to go. Hope it won't be too long," said Johnson.

There had been speculation that the club were considering introducing their own ball specifications for the tournament because of technological advances.

No prototype has been developed yet and Johnson added: "We are hopeful and encouraged that the governing bodies (the Royal and Ancient Club and United States Golf Association) and the (US) Tour are addressing this problem.

"It's a problem for the game, not just for Augusta National and the Masters tournament. We are hopeful and encouraged that progress is being made."

In the meantime some further lengthening of the course is being "seriously" looked at.