Etc...

Where to, Mac?

When professional actor Gitan Otsuro opened the rear door of a taxi and stepped onto a sidewalk in New York one day last week, he didn't have enough money for the fare - $58,000. Then again, he wasn't expected to pay it anyway. But wait: a $58,000 cab ride - where had he come from, the tip of South America? Yes, as a matter of fact. Otsuro and driver Tsuyoshi Sakuma were the "talent" in a travel documentary sponsored - and videotaped - by a Japanese TV station. The trip through 11 countries covered 20,000 miles and took three months.

In St. Meinrad, Ind., a Roman Catholic Benedictine monastery has been remembered in the wills of two women - a token of appreciation for the hospitality they'd been shown in its guest house. The bequests: $13 million each. So what? Monks in the Benedictine Order take a vow of poverty.

No matter how well or poorly golfing legend Arnold Palmer plays at this year's Masters Tournament, which opens Thursday, he is certain to receive thunderous applause from the galleries as he marches up each fairway. During his 50th - and final - appearance, fans will want to pay tribute to the man credited with popularizing golf for the masses. Palmer first won the tournament in 1958. He went on to win six more major titles, among them three additional Masters championships. Palmer holds the record for most consecutive appearances (49) in the annual Augusta, Ga., classic, and this year will break a tie with Doug Ford for the number played. The pros who have appeared in the Masters most often:

1. Arnold Palmer (tie) Doug Ford 49
3. Gary Player 46
4. Billy Casper (tie) Sam Snead 44
6. Jack Nicklaus 43
7. Tommy Aaron 40
8. Gay Brewer (tie) Raymond Floyd 39
10. Charles Coody 37