 | |
| Tournament information | |
|---|---|
| Location | Augusta, Georgia, U.S. |
| Established | 1934 |
| Course(s) | Augusta National Golf Club |
| Par | 72 |
| Length | 7,555 yards (6,908 m)[1] |
| Organized by | Augusta National Golf Club |
| Tour(s) | PGA Tour European Tour Japan Golf Tour |
| Format | Stroke play |
| Prize fund | US$20,000,000 |
| Month played | April[a] |
| Tournament record score | |
| Aggregate | 268 Dustin Johnson (2020) |
| To par | −20 as above |
| Current champion | |
 Scottie Scheffler | |
 2024 Masters Tournament | |
| Location map | |
  Augusta National GC Location in United States  Augusta National GC Location in Georgia | |
The Masters Tournament (usually referred to as simply the Masters, or as the U.S. Masters outside North America)[2][3] 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 the Masters Tournament.[4] After his grand slam in 1930, Jones acquired the former plant nursery and co-designed Augusta National with course architect Alister MacKenzie.[1] First played in 1934, the Masters is an official money event[clarification needed] 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 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 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.[5] 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 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, 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.[6]
- ^ a b "2014 Masters Preview". Sports Network. April 9, 2014. Archived from the original on April 15, 2014. Retrieved April 14, 2014.
- ^ Bacon, Shane (July 16, 2012). "British Open or Open Championship? The debate stops now". CBS Sports. Archived from the original on November 7, 2020. Retrieved July 18, 2017.
- ^ Ryan, Shane (July 14, 2015). "Americans: It's okay to call this major "The British Open," and don't let anyone tell you otherwise". Golf Digest. Archived from the original on November 11, 2020. Retrieved July 18, 2017.
- ^ "Masters Milestones". www.masters.org. Archived from the original on April 16, 2019. Retrieved February 9, 2016.
- ^ Kelley, Brent. "Do Masters Champions Get to Keep the Green Jacket?". About.com. Archived from the original on December 5, 2016. Retrieved April 10, 2012.
- ^ Owen, David (1999). The Making of the Masters: Clifford Roberts, Augusta National, and Golf's Most Prestigious Tournament. Simon & Schuster. ISBN 978-0-684-85729-9.
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