While the calendar tells me we’re 10 days into the spring season, all the rain, atmospheric rivers, sleet, and snow makes me wonder. Then again I know it must be spring because this coming Thursday the Masters Golf tournament tees it up at the Augusta National Golf Club in Georgia. The brainchild of amateur golfing great Bobby Jones, the Masters is one of golf’s four major championships along with next month’s PGA Championship, the United States Open, which is historically contested over Father’s Day weekend, and the British Open in July.
In 1930 Jones won the British Amateur, the British Open and the United States Open before topping it off with a September victory at the United States Amateur at Merion. It was an astonishing feat for Jones who received a ticker-tape parade down Broadway in New York City for his truly amazing accomplishment. The journalists of that day called it “The Grand Slam.” Suddenly Jones was the sporting world’s equal to baseball’s Babe Ruth and football’s Red Grange. Partially because of burnout and partially because he knew how to exit golf’s center stage at the best of times, Jones promptly retired from the game.
An intelligent and highly educated individual from an established Southern family, Jones earned an engineering degree from Georgia Tech, got a master’s at Harvard, and then earned a law degree at Emery. He was also on the ground level as an investor for Atlanta’s Coca-Cola. Yet golf was always his passion. He purchased an old nursery in Augusta, turned to noted golf architect Alister Mackenzie, and helped to co-design his dream course, naming it Augusta National. In 1934 he invited all his golfing friends to play in an inaugural tournament at his new course and the Masters was born. That first winner of the 1934 event was Horton Smith, who took home the first-place check of $1,500. The first nine Masters champs also won $1,500 during the heart of the American Depression.
As time moved along, the Masters attained major status partially because of Jones and partially because of the highly regarded status of Augusta National. People didn’t exactly talk about majors in the 1940s and 1950s, but the Masters was a prestige event that historically was won by the greats of the game. In 1949 the tradition of the green jacket ceremony was inaugurated. Augusta National members wear green jackets and it was added to the winner’s wardrobe as the new champion would have playing privileges there.
After winning the 1951 Masters, Ben Hogan initiated the idea of the champion’s dinner the following year. It was to be held on the Tuesday prior to the 1952 Masters. It remained a Masters tradition. The past champion gets to select the menu and all of the past champions are invited whether they are competing that week in the tournament or not. For instance, this time around Scottie Scheffler is the host and those in attendance will be contestants such as Jordan Spieth, Danny Willett and Adam Scott as well as old-timers such as Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player and Mark O’Meara.
One of the interesting dynamics of this year’s Masters as well as the champion’s dinner will be the inclusion of LIV Golf Tour regulars. Past champs such as Dustin Johnson, Sergio Garcia, Patrick Reed, and Phil Mickelson will be in attendance at the dinner. They are now on the LIV Tour. Of course, that could lead to some interesting dynamics as 1992 Masters’ champ Fred Couples was quoted as saying that Phil Mickelson was “a nutbag.” He did add that, “If you’re going to give Phil Mickelson $200 million at age 50 to shoot 74 and 74, God bless you.” Freddie also said he was “annoyed by all those other clowns such as Sergio Garcia.” Hopefully they’ll be smart enough at the champion’s dinner to give assigned seating and keep Couples away from Phil and Sergio. Sounds like another edition of golf’s verbal pillow fight.
The other nice touch to the Masters is the honorary starters kicking off the official beginning of the tournament with tee shots off the first hole. In the past, former Masters’ titlists such as Byron Nelson, Sam Snead and Arnold Palmer have done the honors of hitting those ceremonial tee shots. This time around Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player and Tom Watson will do the honors. That’s a pretty impressive threesome of past Masters champs as well as World Golf Hall of Famers.
Aside from the dynamics with the PGA Tour regulars and the LIV golfers, this year’s version of the Masters should be quite entertaining. Scottie Scheffler is the defending champion and has had a strong spring with a big-time runaway win at the Players Championship. Last year he four-putted the final green, still won by three shots, and collected the first-place prize of $2.7 million. Another interesting dynamic revolves around Rory McIlroy’s quest to win the career grand slam, something that has only been accomplished in the history of the game by Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan, Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player and Tiger Woods. Winning the career grand slam would put Rory in rarefied air as far as the golf world is concerned, yet he has had the opportunity in past years and has come up short. Maybe this is the year for the Northern Irishman. Augusta National is an iron master’s course and Rory is a top-10 iron player on tour.
Augusta National has had its par-5 13th hole lengthened and the course will now play to a distance of 7,510 yards. The 13th hole used to stretch out to 475 yards and lots of pros were attacking the green just over Rae’s Creek with a 7-iron second shot. This time around it will be in the neighborhood of 525 yards and we’ll see a whole lot of layup shots instead of trying to attack the green with a 4-iron or a hybrid.
It is anticipated that Tiger Woods, a five-time Masters champ, will make an appearance at Augusta National this year. He made the 36-hole cut last year in his return to golf following a disastrous car crash. His only appearance this year has been at the Genesis Los Angeles Open where he struggled and missed the cut. On the other end of the spectrum, among the 100 or so contestants this year will be 16 Masters’ rookies, including President’s Cup hero Tom Kim of South Korea and recent Arnold Palmer Invitational champion Kurt Kitayama of Chico. Rookies normally have a tough time at their inaugural Masters, but then again you never know.
It’s early April, and regardless of all those atmospheric rivers, it is springtime in Augusta, Georgia. The azaleas and the dogwoods are blooming and the best golfers in the world are converging for the playing of the 2023 Masters. It’s guaranteed to be a must-watch event.
