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58-525: The greater Columbus area is where Jack Nicklaus spent most of his early life. The golf course he designed at Muirfield Village, north of Columbus, was opened in May 1974, and two years later it hosted the first Memorial Tournament. The par-72 course was 7,072 yards (6,467 m), a considerable length for the mid-1970s. At the Masters Tournament in 1966 , Nicklaus had spoken of his desire to create

116-525: A double eagle win a large crystal bowl. For each eagle a player makes, they receive a pair of crystal goblets. Winners also have their names engraved on the actual silver Masters trophy. The runner-up receives a silver medal, introduced in 1951. Beginning in 1978, a silver salver was added as an award for the runner-up. In 1952, the Masters began presenting an award, known as the Silver Cup, to

174-418: A plant nursery since 1857. Jones hired Alister MacKenzie to help design the course, and work began in 1931. The course formally opened in 1933, but MacKenzie died before the first Masters Tournament was played. The first "Augusta National Invitation Tournament", as the Masters was originally known, began on March 22, 1934, and was won by Horton Smith , who took the first prize of $ 1,500. The present name

232-449: A family-friendly atmosphere. In 2008, the event was televised for the first time by ESPN . The winner of the par 3 competition, which is played the day before the tournament begins, wins a crystal bowl. As with the other majors, winning the Masters gives a golfer several privileges which make his career more secure. Masters champions are automatically invited to play in the other three majors (the U.S. Open , The Open Championship , and

290-679: A field of 156 players). The other four tournaments with invitational status are the Arnold Palmer Invitational , the RBC Heritage , Charles Schwab Challenge , and the Genesis Invitational . Invitational tournaments have smaller fields (between 69 and 132 players), and have more freedom than full-field open tournaments in determining which players are eligible to participate in their event, as invitational tournaments are not required to fill their fields using

348-479: A golf course after his retirement from the game. He sought advice from Clifford Roberts, who later became the chairman of the club. They came across a piece of land in Augusta, Georgia , of which Jones said: "Perfect! And to think this ground has been lying here all these years waiting for someone to come along and lay a golf course upon it." The land had been an indigo plantation in the early nineteenth century and

406-463: A grueling 18-hole playoff against Tommy Jacobs and Gay Brewer . This made Nicklaus the first player to win consecutive Masters. He won again in 1972 by three strokes. In 1975, Nicklaus won by one stroke in a close contest with Tom Weiskopf and Johnny Miller in one of the most exciting Masters to date. Player became the first non-American to win the Masters in 1961 , beating Palmer, the defending champion, by one stroke when Palmer double-bogeyed

464-474: A little over a month before he died. In 2007, Arnold Palmer took over as the honorary starter. Palmer also had the honor in 2008 and 2009. At the 2010 and 2011 Masters Tournaments , Jack Nicklaus joined Palmer as an honorary co-starter for the event. In 2012, Gary Player joined them. Palmer announced in March 2016 that a lingering shoulder issue would prevent him from partaking in the 2016 tee shot. Palmer

522-430: A remarkable 45-yard pitch shot to birdie the second playoff hole. Mize thus became the first Augusta native to win the Masters. In 1996, Norman tied the course record with an opening-round 63 and had a six-stroke lead over Nick Faldo entering the final round. However, he stumbled to a closing 78 while Faldo, his playing partner that day, carded a 67 to win by five shots for his third Masters championship. Norman also led

580-628: A result of the Shoal Creek Controversy . Non-Americans collected 11 victories in 20 years in the 1980s and 1990s, by far the strongest run they have had in any of the three majors played in the United States since the early days of the U.S. Open. The first European to win the Masters was Seve Ballesteros in 1980. Nicklaus became the oldest player to win the Masters in 1986 when he won for the sixth time at age 46. During this period, no golfer suffered more disappointment at

638-490: A shot, he was still present and received a standing ovation from the crowd. Two-time Masters champion Tom Watson joined Nicklaus and Player, starting in 2022. The Champions' Dinner is held each year on the Tuesday evening preceding Thursday's first round. The dinner was first held in 1952, hosted by defending champion Ben Hogan, to honor the past champions of the tournament. At that time 15 tournaments had been played, and

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696-415: A stroke. Mickelson also won the tournament in 2006 and 2010. In 2011, unheralded South African Charl Schwartzel birdied the final four holes to win by two strokes. In 2012, Bubba Watson won the tournament on the second playoff hole over Louis Oosthuizen . In 2013 Adam Scott won the Masters in a playoff over 2009 champion Ángel Cabrera , making him the first Australian to win the tournament. Watson won

