The Masters History

1357 Words3 Pages

The History of The Masters When the first athlete tees off on Thursday morning during Masters week at Augusta National Golf Club, golfers all over the world reset their internal clocks. (David Owen 13) A golfer’s new year begins in April. For golf fans, the first glimpse of Amen Corner is proof that winter is gone and spring is here. (David Owen 14) For those who do not play golf, the Masters is the one tournament that lures people to watch due to the beauty of the course. During this long weekend, all eyes are focused on the blooming azaleas. Sam Snead once said, “If you asked golfers what tournament they would rather win over all the others, I think every one of them would say the Masters.” (14) The Masters Tournament is the most prestigious …show more content…

The club could not afford to pay him or any of the other top finishers until 17 members added more money to the purse. The winner in 1946, Herman Keiser, had to wait to receive his plaque until the club could afford the silver. (David Owen 16) The club survived its early adversities because of the persistence of its two founders: Clifford Roberts and Bobby Jones. The partners decided that the format of the tournament was to play the holes 10-18 as the first nine and then 1-9 as the second nine. The next year, the format was reversed and has remained this way to present day. Five years later in 1939, the Augusta National Invitation Tournament would switch names to become what we now know as The Masters. In 1943-1945, The Masters was not played due to World War II; instead the golf course was used to raise cattle and turkey for the troops. Clifford Roberts began an incredible friendship in 1948 with Dwight D. Eisenhower. At that time, Eisenhower first visited Augusta National while the future president was between jobs. For Eisenhower, the club was a sanctuary where he could play golf without receiving the attention of the mass public. He visited the club 45 times and enjoyed his visits to Augusta. The city and its people genuinely liked him, too. People would line the streets to get a glimpse when he came, and if word leaked about his arrival or departure, they would show …show more content…

In the first year, Horton Smith was the champion and earned $1,500. Jack Nicklaus won in 1963 and earned 20,000 dollars. He won his last green jacket in 1986 and earned 144,000 dollars. The purse has quickly grown in recent years. Between 2001 and 2014, the winner's share grew to $612,000. (Augusta.com) The total prize money for the 2014 winner was $1,620,000. The prestige of The Masters has made the clubs green blazer the most coveted adornment in golf. Late at night after Tiger Woods’s record-breaking victory in 1997, Earl Woods, Tiger Woods’s father, looked in on his son and found him curled up in bed, asleep with a smile on his face, and his arms wrapped around his green jacket. (David Owen 15) Champions also receive a gold medal featuring a view of the Founders Circle in front of the clubhouse. They also have their name engraved on a silver trophy that remains permanently displayed in the clubhouse. The trophy rests on a pedestal and bands of silver provide space to engrave the name of the winner and the runner-up each year. The championship of the Masters tournament entitles the winners to specific privileges and traditions. They are invited to tee-off in the three other major PGA tournaments for the next five years after acquiring their green jacket. A lifetime invitation to the Masters is also

Open Document