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The Masters Tournament, with its iconic green jacket and storied past, is a central pillar of golf's rich history. Held annually at the Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia, the Masters stands out not just for its place in the grand slam of golf but also for its unique traditions, exclusivity, and the sheer beauty of its setting.

The Inception of The Masters

The origins of the Masters Tournament trace back to the early 1930s. Golf legend Bobby Jones, having retired from competitive golf, sought to realize his vision of creating a golf course that embodied the true spirit of the game. Partnering with Clifford Roberts and with the design expertise of Alister MacKenzie, Jones set out to build the Augusta National Golf Club, which opened in January 1933. The inaugural tournament, then known as the Augusta National Invitation Tournament, was played in 1934. Horton Smith emerged as the first champion, forever etching his name in the annals of golf history.

Early Years and Evolution

Initially, the tournament did not bear the name it does today. It was Clifford Roberts, the co-founder, who suggested "The Masters" as a fitting title to reflect the level of skill of its participants. However, Bobby Jones initially felt the name seemed too presumptuous. By 1939, Jones had acquiesced, and the tournament officially became The Masters.

From its inception, the Masters was envisioned as a gathering of the best golfers, both amateur and professional. This vision has been upheld through the years, with the tournament playing a pivotal role in the careers of many of golf’s greatest players.

The Masters Tournament, one of the four major championships in professional golf, has a rich history that dates back to its inception in 1934. It was co-founded by Clifford Roberts and Bobby Jones, the latter of whom was a legendary amateur golfer and Grand Slam winner. The tournament is held annually at the Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia, a course designed by Jones and Alister MacKenzie, opening for play in 1933.

Growth and Evolution

Over the years, the Masters has grown in prestige and popularity, becoming one of the most anticipated and revered events in the sport. It has maintained many traditions, such as the Green Jacket awarded to the champion, who is also invited to become a member of the club. Other traditions include the Champions Dinner, Par 3 Contest (started in 1960 and held on the Wednesday before the tournament), and the honorary starters who hit ceremonial tee shots to begin the tournament.

Significant Moments

• 1935: Gene Sarazen hits the "shot heard 'round the world," a double eagle at the 15th hole, which played a pivotal role in forcing a playoff, which he won.

• 1942: Byron Nelson wins in a playoff over Ben Hogan in what is considered one of the greatest Masters finishes.

• 1958: The introduction of the now-iconic Amen Corner, referring to holes 11, 12, and 13, where many tournaments have been won or lost.

• 1966: Jack Nicklaus becomes the first player to win back-to-back Masters.

• 1980: Seve Ballesteros wins, becoming the first European to do so.

• 1997: Tiger Woods wins his first Masters at age 21, setting numerous records in the process, including the youngest winner and the first person of African American or Asian heritage to win the tournament.

• 2019: Tiger Woods captures his fifth Masters title, completing one of the greatest comebacks in sports history.

Tradition and Innovation

The Masters is as much about tradition as it is about golf. One of its most enduring symbols is the Green Jacket, awarded to the tournament winner since 1949. This tradition not only signifies victory but also membership into the exclusive club of Masters champions. The jacket must remain at the club and is worn by the champion during official club events.

Another notable tradition is the Champions Dinner, hosted on the Tuesday before the tournament. Initiated by Ben Hogan in 1952, it gathers past champions for a meal chosen by the previous year's winner. The tournament also maintains a strict no-commercialization policy within the broadcast, limiting television coverage in the early years to preserve the sanctity and exclusive atmosphere of the event.

Challenges and Triumphs

The tournament has not been without its challenges. The Augusta National Golf Club faced criticism over its membership policies, particularly regarding racial and gender inclusion. It wasn't until 1975 that Lee Elder became the first African American to compete in the Masters, and it took until 2012 for the club to admit its first female members. Each of these moments marked significant steps forward in the evolution of the club and the tournament.

The Course Itself

The Augusta National Golf Club is renowned for its beauty, characterized by azaleas, dogwoods, and meticulously manicured fairways and greens. The course is known for its challenging layout, particularly the stretch of holes 11 through 13, known as Amen Corner, where many tournaments have been won and lost.

The Modern Era

In recent years, the Masters has continued to evolve while maintaining its rich traditions. The introduction of the Drive, Chip, and Putt Championship for junior golfers and the Augusta National Women's Amateur Tournament reflects the club's efforts to grow the game and invest in its future.

The Masters Tournament is more than just a golf championship; it is a cultural institution that embodies the history, tradition, and spirit of the game. Its storied past and ongoing narrative not only celebrate the achievements of the greatest golfers in the world but also inspire future generations to dream big and aim for the iconic green jacket. As the Masters continues to evolve, its essence remains rooted in the vision of its founders, making it a timeless testament to the game of golf.

