Masters Tournament

Masters Tournament

Tournament information
Location	Augusta, Georgia, U.S.
Established	1934
Course(s)	Augusta National Golf Club
Par	72
Length	7,435 yards (6,799 m)[1]
Tour(s)	PGA Tour European Tour Japan Golf Tour
Format	Stroke play
Prize fund	$8.0 million
Month played	April
Tournament record score
Aggregate	270 Tiger Woods (1997)
To par	−18 Tiger Woods (1997)
Current champion
Adam Scott
2014 Masters Tournament

The Masters Tournament, also known as The Masters or The US Masters, is one of the four major championships in professional golf. Scheduled for the first full week of April, it is the first of the majors to be played each year. Unlike the other major championships, the Masters is held each year at the same location, Augusta National Golf Club, a private golf club in the city of Augusta, Georgia, USA. The Masters was started by Clifford Roberts and Bobby Jones.^[2] Jones designed Augusta National with course architect Alister MacKenzie.^[1] The tournament 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 the Augusta National Golf Club.

The tournament has a number of traditions. Since 1949, a green jacket has been awarded to the champion, who must return it to the clubhouse one year after the time of that player's victory. In most instances, the green jacket is only removed from the club's grounds by a first-time champion. 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 green jacket).^[3]

The Champions Dinner, inaugurated by Ben Hogan in 1952, is held on the Tuesday before each tournament, and is open only to past champions and certain board members of the Augusta National Golf Club.

Beginning in 1963, legendary golfers, usually past champions, have hit an honorary tee shot on the morning of the first round. Such golfers have included Fred McLeod, Jock Hutchinson, Gene Sarazen, Sam Snead, Byron Nelson, Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player. Since 1960, a semi-social par 3 contest, on a par-3 course on Augusta National's grounds, has been played on the day before the first round of each Masters Tournament.

Nicklaus has won more Masters Tournaments than any other golfer, winning six times between 1963 and 1986. Other multiple winners include Arnold Palmer and Tiger Woods, with four each; and Jimmy Demaret, Sam Snead, Gary Player, Nick Faldo and Phil Mickelson, with three each. Player, from South Africa, was the first non-American player to win the tournament in 1961.

Since the Augusta National course first opened in 1933, it 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.^[4]

History

Augusta National Golf Club

The idea for Augusta National originated with Bobby Jones, who wanted to build 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."^[5] The land had been an indigo plantation in the early nineteenth century and a plant nursery since 1857.^[6] 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.^[7]

Early tournament years

The first "Augusta National Invitational" Tournament, as the Masters was originally known, began on March 22, 1934, and was won by Horton Smith. The present name 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^[8] then reversed permanently to its present layout for the 1935 tournament.^[2]

Initially the Augusta National Invitational 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 the petition, noting that the hot Georgia summers would create difficult playing conditions.^[9]

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.^[10] This tied Sarazen with Craig Wood, and in the ensuing 36-hole playoff Sarazen was the victor by five strokes.^[11] The tournament was not played from 1943 to 1945, due to World War II. To assist the war effort, cattle and turkeys were raised on the Augusta National grounds.^[2]

1960s–1970s

The Big Three of Palmer, Player, and Nicklaus dominated the Masters from 1960 through 1978, winning the event twelve times among them during that span. After winning by one stroke in 1958,^[12] 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 the last two holes to prevail. Palmer would go on to win another two Masters in 1962 and 1964.^[13][14]

Jack 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.^[15] 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."^[16] The next year, Nicklaus won his third green jacket in a grueling 18-hole playoff against Tommy Jacobs and Gay Brewer.^[17] This made Nicklaus the first player to win consecutive Masters. He won again in 1972 by three strokes.^[18] 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.^[19]

Player became the first non-American to win the Masters in 1961, beating Palmer, the defending champion.^[20] In 1974 he won again by two strokes.^[21] After not winning a tournament for four years, and at the age of 42, Player won his third and final Masters in 1978 by one stroke over three players.^[22] Player currently shares (with Fred Couples) the record of making 23 consecutive cuts, and has played in a record 52 Masters.^[23][24][25]

A controversial ending to the Masters occurred in 1968. Roberto DeVicenzo signed a scorecard (scored by playing partner Tommy Aaron) which incorrectly listed a 4 instead of a 3 on the 17th hole. This extra stroke cost him a chance to be in an 18-hole Monday playoff with Bob Goalby, who won the green jacket. DeVicenzo's mistake led to the famous quote, "What a stupid I am."^[26][27]

In 1975, Lee Elder became the first African American to play in the Masters,^[28] doing so 15 years before Augusta National admitted its first black member.^[29]

1980s–2000s

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.^[30][31]

During this period, no golfer suffered from the pressure of competing at Augusta more than Greg Norman. In 1987, Norman lost a sudden-death playoff to Larry Mize. Mize holed out a remarkable 45-yard pitch shot to birdie the second playoff hole and win the Masters.^[32] 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. Norman shot a 78 while Faldo scored a 67 to win by five shots (for his third Masters championship).^[33] Norman also suffered in 1986 when after birdieing four straight holes, and needing only a par to tie Nicklaus for the lead, he badly pushed his 4-iron approach to 18 and missed his par putt for bogey.

