Masters Tournament
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Categories: Masters Tournament | Men's major golf championships | PGA Tour events | European Tour events | Sports in Georgia (U.S. state) | Sports in Augusta, Georgia | Augusta, Georgia
This article is about the golf tournament. For the novel by Georges Duhamel, see Les Maîtres. The Masters Tournament, which is commonly referred to as The Masters or The US Masters (outside the United States), is one of four major championships in men's professional golf and the first of the four to be played each year. The final round of the Masters is always scheduled for the second Sunday in April. Unlike the other major championships, the Masters is held every 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,[1] who designed Augusta National with legendary course architect Alister MacKenzie. The Masters is an official money event on the PGA Tour, the PGA European Tour and the Japan Golf Tour. In line 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 (British Open), and the PGA Championship) 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. In 2007, the prize fund was US$7.25 million.
HistoryAugusta National Golf ClubThe idea for Augusta National was first thought by Bobby Jones, who had the desire 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, and they both came across a piece of land in Augusta, Georgia. Jones said of the property:
Jones hired Alister MacKenzie to design the course, which began in 1931. The course formally opened in 1933. Tragically, MacKenzie died before the first Masters Tournament began.[2] Early tournament yearsThe first Masters Tournament was held on 22 March, 1934, and was won by Horton Smith. Bobby Jones saw his involvement in founding the tournament as a service to golf, but demurred at calling it the Masters Tournament, preferring the more modest "Augusta National Invitation Tournament". That name was used for five years before Jones relented and 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 (although front and back are more commonly used, the Masters is well known for insisting on referring to the "first" and "second" nines), then reversed permanently to its famous layout for the 1935 tournament.[3] 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. This tied Sarazen with Craig Wood, and in the ensuing 36 hole playoff Sarazen was the victor by five strokes. The tournament was not played from 1943-45, due to World War II. To assist the war effort, cattle and turkeys were raised on the Augusta National grounds.[3] 1960s-1970sArnold Palmer dominated the Masters from 1958 to 1964, winning the event four times during that span. His second win at the Masters was one of his more memorable victories. Trailing Ken Venturi by one shot in the 1960 event, Palmer drilled his drive down the fairway on the 400-yard downwind 17th, pitched with an eight-iron to the green, where the ball sat down too quickly, leaving him a 25-foot putt. Palmer lined up the putt twice, then struck it firmly in the hole for a birdie. At the 18th, he took out a six-iron for his second shot and drilled the ball into the teeth of the wind onto the green. Palmer then made a 3-foot birdie to defeat Venturi by one shot.[4] While Palmer was in his prime, a young Ohio State golfer emerged who would make the Masters his playground: Jack Nicklaus. Nicklaus won his first Green Jacket in 1963, with a key birdie on the par-3 16th hole.[5] 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."[6] The next year, Nicklaus won his third green jacket in a grueling 18-hole playoff.[7] He won again in 1972, but his fifth win in 1975 was one of the best. Locked in a duel with Tom Weiskopf on the 16th hole on the final day, Nicklaus hit a nice shot to the green, then before a worldwide television audience, made an incredible 40-foot birdie en route to his fifth Masters victory.[8] Gary Player became the first non-American to win the Masters in 1961 after Arnold Palmer, the defending champion, scored a double bogey on the final hole.[9] Player won again in 1974, but by 1978 many golf writers considered him a has-been, but that brought out the best in him. At age 42, Gary Player fired a final round 64, including a six-under-par 30 on the second nine to capture his third Masters victory. A sad and controversial ending to the Masters happened 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 playoff with Bob Goalby, who won the green jacket. DeVicenzo's mistake led to the famous quote, "What a stupid I am."[10][11] Seven years later, in 1975, Lee Elder became the first African-American to qualify for the Masters.[12] 1980s-2000sNon-Americans collected eleven victories in twenty years in the 1980s and 1990s, by far the strongest streak they have had in any of the three majors played in the United States since the early days of the U.S Open. Jack Nicklaus became the oldest player to win the Masters in 1986 when he won for the sixth time at age 46. During this era, no golfer suffered the slings and arrows of Augusta more than Greg Norman, with two episodes standing out in particular. In 1987, Norman lost a sudden-death playoff to an unlikely local hero named Larry Mize. Mize holed out a remarkable 45-yard pitch shot to birdie the second playoff hole (#11) and win the Masters.[13] 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, but folded under the pressure. Norman shot a 78 while Faldo scored a 67 to win by five shots.[14] Norman also suffered in 1986 when after birdieing 5 straight holes and needing only a par to tie Nicklaus he badly pushed his approach to 18 and made bogey. He also had close finishes to Ben Crenshaw in 1995 and José María Olazábal in 1999. In 1997, headlines were made around the world when 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.[3] Woods completed his "Tiger Slam", winning his fourth straight major championship at the Masters in 2001. The Masters was his again the next year, as well as in 2005 when he defeated Chris DiMarco in a playoff for his first major championship win in almost three years. More 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. The 2003 tournament was won by Mike Weir, who became the first Canadian to win a major championship, and the first left-hander to win the Masters. The following year, another left-hander, Phil Mickelson, won his first major championship by sinking a 15 foot (4.5 m) putt on the 72nd hole to beat Ernie Els by a stroke. Course adjustmentsAs with many other courses, Augusta National's championship setup has been lengthened in recent years. In 1998, the course measured approximately 6925 yards (6332 m) from the Masters tees. It was lengthened to 7270 yards (6648 m) for 2002, and again in 2006 to 7445 yards; 520 yards (475 m) longer than the 1998 course.[15][16] The changes attracted many critics, including the three most successful players in Masters history, Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer 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]".