The eyes of the sporting world turn to Augusta National this week as the first Major Championship of the 2017 season, the Masters Tournament, tees off. Here, we take a look at all you need to know ahead of one of the biggest events of the year.
REWIND
Last year, Danny Willett took advantage of a Jordan Spieth collapse and held off a late challenge from compatriot Lee Westwood to become the first Englishman to claim the Green Jacket since Sir Nick Faldo in 1996.
He trailed Spieth, winner in 2015, by three shots going into the final round and was five behind when the American reached the turn. Willett signed for a blemish-free round of 67 while Spieth dropped six shots in three holes, quadruple bogeying the 12th hole.
Westwood eagled the 15th hole to move to within one shot, but Willett birdied the 16th to move to five under par, which ensured he would become the first European Tour Member to win the Masters since Charl Schwartzel in 2011.
However, Willett almost never made it to Augusta. His wife, Nicole, was due to give birth to their first son during the Masters weekend, but Zachariah arrived early, allowing Willett to make history.
BITE-SIZED HISTORY
Unlike the three other Major Championships, the Masters is held at the same venue each year. The first edition of one of golf’s most prestigious events first took place in 1934, and was won by American Horton Smith.
Since 1949, champions have received a Green Jacket, which must be returned to the Augusta National clubhouse one year after their victory.
Gary Player became the first non-American winner of the tournament in 1961, the first of three victories on the hallowed fairways, but it was long-time rival Jack Nicklaus who made Augusta his own, winning a record six Green Jackets.
Seve Ballesteros became the competition’s first European winner in 1980 and won his second Masters three years later, kick starting a period where Europeans dominated the championship.
From Ballesteros' win in 1983 to Sir Nick Faldo’s third victory in 1996, Europeans won nine of 13 Masters titles.
In 1997, Tiger Woods set new records for the lowest score to par and highest margin of victory, 18 under par and 12 strokes respectively, winning his first Major Championship as he went on to take the golfing world by storm.
THE FIELD
World Number One Dustin Johnson, fresh from his victory at the WGC–Dell Technologies Match Play, headlines the star-studded field which includes 18 previous winners.
Rory McIlroy, who has finished in the top ten in his last three visits, will be hoping to complete the career Grand Slam by triumphing this week.
Henrik Stenson will be among the 30 Major Champions in the field as he looks to win his first Green Jacket and second Major in nine months.
There will be 37 European Tour members aiming to make a mark on one of the biggest stages in golf, with six debutants among them. Tyrrell Hatton and Thomas Pieters are two of the rookies looking to impress on their first time at Augusta.
THE COURSE
Every hole at Augusta National Golf Club has a story. The land on which it sits was a former plant nursery and each hole is named after the tree or shrub it is associated with.
‘Amen Corner’ is widely regarded as one of the most sacred places in all of golf. Made up of the 11th, 12th and 13th holes, it never fails to deliver drama, be it during the first round or on the crucial final day.
The 11th hole, ‘White Dogwood’, is a long par four, the left-front of its green guarded by a pond. ‘Golden Bell’, the 12th hole, is one of the most famous in the sport. A 155-yard par three over water, ‘Rae’s Creek’, may sound simple on paper, but swirling winds have proved the downfall of many a round over the years.
The short par five 13th, ‘Azalea’, playing at 510 yards, ends ‘Amen Corner’. It is the ultimate risk-reward hole as it gives the chasing pack an opportunity to make a move.
A special mention must be made of the par three 16th hole, ‘Redbud’, which Danny Willett mastered during his tournament-winning final round. His tee shot left him with just a six-foot putt for birdie, which he tapped in to move two shots clear with two holes to play.
DID YOU KNOW
• The current field size is 94. Of those 94, 52 are non-Americans. The biggest number of non-American players in a Masters field is 55, which was back in 2009. This year’s group of 52 is the fourth largest number in Masters’ history. Of the 52 non-American players, 49 are professional players –the joint third highest number ever.
• There are 22 different countries represented at Augusta this year.
• Of the 21 non-American countries, England have the most players with 11.
• Mark O’Meara is the oldest player competing, aged 60. This will be the 1998 champion’s 33rd appearance. He first played in 1980 as an amateur.
• Sandy Lyle has the honour of being the player in this year’s event with the most appearances. The 2017 edition will be the Scot’s 36 start. He has played every year since 1985. Overall the two-time Major Champion will be competing in his 94th Major Championship.
• Ian Woosnam, the 1991 champion, will join the list of players to make 30 Masters’ appearances this year. He becomes the third European to achieve this feat, following Sandy Lyle and Bernhard Langer.
• There are 18 Masters Champions competing. Between them they have won a total of 23 Green Jackets.
