70 Fun Facts About The Masters

In which U.S. state is the Masters played every year?

Unlike the other three majors, the Masters never rotates venues; it has been held at Augusta National in Georgia since 1934.

Which player has won the most Masters titles?

His six wins came between 1963 and 1986; Woods is next with five.

Which three holes at Augusta National are known as Amen Corner?

The stretch runs from the approach at 11 through the par-3 12th to the tee shot at 13, all guarded by Rae's Creek.

In which state is Augusta National located?

The city of Augusta sits on the Savannah River on Georgia's eastern border with South Carolina.

Which golfing legend co-founded the Masters with Clifford Roberts?

Jones had retired from competition at 28 after his 1930 Grand Slam and wanted a course and tournament of his own.

Who was the youngest Masters champion when he won in 1997 at age 21?

He won by 12 strokes with an 18-under 270, breaking a 72-hole record that had stood for 32 years.

How old was the 1986 Masters champion, who won a record sixth title that year?

He is still the oldest champion in the event's history, closing with a back nine of 30 to edge Tom Kite and Greg Norman by a shot.

Which network has televised the Masters in the United States every year since 1956?

The first broadcast used just six cameras and covered only the final four holes; the club still signs one-year deals.

Each hole at Augusta National is named after what?

The property was a plant nursery before it was a golf course, so the holes carry names like Tea Olive, Golden Bell and Azalea.

What is the golf term for the crowd at the Masters?

The broadcast style is deliberately formal, and announcers are expected to use the club's preferred word.

Which former U.S. president had a pine tree on the 17th hole named after him?

He hit the tree so often that in 1956 he proposed cutting it down; the chairman adjourned the meeting rather than say no.

The Masters has the smallest field of the four majors. Roughly how many players compete?

It is an invitational, and past champions can play for life, which keeps the numbers low.

What is sold to fans at Augusta National for a few dollars as the tournament's signature snack?

The famously cheap concessions are part of the club's controlled, old-fashioned atmosphere.

Which month is the Masters normally played in?

It is the first men's major of the year; only the 2020 edition moved, to November, because of the pandemic.

What was the Masters originally called when it began in 1934?

The name Masters was in casual use from the start but was not officially adopted until 1939.

Which caddie uniform is mandatory at the Masters?

It comes with a green Masters cap and white tennis shoes, and the defending champion's caddie wears number 1.

Who won the very first Masters in 1934?

His first prize was $1,500 from a $5,000 purse; he won again in 1936, and his jacket sold for over $682,000 in 2013.

Who was the first winner to be awarded a green jacket, in 1949?

The nine earlier champions were given jackets the same year, a set known as the 'original ten'.

Which course architect designed Augusta National together with the club's co-founder?

The Scottish designer of Cypress Point never saw a Masters; he died before the first tournament was played.

Who hit the 1935 double eagle on the 15th hole known as the 'shot heard round the world'?

The 4-wood from 232 yards tied him with Craig Wood, and he won the 36-hole playoff the next day by five strokes.

Which past champion started the Champions Dinner in 1952?

It is held on the Tuesday of tournament week, and the defending champion chooses the menu.

Who was the first non-American to win the Masters, in 1961?

The South African took his jacket home and famously kept 'forgetting' to return it to the club.

Which writer coined the name 'Amen Corner' in a 1958 Sports Illustrated article?

He said he took it from a jazz record he'd heard in the 1930s, 'Shouting in that Amen Corner'.

Who broke the tournament scoring record with a 268 in November 2020?

His 20-under total beat the 270 shared by Woods (1997) and Spieth (2015), and he won by five.

Which Augusta native holed a 45-yard pitch on the second playoff hole to win the 1987 Masters?

He is the only Masters champion born in Augusta; the chip on the 11th beat Greg Norman.

Who won the 1996 Masters after Greg Norman blew a six-shot lead in the final round?

The Englishman shot 67 to Norman's 78 and won by five for his third title.

What is the Par 3 Contest winner's prize?

The Wednesday contest has been played since 1960, and no winner has ever gone on to win the Masters that same week.

Who was the first African American to play in the Masters, in 1975?

He returned as an honorary starter in 2021 alongside Nicklaus and Player.

Which Argentine lost the 1968 Masters by signing an incorrect scorecard?

His playing partner marked a par instead of a birdie on 17; the extra stroke cost him a playoff with Bob Goalby.

By how many strokes did the 1997 champion win?

The 21-year-old's margin is still the widest in tournament history.

What is the course record for a single round at Augusta National?

Nick Price set it in the third round in 1986; Greg Norman tied it in the opening round in 1996.

What lands the low amateur at the Masters?

It has been presented since 1952 to the lowest-scoring amateur to make the cut.

Which theme music has CBS used for its Masters telecast since 1982?

Loggins wrote it during his first visit to the course in 1981.

How many minutes of commercials per hour does the club allow on the broadcast?

The usual figure for televised sports is 12 or more; the club also insists there is no on-screen advertising clutter.

Who was the first left-hander and first Canadian to win the Masters?

He beat Len Mattiace in a 2003 playoff, one year before Mickelson's first green jacket.

What did Sandy Lyle serve at the 1989 Champions Dinner?

National dishes are a tradition: Langer served Wiener schnitzel and Weir served elk and wild boar.

What was the Augusta National property before it became a golf course?

