The Masters Tournament is arguably the most anticipated Major Championship of the year and is the first of four in the golfing calendar.
As the game’s top players descend on Augusta National, located in Georgia, United States, we’ve put together an ultimate guide to help you understand Masters week even more.
Where is the Masters played?
The Masters is played at Augusta National Golf Club in Georgia and is the only golf course that hosts a Major every year.
The venue is known for its beauty, with azaleas in bloom at every turn, perfectly manicured fairways and undulating, pacey greens.
Amen Corner, the 11th, 12th and 13th holes, are quite possibly three of the most famous in golf, and have been the downfall of many leads – most recently Jordan Spieth in 2016, who took a quadruple bogey seven at the par three 12th hole.
Off the course, the venue is just as stunning with many people commenting on the beauty of the tree-lined drive up Magnolia Lane, which leads to the clubhouse.
Who is playing in the Masters?
The Masters field is formed through a number of different qualification methods, which includes previous event winners, winners of the other three Majors, the top 50 in the final Official World Golf Ranking for the previous calendar year and the top 50 in the Official World Golf Ranking the week prior to the event, to name but a few.
As well as the Masters Committee being allowed to invite international players at its discretion, there is also the chance for amateurs to qualify for the first Major of the year.
The current U.S. Amateur Champion, British Amateur Champion, Asia-Pacific Amateur Champion, Latin America Amateur Champion and the US Mid-Amateur Champion all receive an invitation from Augusta.
All this culminates to a field full of the world’s best golfers, both past, and present.
Who has won the Masters?
Patrick Reed slipped on his first Green Jacket as he won his first Major at last year’s Masters, when he finished one stroke ahead of fellow American Rickie Fowler.
Jack Nicklaus is arguably the master of the Masters as he is historically the most successful player in the tournament’s history with six wins. He was 46 years old when he won in 1986, making him the oldest winner of the event, and he also holds the record for the most top tens (22) and most cuts made (37).
On the other hand, Tiger Woods became the youngest player to win the Masters at 21-years-old in 1997 and also broke the record for the largest winning margin (12) and the lowest winning score (-18), which Jordan Spieth tied in 2015.
European winners include Seve Ballesteros, Nick Faldo, Sergio Garcia, Bernhard Langer, Sandy Lyle, José María Olazábal, Danny Willett and Ian Woosnam.
What does the Masters Champion win?
The champion at the end of 72 holes wins the famous Green Jacket, on top of a cash prize, a gold medal, their name on the trophy that depicts the clubhouse and a lifetime invitation to compete in the event.
The distinctive jacket, though, is the prize most golf fans think of when it comes to triumphing in Georgia.
The winner keeps the jacket for the first year after their first victory and then must return it the following year, as only the reigning Masters champion is permitted to don the Green Jacket outside of Augusta grounds.
It is also tradition for the previous winner to put the jacket on the new Masters Champion during the prize presentation.
When does the Masters start?
The first ball of the Masters will be struck on Thursday April 11, with a ceremonial tee shot.
Last year’s event saw Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player, who have won nine Green Jackets between them, take the ceremonial tee shots.
The tradition began in 1963 when Jock Hutchison and Fred McLeod opened the tournament, with the likes of Gene Sarazen, Byron Nelson, Ken Venturi, Sam Snead and Arnold Palmer all taking their turn in years gone by.
What is the Masters Par Three Contest?
The Masters Par Three Contest precedes the main tournament and takes place on Wednesday of tournament week.
It is a single round on a nine-hole, par 27 course with golfers able to invite their family and friends onto the course to caddie for them.
You’ll often see young children, parents and celebrities trying their hand at the tee shot on the ninth, or holing the final putt.
However, there is one bad omen that comes with this tournament…
Never has there ever been a Par Three Contest champion who has gone on to win the overall tournament in the same year.
What is the Champions Dinner?
Each year, the defending Champion gets to select the menu for the Champions Dinner on the Tuesday night of the event week.
As you’ve probably guessed, it is past Masters Champions of years gone by who attend the evening.
Depending on the Champion, you can get a wide variety of international meals year after year.
For example, Sergio Garcia’s menu in 2018 began with an International Salad, where the ingredients used represented the countries of past Masters Champions. This was followed by two traditional Spanish meals: arroz caldoso de bogavante (traditional Spanish lobster rice), and for dessert, his mother’s recipe for tres leches cake.
This contrasts greatly to the cheeseburgers, chicken sandwiches, French fries and milkshakes that a 22-year-old Tiger Woods served in 1998.