[17] Originally, the grass on the putting greens was the wide-bladed Bermuda. The greens lost speed, especially during the late 1970s, ironically after the introduction of a healthier strain of narrow-bladed Bermuda, which thrived and grew thicker, slowing the speed of the greens. In 1978, the greens on the Par-3 course were reconstructed with bentgrass, a narrow-bladed species that could be mowed shorter, eliminating grain. 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.[18] 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.[19] FieldThe Masters has the smallest field out of the major championships at around ninety players. It is an invitational event, but nowadays invitations are largely issued on an automatic basis to players who meet published criteria and as the top fifty players in the Official World Golf Rankings are all invited, none of the leading current players in the world miss out. Past champions are eligible to play in any edition, but in recent years the Augusta National Golf Club has discouraged them from continuing to participate at an advanced age. Invitation categories (as of 2008):
Changes from the 2007 invitation categories:
FormatIn accordance with typical golf tournament formatting, the Masters Tournament is a 72-hole tournament held over four days. It is held under the rules of golf, as defined by the United States Golf Association and is also be subject to special rulings and regulations set by the Masters Tournament Committee. The Masters is usually the first major championship of the year, played so that the final round is always on the second Sunday of April. Because the Masters has a relatively smaller field compared to other golf tournaments, groups are set to a size of three players for the first 36 holes (typically Thursday and Friday). After 36 holes have been played by all players, a cut is made. Players who 'make the cut' are in one or both of the following two categories: (1) Lowest 44 scores plus ties, or (2) Within 10 strokes of the lowest 36-hole score (set by the leader). From 1957 to 1960, it was the low 40 plus ties and those within 10 strokes of the leader. Before 1957, there was no 36-hole cut.[20] TraditionIn some years, an honorary opening tee shot is made at the first hole. This honorary tee shot has typically been hit by some of golf's most legendary players. The original honorary starters were Jock Hutchison and Fred McLeod; this twosome led off every tournament from 1963 until 1973, when bad 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 discontinued 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.[21] Before 1983, all players were required to use the services of an Augusta National Club caddie. Since then, players have been allowed the option of bringing their own caddie. However, the Masters maintains the standardizing of a full caddie uniform. The complete uniform consists 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. While the caddie uniform is original to the Masters Tournament, it has also been instituted into the Memorial Golf Tournament. The defending champion always receives caddie number "1": other golfers get their caddie numbers in the order in which they arrive at Augusta National and register for the tournament. Because the tournament was fathered by the great amateur golfer Bobby Jones, the Masters has a strong tradition of honoring amateur golf. Firstly, the Masters invites winners of the most prestigious amateur tournaments in the world (see Field above). Also, the defending Masters champion is always paired with the current U.S. Amateur champion for the first two days of the tournament. In 1952, the Masters began presenting the low amateur award. This award is known as the Silver Cup and is presented to the lowest scoring amateur to make the cut. In 1954, the Masters began presenting an amateur Silver Medal to the low amateur runner-up. Augusta National Golf Club also awards a crystal bowl trophy to the winner of the par-3 contest (held before the start of the tournament) and a set of crystal goblets to anyone who makes an Eagle or better during the actual tournament. In addition to the green jacket (see below), winners of the tournament receive a Gold Medal and have their names engraved on the silver Masters Trophy. This trophy, which depicts the clubhouse, was introduced in 1961, and remains at Augusta National. Starting in 1993, a sterling replica of the Masters Trophy has been presented to the champion. 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. Green jacketIn addition to a cash award, the winner of the tournament is presented with a distinctive green jacket, awarded since 1949, and highly coveted among professional golfers. The green sport coat is actually the official attire worn by members of Augusta National while on the club grounds; each Masters winner becomes an honorary member of the club. 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. (The only exception to this rule is Gary Player, who failed to return his jacket after his 1961 victory, despite the club's insistence that he do so.) 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 the jacket on them. Champions' dinnerThe 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 fifteen tournaments had been played, and the number of past champions was eleven (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 entrées was haggis, served by Scotsman Sandy Lyle in 1989.[22] BroadcastingCBS has televised the Masters in every year since 1956, when it used six cameras and covered only the final four holes. Tournament coverage of the first 8 holes did not begin until 1993 because of resistance from the tournament organizers, but by 2006, over 50 cameras were used. USA Network added first- and second-round coverage in 1982, 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. Beginning in 2008, ESPN and ESPN HD will replace USA and Universal as the weekday coverage provider; coverage will continue 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 and 2007, a webstream called "Amen Corner Live" provided coverage of all players passing through holes 11, 12 and 13 through all four rounds. This was the first full tournament multi-hole webcast from a major championship. In 2007 CBS added "Masters Extra," an hour's extra full-field bonus coverage daily on the internet, preceding the television broadcasts. CBS's Masters broadcasts use the song "Augusta" by Dave Loggins as the main theme music. While Augusta National Golf Club has consistently chosen CBS as its U.S. broadcast partner, it has done so on successive one-year contracts. 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 perform 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.[23][24] Some of the more controversial aspects of this relationship include:
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