In 1997, Tiger Woods won the Masters by twelve shots at age 21, in the process breaking the tournament four-day scoring record that had stood for 32 years.^[2] Woods completed his "Tiger Slam" by winning his fourth straight major championship at the Masters in 2001.^[34] The Masters was his again the next year, making him only the third player in history to win the tournament in consecutive years,^[35] as well as in 2005 when he defeated Chris DiMarco in a playoff for his first major championship win in almost three years.^[36]

Recently, the club was targeted by Martha Burk, who organized a failed protest at the 2003 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.^[37] A court appeal was dismissed.^[38] In 2004, Burk stated that she had no further plans to protest against the club.^[39]

Augusta National Chairman Billy Payne himself made headlines in April 2010, however, 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 the fact he disappointed all of us and more importantly our kids and grandkids."^[40][41][42]

The 2003 tournament was won by Mike Weir, who became the first Canadian to win a men's major championship, and the first left-hander to win the Masters.^[43] 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 a stroke.^[44] Mickelson also won the tournament in 2006 and 2010. In 2011, the tournament was won by South African Charl Schwartzel, who birdied the final four holes to win by two strokes. In 2012, Bubba Watson won the tournament on the second playoff hole. Watson's win marked the fifth time that a left-hander won the Masters in the previous ten tournaments. Prior to 2003, no left-hander had ever won the Masters. The 2013 Masters was won by Australian Adam Scott, the first Australian to win the tournament.^[45]

Traditions

Awards

The total prize money for the 2008 tournament was $7,500,000, with $1,350,000 going to the winner.^[46] In the inaugural year, the winner Horton Smith received $1,500 out of a $5,000 purse.^[47] After Nicklaus's first win in 1963, he received $20,000, while after his final victory in 1986 he won $144,000.^[48][49] In recent years the purse has grown quickly. Between 2001 and 2008, the winner's share grew by $270,000, and the purse grew by $1,500,000.^[46][47]

In addition to a cash prize, the winner of the tournament is presented with a distinctive green jacket, formally awarded since 1949, and informally acquired by the champions for many years before that. The green sport coat is the official attire worn by members of Augusta National while on 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, and the presentation is then repeated outside near the 18th green in front of the spectators. Winners keep their jacket for the first year after their first victory, then return it to the club to wear whenever they visit. The tradition began in 1949, when Sam Snead won his first of three Masters titles.

The green jacket is only allowed to be removed from Augusta National 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 the spirit of the rule and has never worn the jacket);^[50] 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 was the club professional for many years.^[51][52]

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.^[17] When Nick Faldo (in 1990) and Tiger Woods (in 2002) repeated as champions, the chairman of Augusta National put the jacket on them.

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 a double eagle win a large crystal bowl. For each eagle a player makes he receives a pair of crystal goblets. The winner of the par 3 competition, which is played the day before the tournament begins, wins a crystal bowl.^[2]

In addition to the green jacket, winners of the tournament receive a gold medal. They have their names engraved on the actual silver Masters trophy, introduced in 1961, which depicts the clubhouse. This trophy remains at Augusta National; since 1993 winners have received a sterling silver replica. 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.^[2]

In 1952 the Masters began presenting an award, known as the Silver Cup, to the lowest scoring amateur to make the cut. In 1954 they began presenting an amateur silver medal to the low amateur runner-up.^[2]

Other traditions

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 the PGA Championship (except for amateur winners unless they turn pro within the five-year period)) for the next five years, 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.^[53]

Because the tournament was established by the amateur golfer Bobby Jones, the Masters has 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. Another tradition is that during The Masters, amateurs in the field are welcome to stay in the "Crow's Nest" atop the Augusta National clubhouse. The Crow's Nest is 1,200 square feet and there is space for five people to lodge there 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 of golf's legendary players. The original honorary starters were Jock Hutchison and Fred McLeod; 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 2001, a year before he too died. In 2007, Arnold Palmer took over as the honorary starter. Palmer also had the honor in 2008 and 2009.^[54] At the 2010 and 2011 Masters Tournaments, Jack Nicklaus joined Palmer as a co-honorary starter for the event.^[55] In 2012, Gary Player joined them.