754-409: A tournament that, like The Masters, had a global interest, and was inspired by the history and traditions of the game of golf. He also wanted the tournament to give back in the form of charitable contributions to organizations benefiting needy adults and children throughout Columbus and Ohio. The primary charitable beneficiary of the tournament is Nationwide Children's Hospital . One of the features of

812-472: A tradition of honoring amateur golf . It invites winners of the most prestigious amateur tournaments in the world. Also, the current U.S. Amateur champion always plays in the same group as the defending Masters champion for the first two days of the tournament. Amateurs in the field are welcome to stay in the "Crow's Nest" atop the Augusta National clubhouse during the tournament. The Crow's Nest

870-439: Is 1,200 square feet (110 m ) with lodging space for five during the competition. Since 1963, the custom in most years has been to start the tournament with an honorary opening tee shot at the first hole, typically by one or more legendary players. For a number of years before 1963, Jock Hutchison and Fred McLeod had been the first pair to tee off, both being able to play as past major championship winners. However, in 1963

928-531: The PGA Championship ) for the next five years (except for amateur winners, unless they turn pro within the five-year period), and earn a lifetime invitation to the Masters. They also receive membership on the PGA Tour for the following five seasons and invitations to The Players Championship for five years. Because the tournament was established by an amateur champion, Bobby Jones , the Masters has

986-493: The 1940s and 1950s. Ben Hogan won the 1951 and 1953 Masters and was runner-up on four occasions. In 1940, Clifford Roberts , chairman of the Masters, stated that the Masters was one of the top tournaments in the United States, if not the biggest. He stated, "I am told that the Masters has outdistanced in attendance both the U.S. Amateur and the PGA ." The tournament was not played from 1943 to 1945, due to World War II . To assist

1044-457: The 1999 Masters on the second nine of the final round, only to falter again and finish third behind winner José María Olazábal , who won his second green jacket. Norman finished in the top five at the Masters eight times, but never won. Two-time champion Ben Crenshaw captured an emotional Masters win in 1995, just days after the death of his lifelong teacher and mentor Harvey Penick . After making his final putt to win, he broke down sobbing at

1102-660: The 2014 Masters by three strokes over Jordan Spieth and Jonas Blixt , his second Masters title in three years and the sixth for a left-hander in 12 years. In 2015, Spieth would become the second-youngest winner (behind Woods) in just his second Masters, equaling Woods' 72-hole scoring record. In 2017, Sergio García beat Justin Rose in a playoff for his long-awaited first major title. In 2019, Tiger Woods captured his fifth Masters, his first win at Augusta National in 14 years and his first major title since 2008. The 2020 Masters Tournament , originally scheduled to be played April 9–12,

1160-475: The 72-hole record that had stood for 32 years. In 2001, Woods completed his "Tiger Slam" by winning his fourth straight major championship at the Masters by two shots over David Duval . He won again the following year, making him only the third player in history (after Nicklaus and Faldo) to win the tournament in consecutive years, as well as in 2005 when he defeated Chris DiMarco in a playoff for his first major championship win in almost three years. In 2003,

1218-506: The Augusta National Golf Club was targeted by Martha Burk , who organized a failed protest at that year's Masters to pressure the club into accepting female members. Burk planned to protest at the front gates of Augusta National during the third day of the tournament, but her application for a permit to do so was denied. A court appeal was dismissed. In 2004, Burk stated that she had no further plans to protest against

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1276-434: The Augusta National Golf Club. The tournament has a number of traditions. Since the 1949 Masters , a green jacket has been awarded to the champion, who must return it to the clubhouse one year after his victory, although it remains his personal property and is stored with other champions' jackets in a specially designated cloakroom. In most instances, only a first-time and currently reigning champion may remove his jacket from

1334-705: The Champion's Retreat club in Evans, Georgia , with the final two rounds hosted by Augusta National (the final round will take place on the Saturday directly preceding the tournament). Ridley stated that holding such an event at Augusta National would have the "greatest impact" on women's golf. Although concerns were raised that the event would conflict with the LPGA Tour 's ANA Inspiration (which has invited top amateur players to compete), Ridley stated that he had discussed

1392-553: The Masters , or as the U.S. Masters outside North America) is one of the four men's major golf championships in professional golf . Scheduled for the first full week in April, the Masters is the first major golf tournament of the year. Unlike the other major tournaments, the Masters is always held at the same location: Augusta National Golf Club , a private course in the city of Augusta, Georgia . Amateur golf champion Bobby Jones and investment banker Clifford Roberts founded

