History of the Masters Golf Tournament

By John Lindell

The Masters Golf Tournament is an annual event held in April at the Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia. The Masters was the brainchild of Bobby Jones and Clifford Roberts, with Jones teaming with Alister Mackenzie to design the course that would host the tournament beginning in 1934. The Masters became one of golf's major tournaments and some of golf's biggest stars have won this event.

Early years

Horton Smith won two of the first three Augusta National Invitational Tournaments, holing a long putt to secure the initial one in 1934 before pulling out a narrow win in the 1936 version. In 1939, the tournament became the Masters.

1942

In a matchup of two of the best golfers of their era Byron Nelson eclipsed Ben Hogan by one stroke in an 18-hole playoff. This gave Nelson the 1942 Masters title; World War II forced the cancellation of the Masters until 1946.

Demaret and Palmer

Jimmy Demaret was the first three-time Masters champion, taking his third crown in 1950. In 1958, Arnold Palmer scored the first of four wins; the last came in 1964.

Player

The first man born outside the United States to win the Masters was Gary Player in 1961. Player would go on to win twice more, the last in 1978.

Nicklaus

Jack Nicklaus, at the age of 46 in 1986, was the oldest man ever to win the Masters. His come-from-behind victory was his last in this tournament and his sixth overall.

Tiger Woods

Tiger Woods won his fourth Masters in 2005. Among his wins was a 12-stroke trouncing of the field in 1997.

Resources

Augusta national golf course website

About The Author

John has written thousands of articles for Demand Studios, Associated Content and The Greyhound Review. A Connecticut native, John has written extensively about sports, fishing, and nature.

Not a Member?

Join Now - It's FREE!

Member Sign In

Email Address

Password

Keep me logged in

Forgot your password?

Nearby Tee Time HOT Deals!

Sunday, May 27 to Friday, Jun 01

List of Winners of the Masters Golf Tournament

The Masters golf tournament was the co-creation of golfing legend Bobby...

History of Masters Golf Winners

The Masters is one of the biggest sporting events of the year. In addit...

What Is the Masters Golf Tournament?

The Masters, played every year in April, is one of four major golf tour...

The History of the Masters Golf Tournament

The Masters is the first major golf tournament held each year. It has b...

History of Byron Nelson

John Byron Nelson was a golfer who rose from being a caddy in his nativ...

View All Related Articles

Golf Equipment Tip of the Day

Using Frequency to Test the Flex of Your Shafts
by Jeff Jackson
What's the flex of your shafts? At one time, a golfer could safely answer that his or her shafts were stiff, regular or ladies flex. That simply isn't the case any longer. Most manufacturers have their own method of shaft measurement. What this means is that one company's "R" flex shaft may actually be softer than another's "A" or even "L" flex. How, then, can a golfer select the appropriate shaft if no manufacturing standard exists? In a word: frequency.

View Tip