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.^[56] At that time 15 tournaments had been played, and the number of past champions was 11 (including Hogan). Officially known as the "Masters Club", it includes only past winners of the Masters, although selected members of the Augusta National Golf Club have been included as honorary members, usually the chairman. The defending champion, as host, selects the menu for the dinner. Over the years, one of the most notable dishes was haggis, served by Scotsman Sandy Lyle in 1989.^[57]

Frequently, Masters champions opt to serve finely prepared cuisine by the Masters chef from their home regions. Notable examples have included bobotie, a South African delicacy served at the behest of 2008 Masters Tournament champion Trevor Immelman. Previous examples also include German Bernhard Langer's 1986 Wiener Schnitzel feast, Britain's Nick Faldo's Fish and Chips, Canadian Mike Weir's elk and wild boar, and Vijay Singh's Seafood Tom Kah and Chicken Panang Curry. Prior to the 1998 Champions Dinner, 1979 Masters Champion Fuzzy Zoeller created a media firestorm when he suggested that Tiger Woods refrain from serving collard greens and fried chicken, dishes commonly associated with Afro-American culture, at the traditional clubhouse feast. The 1991 Masters Champion, Ian Woosnam, has asserted that Angel Cabrera's asado, prepared diligently by Chef James Clark, Jr., represented the finest interpretation of Argentine cuisine known to a Masters chef.

The par 3 contest was first introduced in 1960, and was won that year by Snead. Since then it has traditionally been played on 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.^[58] There have been 73 holes-in-one in the history of the contest, with a record five occurring in 2002. No par 3 contest winner has also won the Masters in the same year.^[59][60] There have been several repeat winners, including Pádraig Harrington, Sandy Lyle and Sam Snead. The former two won in successive years. In this event, golfers may use their children as caddies, which helps to create a family-friendly atmosphere. In 2008, the event was televised for the first time by ESPN.

Before 1982 all players in the Masters were required to use the services of an Augusta National Club caddy, who by club tradition was always an African American.^[29] Indeed, club co-founder Clifford Roberts is reputed to have said, "As long as I'm alive, golfers will be white, and caddies will be black."^[61] Since 1982, players have been allowed the option of using their own caddy. The Masters requires caddies to wear a uniform consisting of a white jumpsuit, a green Masters cap, and white tennis shoes. The surname, and sometimes first initial, of each player is found on the back of his caddie's uniform. The defending champion always receives caddy number "1": other golfers get their caddy numbers from the order in which they register for the tournament.

The day after the tournament closes, The Bobby Jones Scholars from The University of St Andrews in Scotland play a four-ball round on the course - the last people to do so before the greenkeepers start the process of repairing and restoring the course to pre-tournament standard.^{[citation needed]}

Format

The Masters is the first acknowledged major golf championship of the year and since 1940 has been played so that the final round is always played on the second Sunday of April with the exception of 1979 when Fuzzy Zoeller won on the third Sunday in April.^[2]

The tournament comprises four "rounds"; each round comprises 18 holes. Round One play commences on Thursday, Round Two on Friday, Round Three on Saturday, and the tournament comes to an end with Round Four on Sunday (when there are no delays). The Masters has a relatively small field of contenders, when compared with other golf tournaments, so the competitors play in groups of three for the first two rounds (36 holes) and the field is not split to start on the 1st and 10th tees unless weather shortens the available playing time.

After 36 holes of play, a cut-off score is calculated and eliminations are made, thereby reducing the field. To "make the cut", players must be either within 50 places of the lead (ties counting), or within 10 strokes of the leader's score. These criteria have applied since the 2013 tournament.^[62] From 1957 to 1960, the top 40 scores (including ties) and all of those within 10 strokes of the leader made the cut. From 1961 to 2012, it was the top 44 plus those with ten strokes of the lead.^[62] Before 1957, there was no 36-hole cut.^[63]

Following the cut, an additional 36 holes are played over the final two days. Should the fourth round fail to produce a winner, all players who are tied for the lead enter a sudden-death round. Play then alternates, between the 18th hole and the 10th, until one player is left.

Course

The course was formerly a plant nursery and each hole on the course is named after the tree or shrub with which it has become associated:^[6]

Hole	Name	Yards	Par		Hole	Name	Yards	Par
1	Tea Olive	445	4		10	Camellia	495	4
2	Pink Dogwood	575	5		11	White Dogwood	505	4
3	Flowering Peach	350	4		12	Golden Bell	155	3
4	Flowering Crab Apple	240	3		13	Azalea	510	5
5	Magnolia	455	4		14	Chinese Fir	440	4
6	Juniper	180	3		15	Firethorn	530	5
7	Pampas	450	4		16	Redbud	170	3
8	Yellow Jasmine	570	5		17	Nandina	440	4
9	Carolina Cherry	460	4		18	Holly	465	4
Out		3,725	36		In		3,710	36
Source:[1][64]					Total		7,435	72

Lengths of the course for The Masters at the start of each decade:

2010: 7,435 yards (6,799 m) 2000: 6,985 yards (6,387 m) 1990: 6,905 yards (6,314 m) 1980: 7,040 yards (6,437 m)

1970: 6,980 yards (6,383 m) 1960: 6,980 yards (6,383 m) 1950: 6,900 yards (6,309 m) 1940: 6,800 yards (6,218 m)[1]

The course was lengthened to 7,445 yards (6,808 m) in 2006. The first hole was shortened
by 10 yards (9 m) in 2009, resulting in the current length of 7,435 yards (6,799 m).