1450-677: The Masters Tournament. After his grand slam in 1930, Jones acquired the former plant nursery and co-designed Augusta National with course architect Alister MacKenzie . First played in 1934 , the Masters is an official money event on the PGA Tour , the European Tour , and the Japan Golf Tour . The field of players is smaller than those of the other major championships because it is an invitational event, held by

1508-403: The Masters occurred in 1968. Argentine champion Roberto De Vicenzo signed his scorecard (attested by playing partner Tommy Aaron ) incorrectly recording him as making a par 4 instead of a birdie 3 on the 17th hole of the final round. According to the rules of golf, if a player signs a scorecard (thereby attesting to its veracity) that records a score on a hole higher than what he actually made on

1566-410: The Masters than Greg Norman . In his first appearance at Augusta in 1981, he led during the second nine but ended up finishing fourth. In 1986, after birdieing holes 14 through 17 to tie Nicklaus for the lead, he badly pushed his 4-iron approach on 18 into the patrons surrounding the green and missed his par putt for a closing bogey. In 1987, Norman lost a sudden-death playoff when Larry Mize holed out

1624-635: The PGA Tour Priority Ranking System. Furthermore, unlike full-field open tournaments, invitational tournaments do not offer open qualifying (aka Monday qualifying). In June 2014, the PGA Tour approved a resolution to grant the winner a three-year exemption, one more than other regular Tour events and on par with winners of the World Golf Championships , The Tour Championship and the Arnold Palmer Invitational . The field consists of 120 players invited using

1682-545: The Sunday immediately preceding the Masters. The driving and chipping portions of the event are held on the course's practice range, and the putting portion has been played on the 18th hole. On April 4, 2018, prior to the 2018 tournament, new Augusta National chairman Fred Ridley announced that the club would host the Augusta National Women's Amateur beginning in 2019. The first two rounds will be held at

1740-578: The Wednesday before the tournament starts. The par 3 course was built in 1958. It is a nine-hole course, with a par of 27, and measures 1,060 yards (970 m) in length. There have been 94 holes-in-one in the history of the contest, with a record nine occurring in 2016, during which Rickie Fowler and Justin Thomas scored back-to-back holes in one on the 4th hole, while playing in a group with reigning champion Jordan Spieth . Camilo Villegas became

1798-462: The club grounds. Sam Snead was the first Masters champion to be awarded the green jacket after he took his first Masters title in 1949. The green jacket is only allowed to be removed from the Augusta National grounds by the reigning champion, after which it must remain at the club. Exceptions to this rule include Gary Player, who in his joy of winning mistakenly took his jacket home to South Africa after his 1961 victory (although he has always followed

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1856-489: The club grounds. A golfer who wins the event multiple times uses the same green jacket awarded upon his initial win unless he needs to be re-fitted with a new jacket. The Champions Dinner, inaugurated by Ben Hogan at the 1952 Masters Tournament , is held on the Tuesday before each Masters and is open only to past champions and certain board members of the Augusta National Golf Club. Beginning in 1963, distinguished golfers, usually past champions, have hit an honorary tee shot on

1914-497: The club grounds; each Masters winner becomes an honorary member of the club. The recipient of the green jacket has it presented to him inside the Butler Cabin soon after the end of the tournament in a televised ceremony, and the presentation is then repeated outside near the 18th green in front of the patrons. Winners keep their jacket for the year after their victory, then return it to the club to wear whenever they are present on

1972-401: The club. The club admitted its first two women members, Condoleezza Rice and Darla Moore , in 2012. Augusta National chairman Billy Payne himself made headlines in April 2010 when he commented at the annual pre-Masters press conference on Tiger Woods' off-the-course behavior . "It's not simply the degree of his conduct that is so egregious here," Payne said, in his opening speech. "It is

2030-545: The eligibility rules were changed and they were no longer able to compete. The idea of honorary starters was introduced with Hutchison and McLeod being the first two. This twosome led off every tournament from 1963 until 1973 when poor health prevented Hutchison from swinging a club. McLeod continued on until his death in 1976. Byron Nelson and Gene Sarazen started in 1981 and were then joined by Sam Snead in 1984. This trio continued until 1999 when Sarazen died, while Nelson stopped in 2001. Snead hit his final opening tee shot in 2002,

2088-525: The event with commissioner Mike Whan , and stated that he agreed on the notion that any move to bolster the prominence of women's golf would be a "win" for the LPGA over time. The winner of the Augusta National Women's Amateur is exempt from two women's golf majors. The Par-3 contest was first introduced in 1960, and was won that year by Snead. Since then it has traditionally been played on

