AS WE APPROACH THE 84TH MASTERS AT AUGUSTA NATIONAL, HERE ARE SOME INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT THE STORIED MAJOR
Augusta National & Masters Founders
Located in Augusta, Georgia, Augusta National Golf Club was founded by the great amateur golfer Bobby Jones and banker Clifford Roberts in 1933.
Jones helped design the layout, working with British architect Dr Alister Mackenzie, and the inaugural Masters was staged there in 1934 when Horton Smith won to pocket a handsome US$1,500. The tournament was known as the Augusta National Invitational for the first five years.
Flower Power
Each hole at Augusta National is named after a flowering plant that is used to decorate its surrounds. Examples include Tea Olive for Hole 1, Pink Dogwood for Hole 2, Magnolia for Hole 5, Carolina Cherry for Hole 9, Golden Bell for Hole 12, Azalea for Hole 13, Firethorn for Hole 15 and Holly for Hole 18. More than 80,000 plants have been added to the course since it opened for play.
Amen Corner
The name ‘Amen Corner’ for Augusta National’s infamous stretch of three holes – the par-four 11th, par-three 12th and par-five 13th – was coined by writer Herbert Warren Wind in a 1958 issue of Sports Illustrated. This means that 60 Masters were staged without a moniker given to the most celebrated and feared three-hole sequence in golf.
Bridges Of Distinction
There are three bridges at Augusta National which are dedicated to achievements by three golfing legends.
The Sarazen Bridge at Hole 15 commemorates Gene Sarazen’s albatross, the ‘shot heard around the world’, en route to winning the 1935 Masters.
The Nelson Bridge at the 13th tee was built to remember Byron Nelson’s birdie-eagle performance at Holes 12 and 13, which effectively won him the 1937 Masters.
The Hogan Bridge at the 12th green honours Ben Hogan’s then record score of 14-under-par 274 in 1953.
The Green Jacket
Sam Snead was the first Masters champion to be bestowed the Green Jacket in 1949, similar to the green jackets worn by Augusta National members since 1937. It was subsequently presented to all previous winners and of course subsequent Masters champions to this day.
The classic, three-button single-breasted jacket’s colour is dubbed ‘Masters Green’ but the actual shade is known as Pantone 342. The Augusta National Golf Club logo is emblazoned on the left chest pocket and also appears on the brass buttons.
Master Bear
Jack Nicklaus, aka the ‘Golden Bear’, became the oldest winner to date of the Green Jacket at the age of 46 years and three months in 1986. Six years after his last Major win and an amazing 23 years after his first (at the 1963 Masters), the ‘Golden Bear’ carded a blistering 30 on the back nine to resist the challenge of Greg Norman, Tom Kite, Seve Ballesteros and Tom Watson and clinch his sixth Masters crown. This was Nicklaus’ 18th and final Major title, a record that still stands today.
Master Tiger
Tiger Woods announced his arrival on the world stage with a stunning 12-shot victory at the 1997 Masters for his first Major title. He set a new 72-hole scoring record of 18-under-par and became the youngest Masters winner at age 21 years 3 months 14 days.
Woods would win four more Green Jackets to take his tally to five, including that amazing victory at age 43 last year when he held off the likes of Brooks Koepka, Dustin Johnson and Xander Schauffele by one shot to claim his 15th Major title.
Masters Records
Most Victories: 6 – Jack Nicklaus (1963, 1965, 1966, 1972, 1975, 1986); 5 – Tiger Woods (1997, 2001, 2002, 2005, 2019); 4 – Arnold Palmer (1958, 1960, 1962, 1964)
Largest Victory Margin: 12 strokes – Tiger Woods (1997)
Youngest Winner: Tiger Woods (1997) – 21 years, 3 months, 14 days
Oldest Winner: Jack Nicklaus (1986) – 46 years, 2 months, 23 days
Low 72-Hole Score: 270 (-18) – Tiger Woods (1997), Jordan Spieth (2015)
Low Round: 63 (-9) – Nick Price (R3, 1986), Greg Norman (R1, 1996)
Most Cuts Made: 37 – Jack Nicklaus
Most Consecutive Cuts Made: 23 – Gary Player (1959-1982)
Most Attempts Before First Win: 19 – Sergio Garcia (2017)