Course adjustments

As with many other courses, Augusta National's championship setup was lengthened in recent years. In 2001, the course measured 6,925 yards (6,332 m) and was extended to 7,270 yards (6,648 m) for 2002, and again in 2006 to 7,445 yards (6,808 m); 520 yards (475 m) longer than the 2001 course.^[65][66] The changes attracted many critics, including the most successful players in Masters history, Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer, Gary Player and Tiger Woods. Woods claimed that the "shorter hitters are going to struggle." Augusta National chairman Hootie Johnson was unperturbed, stating, "We are comfortable with what we are doing with the golf course." After a practice round, Gary Player defended the changes, saying, "There have been a lot of criticisms, but I think unjustly so, now I've played it.... The guys are basically having to hit the same second shots that Jack Nicklaus had to hit (in his prime)".^[67]

Originally, the grass on the putting greens was the wide-bladed Bermuda. The greens lost speed, especially during the late 1970s, after the introduction of a healthier strain of narrow-bladed Bermuda, which thrived and grew thicker. In 1978, the greens on the par 3 course were reconstructed with bentgrass, a narrow-bladed species that could be mowed shorter, eliminating grain.^[68] After this test run, the greens on the main course were replaced with bentgrass in time for the 1981 Masters. The bentgrass resulted in significantly faster putting surfaces, which has required a reduction in some of the contours of the greens over time.^[69]

Just before the 1975 tournament, the common beige sand in the bunkers was replaced with the now-signature white feldspar. It is a quartz derivative of the mining of feldspar and is shipped in from North Carolina.^[70]

Field

The Masters has the smallest field out of the major championships at 90–100 players. Unlike other majors, there are no alternates. It is an invitational event, with invitations largely issued on an automatic basis to players who meet published criteria. The top 50 players in the Official World Golf Ranking are all invited.^[71]

Past champions are always eligible, but since 2002 the Augusta National Golf Club has discouraged them from continuing to participate at an advanced age.^[72]

Invitation categories:^[73] Categories 6–10 are honored provided the participants maintain their amateur status prior to the tournament.

1. Masters Tournament Champions (Lifetime)
2. U.S. Open Champions (Honorary, non-competing after five years)
3. The Open Champions (Honorary, non-competing after five years)
4. PGA Champions (Honorary, non-competing after five years)
5. Winners of the Players Championship (Three years)
6. Current U.S. Amateur Champion (6-A) and Runner-up (6-B) (Honorary, non-competing after one year);
7. Current British Amateur Champion (Honorary, non-competing after one year)
8. Current Asia-Pacific Amateur Champion
9. Current U.S. Amateur Public Links Champion
10. Current U.S. Mid-Amateur Champion
11. The first 12 players, including ties, in the previous year's Masters Tournament
12. The first 4 players, including ties, in the previous year's U.S. Open
13. The first 4 players, including ties, in the previous year's Open Championship
14. The first 4 players, including ties, in the previous year's PGA Championship
15. Winners of PGA Tour regular season and playoff events that award at least a full-point allocation for the season-ending Tour Championship, from previous Masters to current Masters.
16. Those qualifying for the previous year's season-ending Tour Championship (Top 30 in FedEx Cup prior to tournament)
17. The 50 leaders on the Final Official World Golf Ranking for the previous calendar year
18. The 50 leaders on the Official World Golf Ranking published during the week prior to the current Masters Tournament

Most of the top current players will meet the criteria of multiple categories for invitation. The Masters Committee, at its discretion, can also invite any golfer not otherwise qualified, although in practice these invitations are currently reserved for international players.^[74]

Changes for the 2014 include winners of the fall PGA Tour events earning invitations, tightening of qualifications (top 12 plus ties from the Masters, top 4 from the U.S. Open, Open Championship and PGA Championship), and elimination of the top 30 PGA Tour money list exemption.^[62] The 2015 Masters will add the winner of the newly-established Latin America Amateur Championship.^[75]