The land had been an indigo plantation and then a nursery since 1857, which is why the holes are named for plants.

The 1986 champion's back nine on Sunday was played in how many strokes?

He shot 65 with a bogey on 12 and an eagle on 15, then birdies on 16 and 17.

What is the shade of the green jacket, as registered by the club?

The wool jacket is made in Cheshire, Connecticut, and the breast-pocket patch in Weaverville, North Carolina.

Who was the first player named on an Augusta National landmark, a bridge beside the 15th green?

The 1955 dedication marked the twentieth anniversary of his double eagle; the Hogan and Nelson bridges came at 12 and 13.

Where is the green jacket ceremony first held before being repeated by the 18th green?

The televised presentation takes place in the cabin, with the previous year's winner usually doing the honors.

Who won the first sudden-death playoff in Masters history, in 1979?

The format had been adopted in 1976 but not needed until then; it ended on the 11th green.

The tree species of the Eisenhower Tree was which pine?

It stood about 210 yards from the tee on 17 and was removed in February 2014 after an ice storm.

Which two women became Augusta National's first female members in 2012?

The former Secretary of State and the South Carolina financier were admitted on August 20, 2012, nine years after the Martha Burk protest.

The 1995 champion said he had 'a 15th club in my bag' in tribute to which mentor who died that week?

Ben Crenshaw's win came days after the funeral; the line refers to the 14-club limit.

Where do amateurs in the field traditionally lodge during tournament week?

The 1,200-square-foot space sleeps five and sits above the clubhouse that dates to the 1850s.

Who holds the record for the most Masters appearances, and how many did he make?

He is also tied for second in consecutive cuts made, with 23.

Which body of water guards Amen Corner?

It is named for John Rae, whose house was once the farthest fortress up the Savannah River from Fort Augusta.

What was the price of a four-day Masters badge for 2026?

The face value is low for a major event, but badges only go to a closed patrons list.

What is the highest winning 72-hole score, shared by champions in 1954, 1956 and 2007?

Snead, Jack Burke Jr. and Zach Johnson each won at one over par.

Who was the oldest player to make the cut, at 63 in 2023?

He also shares the record for consecutive cuts made with Player at 23.

Which player leads Masters history in first-round leads, with five?

He has twice lost Masters playoffs, to Sergio García in 2017 and Rory McIlroy in 2025, but never won.

Which whimsical merchandise item, introduced in 2016, became a daily sell-out at Augusta?

Fans are limited to one each; the design changes every year and resale prices have run several times retail.

Which caddie carried for Arnold Palmer in all four of his Masters wins?

Until 1983 every player had to use one of the club's own caddies.

The 1934 Masters was the first golf tournament to be broadcast nationally on what medium?

CBS carried it, and Clifford Roberts treated the coverage as free advertising for a club deep in debt.

Where did Clifford Roberts die by suicide in 1977?

The pond had been built for Eisenhower to fish in, on the spot he picked for the dam.

What material fills the bunkers at Augusta National?

The 'Spruce Pine sand' from North Carolina replaced ordinary beige sand just before the 1975 tournament.

How tall is the replica trophy the winner keeps?

It weighs about 20 pounds; the full-size original, a silver model of the clubhouse, stays at the club.

How old was Guan Tianlang when he became the youngest player to make the Masters cut in 2013?

The Chinese amateur was 14 years, 168 days on opening day and also became the youngest to make a cut at any men's major.

What is the record for birdies in a single Masters round, set by Anthony Kim in 2009?

Nick Price had held the mark with ten in his 63 in 1986.

What is the greens' turf, installed on the main course in time for the 1981 Masters?

The narrow-bladed grass can be mowed shorter and made the greens far faster; it was tested on the Par 3 course in 1978.

The reigning U.S. Amateur champion is always paired with whom for the first two rounds?

It is one of the club's nods to Bobby Jones, the greatest amateur in the game's history.

In what year was Magnolia Lane, the club's famous entrance drive, paved?

The club had struggled financially through the Depression and the war years before spending on such upgrades.

What was raised on the Augusta National grounds while the Masters was suspended for World War II?

The tournament was not played from 1943 to 1945; even after the war, members had to plead with locals to buy tickets.

What was the first prize collected by Horton Smith at the inaugural 1934 tournament?

The total purse was $5,000 and a tournament pass cost $2.00; by 2025 the winner's share was $4.2 million.

Who was the second non-American to win the Masters, following Gary Player?

The Spaniard won in 1980 and 1983, and non-Americans went on to collect 11 victories in 20 years across the 1980s and 1990s.

Which two past champions served as the Masters' first honorary starters?

Before 1963 the pair had simply been the first group off; Arnold Palmer took over the role in 2007 and Lee Elder joined in 2021.

What did Bernhard Langer serve at his 1986 Champions Dinner?

Nick Faldo chose fish and chips, Mike Weir elk and wild boar, and Vijay Singh Thai dishes.

Who became the first Australian to win the Masters, beating Ángel Cabrera in a 2013 playoff?

Norman had famously squandered a six-shot final-round lead in 1996 and faltered again in 1999.

The hospitality venue Berckmans Place is named after a family of which nationality who owned the land?

Louis Mathieu Berckmans's family held the nursery property from 1858 to 1910; a week's entry pass costs $10,000 and is sold only to corporations.