2146-411: The fact he disappointed all of us and more importantly our kids and grandkids." In 2003, Mike Weir became the first Canadian to win a men's major championship and the first left-hander to win the Masters when he defeated Len Mattiace in a playoff. The following year another left-hander, Phil Mickelson , won his first major championship by making a birdie on the final hole to beat Ernie Els by

2204-400: The final hole. In 1974, he won again by two strokes. After not winning a tournament on the U.S. PGA tour for nearly four years, and at the age of 42, Player won his third and final Masters in 1978 by one stroke over three players. Player is currently second in consecutive cuts made with 23 straight (tied with Fred Couples ), and has played in a record 52 Masters. A controversial ending to

2262-529: The first player to card two holes-in-one in the same round during the 2015 Par 3 Contest. This achievement was duplicated by Séamus Power , who scored back-to-back holes in one on holes 8 and 9 during the 2023 par 3 contest. No par 3 contest winner has also won the Masters in the same year. There have been several repeat winners, including Pádraig Harrington , Sandy Lyle, Sam Snead, and Tom Watson. The former two won in successive years. In this event, golfers may use their children as caddies, which helps to create

2320-485: The following criteria: Muirfield Village Golf Club in 2016 Source: Note: Green highlight indicates scoring records. Source: Seven men have won the Memorial Tournament more than once through 2024: 40°08′25″N 83°08′29″W  /  40.1404°N 83.1414°W  / 40.1404; -83.1414 Masters Tournament The Masters Tournament (usually referred to as simply

2378-450: The hole and was consoled and embraced by his caddie. In the post-tournament interview, Crenshaw said: "I had a 15th club in my bag," a reference to Penick. (The "15th club" reference is based on the golf rule that limits a player to carrying 14 clubs during a round.) Crenshaw first won at Augusta in 1984. In 1997, 21-year-old Tiger Woods became the youngest champion in Masters history, winning by 12 shots with an 18-under par 270 which broke

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2436-432: The hole, the player receives the higher score for that hole. This extra stroke cost De Vicenzo a chance to be in an 18-hole Monday playoff with Bob Goalby , who won the green jacket. De Vicenzo's mistake led to the famous quote, "What a stupid I am." In 1975 , Lee Elder became the first African American to play in the Masters, doing so 15 years before Augusta National admitted its first black member, Ron Townsend, as

2494-413: The jacket on them. In addition to the green jacket, winners of the tournament receive a gold medal. In 2017, a green jacket that was found at a thrift store in 1994 was sold at auction for $ 139,000. There are several awards presented to players who perform exceptional feats during the tournament. The player who has the daily lowest score receives a crystal vase, while players who score a hole-in-one or

2552-500: The last two holes to prevail. Palmer would go on to win another two Masters in 1962 and 1964. Nicklaus emerged in the early 1960s and served as a rival to the popular Palmer. Nicklaus won his first green jacket in 1963, defeating Tony Lema by one stroke. Two years later, he shot a then-course record of 271 (17 under par) for his second Masters win, leading Bobby Jones to say that Nicklaus played "a game with which I am not familiar." The next year, Nicklaus won his third green jacket in

2610-459: The lowest scoring amateur to make the cut. In 1954, they began presenting an amateur silver medal to the low amateur runner-up. The original trophy weighs over 130 pounds and sits on a four-foot-wide base. It resides permanently at Augusta National and depicts the clubhouse of the classic course. Winners instead receive a replica, which is significantly smaller, stands just 6.5 inches tall and weighs 20 pounds, which they get to keep. The champion and

2668-654: The morning of the first round to commence play. These have included Fred McLeod , Jock Hutchinson , Gene Sarazen , Sam Snead , Byron Nelson , Arnold Palmer , Jack Nicklaus , Gary Player , Lee Elder , and Tom Watson . Since 1960, a semi-social contest on the par-3 course has been played on Wednesday, the day before the first round. Nicklaus has the most Masters wins, with six between 1963 and 1986. Tiger Woods won five between 1997 and 2019. Palmer won four between 1958 and 1964. Five have won three titles at Augusta: Jimmy Demaret , Sam Snead , Gary Player , Nick Faldo , and Phil Mickelson . Gary Player, from South Africa ,