Winners

The first winner of the Masters Tournament was Horton Smith in 1934. He repeated his win in 1936. The player with the most Masters victories is Jack Nicklaus, who won six times between 1963 and 1986. Arnold Palmer and Tiger Woods have each won four, and Jimmy Demaret, Gary Player, Sam Snead, Nick Faldo and Phil Mickelson have three titles to their name. Player also became the tournament's first overseas winner with his first victory in 1961. Other notable winners include Byron Nelson, Ben Hogan, Tom Watson, Seve Ballesteros, Bernhard Langer, Ben Crenshaw and José María Olazábal, who have all won the Masters twice.^[76]

Year	Champion	Country	To par	Margin of victory	Winner's share ($)
2014
2013	Adam Scott	Australia	−9	Playoff (2)	1,440,000
2012	Bubba Watson	United States	−10	Playoff (2)	1,440,000
2011	Charl Schwartzel	South Africa	−14	2	1,440,000
2010	Phil Mickelson (3)	United States	−16	3	1,350,000
2009	Ángel Cabrera	Argentina	−12	Playoff (3)	1,350,000
2008	Trevor Immelman	South Africa	−8	3	1,350,000
2007	Zach Johnson	United States	+1	2	1,305,000
2006	Phil Mickelson (2)	United States	−7	2	1,260,000
2005	Tiger Woods (4)	United States	−12	Playoff (2)	1,260,000
2004	Phil Mickelson	United States	−9	1	1,117,000
2003	Mike Weir	Canada	−7	Playoff (2)	1,080,000
2002	Tiger Woods (3)	United States	−12	3	1,008,000
2001	Tiger Woods (2)	United States	−16	2	1,008,000
2000	Vijay Singh	Fiji	−10	3	828,000
1999	José María Olazábal (2)	Spain	−8	2	720,000
1998	Mark O'Meara	United States	−9	1	576,000
1997	Tiger Woods	United States	−18	12	486,000
1996	Nick Faldo (3)	England	−12	5	450,000
1995	Ben Crenshaw (2)	United States	−14	1	396,000
1994	José María Olazábal	Spain	−9	2	360,000
1993	Bernhard Langer (2)	Germany	−11	4	306,000
1992	Fred Couples	United States	−13	2	270,000
1991	Ian Woosnam	Wales	−11	1	243,000
1990	Nick Faldo (2)	England	−10	Playoff (2)	225,000
1989	Nick Faldo	England	−5	Playoff (2)	200,000
1988	Sandy Lyle	Scotland	−7	1	183,800
1987	Larry Mize	United States	−3	Playoff (3)	162,000
1986	Jack Nicklaus (6)	United States	−9	1	144,000
1985	Bernhard Langer	West Germany	−6	2	126,000
1984	Ben Crenshaw	United States	−11	2	108,000
1983	Seve Ballesteros (2)	Spain	−8	4	90,000
1982	Craig Stadler	United States	−4	Playoff (2)	64,000
1981	Tom Watson (2)	United States	−8	2	60,000
1980	Seve Ballesteros	Spain	−13	4	55,000
1979	Fuzzy Zoeller	United States	−8	Playoff (3)	50,000
1978	Gary Player (3)	South Africa	−11	1	45,000
1977	Tom Watson	United States	−12	2	40,000
1976	Raymond Floyd	United States	−17	8	40,000
1975	Jack Nicklaus (5)	United States	−12	1	40,000
1974	Gary Player (2)	South Africa	−10	2	35,000
1973	Tommy Aaron	United States	−5	1	30,000
1972	Jack Nicklaus (4)	United States	−2	3	25,000
1971	Charles Coody	United States	−9	2	25,000
1970	Billy Casper	United States	−9	Playoff (2)	25,000
1969	George Archer	United States	−7	1	20,000
1968	Bob Goalby	United States	−11	1	20,000
1967	Gay Brewer	United States	−8	1	20,000
1966	Jack Nicklaus (3)	United States	E	Playoff (3)	20,000
1965	Jack Nicklaus (2)	United States	−17	9	20,000
1964	Arnold Palmer (4)	United States	−12	6	20,000
1963	Jack Nicklaus	United States	−2	1	20,000
1962	Arnold Palmer (3)	United States	−8	Playoff (3)	20,000
1961	Gary Player	South Africa	−8	1	20,000
1960	Arnold Palmer (2)	United States	−6	1	17,500
1959	Art Wall, Jr.	United States	−4	1	15,000
1958	Arnold Palmer	United States	−4	1	11,250
1957	Doug Ford	United States	−5	3	8,750
1956	Jack Burke, Jr.	United States	+1	1	6,000
1955	Cary Middlecoff	United States	−9	7	5,000
1954	Sam Snead (3)	United States	+1	Playoff (2)	5,000
1953	Ben Hogan (2)	United States	−14	5	4,000
1952	Sam Snead (2)	United States	−2	4	4,000
1951	Ben Hogan	United States	−8	2	3,000
1950	Jimmy Demaret (3)	United States	−5	2	2,400
1949	Sam Snead	United States	−6	3	2,750
1948	Claude Harmon	United States	−9	5	2,500
1947	Jimmy Demaret (2)	United States	−7	2	2,500
1946	Herman Keiser	United States	−6	1	2,500
1943–45: Cancelled due to World War II
1942	Byron Nelson (2)	United States	−8	Playoff (2)	1,500
1941	Craig Wood	United States	−8	3	1,500
1940	Jimmy Demaret	United States	−8	4	1,500
1939	Ralph Guldahl	United States	−9	1	1,500
1938	Henry Picard	United States	−3	2	1,500
1937	Byron Nelson	United States	−5	2	1,500
1936	Horton Smith (2)	United States	−3	1	1,500
1935	Gene Sarazen	United States	−6	Playoff (2)	1,500
1934	Horton Smith	United States	−4	1	1,500

