Golf's Past Masters

The U.S. Masters Golf Tournament has been one of Golf's longest traditions. This tournament is one of the main four championships played in golf once a year. Every year The Masters is held at the Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta Georgia.

One of the traditions of the tournament is the legendary green jacket the winners play for. Since 1949 each Masters winner is awarded a green jacket. However the jacket is only kept for a year before being returned to the club house the following year.

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The tournament was started by both Bobby Jones and Alister Mackenzie back in 1931. The golf course officially opened two years later in 1933. The very first Masters tournament was held on March 22nd, in 1934. This was won by golfer Horton Smith who would become the first Golf Master. In 1935, Gene Sarazen who had won the tournament by a difficult five strokes with a hole in one shot all the way from the fairway on a par 5 for a double eagle. The tournament was skipped during 1943 and up to 1945 due to the Second World War.

As time went on and the 1960s came around The Masters Tournament was dominated by what would become three major names in the golfing sport. Arnold Palmer would become winner three times as his rival Jack Nicklaus would take home the jacket on five separate occasions, even back to back years in both 195 and 1966. Jack Nicklaus is one name next to Arnold Palmer to become infamous in the game of Golf. Gary Player had become the first person to win the title of the Masters in 1961 who was not American, when he beat out Arnold Palmer who was the 1960 defending champion. Player was beaten the following year by Nicklaus and he would not win another tournament until 1978.

In 1968, Robert DeVicenzo caused a stir that would go down in golfing history as a stupid mistake as he signed his scorecard with listed the wrong amount of strokes by one. This cost him the advancement to the eighteenth hole and led to Bob Goalby winning the jacket that year.

Between 1980 and 1990 the Masters Tournament was being won by a majority of Non-Americans who over all collected eleven victories. In 1986, Jack Nicklaus who won again had officially become the oldest player to ever win the tournament. In 1997, Tiger Woods would be the youngest man to win the green jacket at the age of 21 and by twelve shots. Tiger Woods would also go on to win the tournament three consecutive years in a row. The current owner of the green jacket is Charl Schwartzel from South Africa.

Golf's Past Masters

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Golf's Major Championships

Golf's Major Championships, commonly known as 'the majors', are the most prestigious annual tournaments in the sport. The top players from all over the world flock to the majors, while the greatest players in golf history are often primarily judged on their number of major championship victories.

Origins

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The four major tournament slots were originally taken by the Open Championship (or British Open), the British Amateur, the US Open and the US Amateur.

However, over the years the term "Major Championships" has come to encompass the Masters, the US Open, the Open Championship and the US PGA Championship.

While there is some debate over the exact timing of the switch to naming these four particular tournaments as the majors, many point to Arnold Palmer's 1960 season, when after winning the Masters and the US Open, he said that if he could win the Open Championship and PGA Championship, he would have 'a grand slam of his own' to rival Bobby Jones' exploits in 1930.

The British Major

The Open Championship is often referred to as the British Open outside the United Kingdom. Before the 1960s, few American players took part due to the overseas travel times - the Open Championship was not considered a major in the US until Palmer began competing in the UK in that decade.

The other three majors all take place in the US: the Masters is played at Augusta National Golf Club every year, while the other three rotate courses. The Open Championship, however, is always played on a links course.

Career Prospects

Each of the majors has a distinct history, and they are each run by a different golfing organisation, but their status is recognised worldwide. Major winners receive the maximum allocation of 50 points from the Official World Golf Rankings, which are endorsed by all of the main tours.

Major championship prize money is official on the PGA Tour, European Tour and Japan Golf Tour.

While prizes at the majors are not the largest in professional golf, victor at one of these tournaments is a huge boost to a player's career. Leading players are likely to receive large sponsor bonuses and better contracts, while unknowns will immediately be signed up.

Players receive qualification exemptions for their home tours, while the PGA Tour gives a five-year exemption to all major winners.

The majors are played in the following order:

1. Weekend of the second Sunday in April - the Masters: hosted as an invitational by Augusta National Golf Club

2. Weekend of the third Sunday in June -US Open: hosted by the USGA and played at various locations in the US.

3. Weekend of the third Friday in July - The Open Championship: hosted by the R&A and played on various links courses in the UK.

4. August (fourth weekend after the Open Championship) - PGA Championship: hosted by the Professional Golfers' Association of America and played at various locations in the US.

Golf's Major Championships

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