2726-475: The petition, noting that the hot Georgia summers would create difficult playing conditions. Gene Sarazen hit the "shot heard 'round the world" in 1935, holing a shot from the fairway on the par 5 15th for a double eagle (albatross). This tied Sarazen with Craig Wood , and in the ensuing 36-hole playoff, Sarazen was the victor by five strokes. Byron Nelson won the first of two Masters titles in 1937. Jimmy Demaret won three times as did Sam Snead in

2784-410: The purse has grown quickly. Between 2001 and 2014, the winner's share grew by $ 612,000, and the purse grew by $ 3,400,000. In addition to a cash prize, the winner of the tournament is presented with a distinctive green jacket, formally awarded since 1949 and informally awarded to the champions from the years prior. The green sport coat is the official attire worn by members of Augusta National while on

2842-401: The runner-up both have their names engraved on the permanent trophy, solidifying themselves in golf history. The Double Eagle trophy was introduced in 1967 when Bruce Devlin holed out for double eagle on number 8. He was only the second to do so, and the first in 32 years, following Gene Sarazen on hole 15 in 1932. The trophy is a large crystal bowl with "Masters Tournament" engraved around

2900-533: The spirit of the rule and has never worn the jacket); Seve Ballesteros who, in an interview with Peter Alliss from his home in Pedreña, showed one of his two green jackets in his trophy room; and Henry Picard , whose jacket was removed from the club before the tradition was well established, remained in his closet for a number of years, and is now on display at Canterbury Golf Club in Beachwood, Ohio , where he

2958-463: The top. In 2013, Augusta National partnered with the USGA and the PGA of America to establish Drive, Chip and Putt , a youth golf skills competition which was first held in 2014. The event was established as part of an effort to help promote the sport of golf among youth; the winners of local qualifiers in different age groups advance to the national finals, which have been held at Augusta National on

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3016-404: The tournament is a yearly induction ceremony honoring past golfers. A plaque for each honoree is installed near the clubhouse at Muirfield; Nicklaus himself was the 2000 honoree. The Memorial Tournament is one of only five tournaments given "invitational" status by the PGA Tour , and consequently it has a reduced field of only 73 players in 2024 (as opposed to most full-field open tournaments with

3074-431: The war effort, cattle and turkeys were raised on the Augusta National grounds. The Big Three of Arnold Palmer, Gary Player, and Jack Nicklaus dominated the Masters from 1960 through 1978, winning the event 11 times between them during that span. After winning by one stroke in 1958, Palmer won by one stroke again in 1960 in memorable circumstances. Trailing Ken Venturi by one shot in the 1960 event, Palmer made birdies on

3132-537: Was adopted in 1939. The first tournament was played with current holes 10 through 18 played as the first nine, and 1 through 9 as the second nine then reversed permanently to its present layout for the 1935 tournament. Initially the Augusta National Invitation field was composed of Bobby Jones' close associates. Jones had petitioned the USGA to hold the U.S. Open at Augusta but the USGA denied

3190-517: Was postponed until November due to the ongoing coronavirus outbreak . Dustin Johnson won the tournament by five strokes. The total prize money for the 2024 Masters Tournament was $ 20,000,000, with $ 3,600,000 going to the winner. In the inaugural year of 1934, the winner Horton Smith received $ 1,500 out of a $ 5,000 purse. After Nicklaus's first win in 1963, he received $ 20,000, while after his final victory in 1986 he won $ 144,000. In recent years

3248-457: Was still in attendance for the ceremony. Following Palmer's death in 2016, the 2017 ceremony featured tributes; his green jacket was draped over an empty white chair, while everyone in attendance wore "Arnie's Army" badges. In 2021 Lee Elder joined Nicklaus and Player as an honorary starter. He was invited to join them as he was the first African-American to take part in the Masters in 1975 . Despite bad health preventing Elder from hitting

3306-406: Was the club professional for many years. By tradition, the winner of the previous year's Masters Tournament puts the jacket on the current winner at the end of the tournament. In 1966 , Jack Nicklaus became the first player to win in consecutive years and he donned the jacket himself. When Nick Faldo (in 1990) and Tiger Woods (in 2002) repeated as champions, the chairman of Augusta National put

3364-593: Was the first non-American player to win the tournament, in 1961 ; the second was Seve Ballesteros of Spain , the champion in 1980 and 1983 . The Augusta National course first opened in 1933 and has been modified many times by different architects. Among the changes: greens have been reshaped and, on occasion, entirely re-designed, bunkers have been added, water hazards have been extended, new tee boxes have been built, hundreds of trees have been planted, and several mounds have been installed. The idea for Augusta National originated with Bobby Jones , who wanted to build

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