• The number in parentheses in the "Margin of victory" column indicates the number of players involved in each playoff.
• The sudden-death format was adopted in 1976, first used in 1979, and revised in 2004.^[77]
  • None of the 10 sudden-death playoffs has advanced past the second hole; three were decided at the first hole, seven at the second.
• Playoffs prior to 1976 were full 18-hole rounds, except for 1935, which was 36 holes.
  • None of the 6 full-round playoffs were tied at the end of the round; the closest margin was one stroke in 1942 and 1954.

Records

Jack Nicklaus has won the most Masters and was 700146000000000000046 years, 700182000000000000082 days old when he won in 1986, making him the oldest winner of the Masters.^[78] Nicklaus is the record holder for the most top tens, with 22, and the most cuts made, with 37.^[63][79] The youngest winner of the Masters is Tiger Woods, who was 700121000000000000021 years, 7002104000000000000104 days old when he won in 1997. In that year Woods also broke the records for the widest winning margin (12 strokes), and the lowest winning score, with 270 (−18).^[80]

In 2013, Guan Tianlang became the youngest player ever to compete in the Masters, at age 700114000000000000014 years, 7002168000000000000168 days on the opening day of the tournament;^[81] the following day, he became the youngest ever to make the cut at the Masters or any men's major championship.^[82]

Gary Player holds the record for most appearances, with 52. Player also holds the record for the number of consecutive cuts made, with 23 between 1959 and 1982 (Player did not compete in 1973 due to illness). He shares this record with Fred Couples, who made his consecutive cuts between 1983 and 2007, not competing in 1987 and 1994.^[63]

Nick Price and Greg Norman share the course record of 63, with their rounds coming in 1986 and 1996 respectively. This score is also a record for all men's major championships.

The highest winning score of 289 (+1) has occurred three times: Sam Snead in 1954, Jack Burke, Jr. in 1956, and Zach Johnson in 2007. Anthony Kim holds the record for most birdies in a round with 11 in 2009 during his second round.^[80]

There have been only four double eagles carded in the history of the Masters; the latest occurring in 2012 when South Africa's Louis Oosthuizen, using a 4 iron, holed a reported 260-yard shot on the course's second hole, called Pink Dogwood.^[83] The other two rare occurrences of this feat after Sarazen's double eagle on the fabled course's Fire Thorn hole in 1935: Bruce Devlin made double eagle from 248 yards out with a 4 wood at the eighth hole (Yellow Jasmine) in the first round of the 1967 tournament, while Jeff Maggert hit a 3-iron 222 yards at the 13th hole (Azalea) in the fourth round of the 1994 event.^[84]

Broadcasting

United States television

CBS has televised the Masters in the United States every year since 1956,^[85][86] when it used six cameras and covered only the final four holes. Tournament coverage of the first eight holes did not begin until 1993 because of resistance from the tournament organizers, but by 2006, more than 50 cameras were used. USA Network added first- and second-round coverage in 1982,^[87] which was also produced by the CBS production team. The Masters is broadcast each year in high-definition television, one of the first golf tournaments to ever hold that distinction, and the early round coverage previously aired in that format on USA's sister network, Universal HD. In 2008, ESPN and ESPN HD replaced USA and Universal as the weekday coverage provider,^[88] with coverage continuing to be jointly produced with CBS.

In 2005, CBS broadcast the tournament with high-definition fixed and handheld wired cameras, as well as standard-definition wireless handheld cameras. In 2006, a webstream called "Amen Corner Live" began providing coverage of all players passing through holes 11, 12, and 13 through all four rounds.^[89] This was the first full tournament multi-hole webcast from a major championship. In 2007, CBS added "Masters Extra," an extra hour of full-field bonus coverage daily on the internet, preceding the television broadcasts. In 2008, CBS added full coverage of holes 15 and 16 live on the web. In 2011, "Masters Extra" was dropped after officials gave ESPN an extra hour each day on Thursday and Friday.

While Augusta National Golf Club has consistently chosen CBS as its U.S. broadcast partner, it has done so in successive one-year contracts.^[90] Due to the lack of long-term contractual security, as well as the club's limited dependence on broadcast rights fees (owing to its affluent membership), it is widely held that CBS allows Augusta National greater control over the content of the broadcast, or at least performs some form of self-censorship, in order to maintain future rights. The club, however, has insisted it does not make any demands with respect to the content of the broadcast.^[91][92]

There are some controversial aspects to this relationship. Announcers refer to the gallery as patrons rather than as spectators or fans (gallery itself is also used), and use the term second cut instead of rough (however, the second cut is normally substantially shorter than comparable "primary rough" at other courses).^[91] Announcers who have been deemed not to have acted with the decorum expected by the club have been removed, notably Jack Whitaker and Gary McCord.^[91] There also tends to be a lack of discussion of any controversy involving Augusta National, such as the 2003 Martha Burk protests.^[92] However, there have not been many other major issues in recent years.

The club mandates minimal commercial interruption, currently limited to four minutes per hour (as opposed to the usual 12 or more); this is subsidized by selling exclusive sponsorship packages to three companies—as of 2013, these "global sponsors" were IBM, ExxonMobil and AT&T.^[90] For 2014, ExxonMobil will be replaced as a global sponsor by Mercedes-Benz.^[93] The club also sells separate sponsorship packages, which do not provide rights to air commercials on the U.S. telecasts, to two "international partners"; in 2014, those companies will be Rolex and UPS (the latter of which replaced Mercedes-Benz upon that company's elevation to "global sponsor" status).^[93] In the immediate aftermath of the Martha Burk controversy, there were no commercials during the 2003 and 2004 broadcasts,^[91] although international commercial broadcasters continued to insert their own commercials into the coverage. The Players Championship began imposing the same rule in 2007 and some of the other major championships have tried to follow suit in their most recent TV contracts.

The club also disallows promotions for other network programs, with the sole exception of an on-screen mention of 60 Minutes should the final round run long or right before the coverage ends.^[90] Other broadcast material not allowed include sponsored graphics, blimps, and on-course announcers.^[90] There is also typically no cut-in for other news and sports, either from CBS or its affiliates. The CBS broadcasts also maintained a modified version of their previous graphics package from the 1990s until 2009 for the broadcasts, updated in 2008 to adopt a glossier dark green and silver color scheme similar to their standard golf graphics. A new graphics package debuted for the 2010 edition. ESPN's broadcasts have also shared the same graphics and music since their displacement of USA Network.

Significant restrictions have been placed on the tournament's broadcast hours compared to other major championships. Only in the 21st century did the tournament allow CBS to air 18-hole coverage of the leaders, a standard at the other three majors.^[91] Only three hours of cable coverage is scheduled for the early rounds each day. International broadcasters do not receive additional coverage, although they may take commercial breaks at different times from CBS or ESPN.

Since 1982, CBS has used "Augusta" by Dave Loggins as the event telecast's distinctive theme music. Loggins originally came up with the song during his first trip to the Augusta course in 1981.^[94]

Radio coverage

WestwoodOne (previously Dial Global and CBS Radio) has provided live radio play-by-play coverage in the United States since 1956. This coverage can also be heard on the official Masters website. The network provides short two- or three-minute updates throughout the tournament, as well as longer three- and four-hour segments towards the end of the day.^[95]

International television

The BBC has broadcast the Masters in the UK since 1986, and it also provides live radio commentary on the closing stages on Radio Five Live. With the 2007 launch of BBC HD, UK viewers can now watch the championship in that format. BBC Sport held the TV and radio rights through to 2010.^[96] The BBC's coverage airs without commercials because it is financed by a licence fee. From the 2011 Masters, Sky Sports began broadcasting all four days, as well as the par 3 contest in HD and, for the first time ever, in 3D. The BBC will only have highlights of the first two days' play but will go head to head with Sky Sports, with full live coverage on the final two days of play.^[97] In Ireland, from 2008 Setanta Ireland will broadcast all four rounds live having previously broadcast the opening two rounds with RTÉ broadcasting the weekend coverage.^[98]

In Canada, English-language broadcast rights to the Masters are divided between Global (broadcast), which simulcasts CBS's coverage of the weekend rounds, and TSN (cable), which carries ESPN's coverage of the weekday rounds, and also airs evening rebroadcasts of all four rounds. French-language rights for the entire tournament are held by TSN's sister network RDS. Prior to 2013, Canadian broadcast rights were held by a marketing company, Graham Sanborn Media,^[99] which in turn bought time on Global, TSN, and RDS (except for 2012 when French-language coverage aired on TVA and TVA Sports) to air the broadcasts, also selling all of the advertising for the Canadian broadcasts. This was an unusual arrangement in Canadian sports broadcasting, as in most cases broadcasters acquire their rights directly from the event organizers (or through partnerships with international rightsholders). In 2013, Global and TSN began selling advertising directly, and also now jointly produce their own preview and highlights shows for Canadian audiences (while still carrying ESPN/CBS coverage for the tournament itself).^[100][101]

In most other countries, including much of Asia, Latin America, northern Africa, and the Middle East, broadcast rights for the entire tournament are held by the ESPN International networks.^[102]

Ticketing

Although tickets for the Masters are not expensive, they are very difficult to come by. Even the practice rounds can be difficult to get into. Applications for practice round tickets have to be made nearly a year in advance and the successful applicants are chosen by random ballot. Tickets to the actual tournament are sold only to members of a patrons list, which is closed. A waiting list for the patrons list was opened in 1972 and closed in 1978. It was reopened in 2000 and subsequently closed once again. In 2008, The Masters also began allowing children (between the ages of 8 and 16) to enter on tournament days free if they are accompanied by the patron who is the owner of his or her badge.^[103]

The Masters website announced that a limited supply of tickets for the 2012 tournament would be awarded to the general public for both practice days and competition rounds.^[104]

See also

Book: Men's major professional golf championships

References

External links

• Masters.com – official site
• Augusta.com – coverage by The Augusta Chronicle
• GCSSA.org – superintendent's fact sheet – 2005

v t e Masters Tournaments 1934 1935 1936 1937 1938 1939 1940 1941 1942 1943 1944 1945 1946 1947 1948 1949 1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014

v t e Major golf championships Current Masters Tournament U.S. Open The Open Championship PGA Championship Past British Amateur U.S. Amateur Related The Players Championship Canadian Open South African Open See also Most Wins Chronological Grand Slam Triple Crown

v t e PGA Tour events Major championships The Masters U.S. Open The Open Championship (British Open) PGA Championship Other FedEx Cup tournaments Frys.com Open Shriners Hospitals for Children Open CIMB Classic WGC-HSBC Champions McGladrey Classic OHL Classic at Mayakoba Hyundai Tournament of Champions Sony Open in Hawaii Humana Challenge Farmers Insurance Open Waste Management Phoenix Open AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am Northern Trust Open WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship The Honda Classic WGC-Cadillac Championship Puerto Rico Open Valspar Championship Arnold Palmer Invitational Valero Texas Open Shell Houston Open RBC Heritage Zurich Classic of New Orleans Wells Fargo Championship The Players Championship HP Byron Nelson Championship Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial Memorial Tournament FedEx St. Jude Classic Travelers Championship AT&T National Greenbrier Classic John Deere Classic RBC Canadian Open WGC-Bridgestone Invitational Reno–Tahoe Open Wyndham Championship FedEx Cup playoff events The Barclays Deutsche Bank Championship BMW Championship Tour Championship Team events Ryder Cup Presidents Cup World Cup Challenge season events (unofficial money) PGA Grand Slam of Golf Wendy's 3-Tour Challenge Northwestern Mutual World Challenge Franklin Templeton Shootout Tavistock Cup CVS Caremark Charity Classic Tyco Golf Skills Challenge Former Events List of Former Events Fall Series All events are listed in chronological order.

v t e European Tour events Major championships The Masters U.S. Open The Open Championship (British Open) PGA Championship Other Race to Dubai tournaments South African Open Championship Alfred Dunhill Championship Nedbank Golf Challenge Hong Kong Open The Nelson Mandela Championship Volvo Golf Champions Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship Commercial Bank Qatar Masters Omega Dubai Desert Classic Joburg Open Africa Open WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship Tshwane Open WGC-Cadillac Championship Trophée Hassan II Maybank Malaysian Open Volvo China Open Ballantine's Championship Madeira Islands Open Open de España BMW PGA Championship Nordea Masters Lyoness Open Najeti Hotels et Golfs Open The Irish Open BMW International Open Alstom Open de France Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Open M2M Russian Open WGC-Bridgestone Invitational Made In Denmark D+D Real Czech Masters Italian Open Omega European Masters KLM Open ISPS Handa Wales Open Alfred Dunhill Links Championship Portugal Masters Volvo World Match Play Championship Perth International The Final Series BMW Masters WGC-HSBC Champions Turkish Airlines Open DP World Tour Championship, Dubai Team events World Cup EurAsia Cup Ryder Cup Seve Trophy Other European Tour Qualifying School Former events All events listed in chronological order.

Coordinates: 33°30′11″N 82°01′12″W / 33.503°N 82.020°W / 33.503; -82.020