We really have to credit the officials at The Masters for making videos of their tournament available on YouTube.

You start with the Masters Channel -

Here you can find the Final Round Coverage for every Masters since 1968, every shot from the 2023 Masters, Press Conferences, Foreign Language versions, Special Interest Features, and a lot more. It’s worth a SUBSCRIBE and BOOKMARK, and it is a great resource and very entertaining.

See more of the videos here!

Thank you Augusta National Golf Club and The Masters.

Masters Week now begins with the final round of the Augusta National Women’s Amateur, held at Augusta National on the Saturday before the Masters. This years final round was especially memorable, as Lottie Wood incredibly birdied 3 of the last 4 holes at Augusta National, to edge Bailey Shoemaker by just one shot. Lottie made a 15 foot birdie put on 18 to win.

Then, on Sunday, the finals of the Drive, Chip and Putt competition was held at Augusta National. This event showcases the talents of boys and girls ages 7 thru 15, who qualify for this even via local and regional competitions. What a thrill it must be for them to be at Augusta National, on Sunday, with their friends and family, in this competition. Congratulations to all those who made it here, and to the winners!

Then we are on to the Masters Tournament, with practice rounds Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, and the Tournament Thursday thru Sunday. The Masters Par 3 Contest is held Wednesday afternoon.

A great resource for Tournament Information is The Masters Web site, masters.com, and The Masters app on Apple and Google devices. There is news, information, scores, stats, and live video, available on all these platforms.

Another very informative and insightful read on The Masters, and all the Majors, is the Quadrilateral Newsletter by Geoff Shackleford. This is a paid subscription, and well worth the money. Geoff also has some free newsletters from time to check.

Here is one of Geoff’s Masters posts.

and you can sign up here

Here is more information on how to watch the Masters this week ;

How to Watch the 2024 Masters Tournament

By Nick Pietruszkiewicz - Masters.com

Friday, April 05, 2024

The 88th Masters Tournament at the Augusta National Golf Club will be broadcast and streamed to a worldwide audience as the best players in the world compete for the coveted Green Jacket. The Tournament, which begins Thursday, April 11, will be seen in more than 200 countries and territories and be broadcast to U.S. military installations around the world.

Live coverage of the Tournament will be shown Thursday and Friday from 3-7 p.m., ET on ESPN for the first two rounds. CBS will be handling the weekend with coverage from 3-7 p.m., ET on Saturday and 2-7 p.m., for Sunday’s final round. SiriusXM will broadcast live coverage of the first two rounds from 2-8 p.m. ET and 2-7 p.m. on the weekend.

Tournament Coverage

Thursday, April 11

• Masters.com/Masters App

  • Honorary Starters: 8:15 a.m. ET

  • Featured Groups: 9:15 a.m.-7:30 p.m. ET

  • Amen Corner Live: 10:45 a.m.-6:00 p.m. ET

  • Nos. 4, 5 and 6 Live: 8:45 a.m.-3:30 p.m. ET

  • Nos. 15 and 16 Live: 11:45 a.m.-7:00 p.m. ET

• ESPN Broadcast: 3:00-7:00 p.m. ET (Simulcast on Masters.com/Masters App)

• SiriusXM Broadcast: 2:00-8:00 p.m. ET

Friday, April 12

• Masters.com/Masters App

  • Featured Groups: 9:15 a.m.-7:30 p.m. ET

  • Amen Corner Live: 10:45 a.m.-6:00 p.m. ET

  • Nos. 4, 5 and 6 Live: 8:45 a.m.-3:30 p.m. ET

  • Nos. 15 and 16 Live: 11:45 a.m.-7:00 p.m. ET

• ESPN Broadcast: 3:00-7:00 p.m. ET (Simulcast on Masters.com/Masters App)

• SiriusXM Broadcast: 2:00-8:00 p.m. ET

Saturday, April 13

• Masters.com/Masters App

  • Featured Groups: 10:15 a.m.-7:00 p.m. ET

  • Amen Corner Live: 11:45 a.m.-6:00 p.m. ET

  • Nos. 4, 5 and 6 Live: 10:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. ET

  • Nos. 15 and 16 Live: 12:30-6:30 p.m. ET

• CBS Broadcast: 3:00-7:00 p.m. ET (Simulcast on Masters.com/Masters App)

• SiriusXM Broadcast: 2:00-7:00 p.m. ET

Sunday, April 14

• Masters.com/Masters App

  • Featured Groups: 10:15 a.m.-7:00 p.m. ET

  • Amen Corner Live: 11:45 a.m.-6:00 p.m. ET

  • Nos. 4, 5 and 6 Live: 10:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. ET

  • Nos. 15 and 16 Live: 12:30-6:30 p.m. ET

  • Green Jacket Ceremony: 7-7:15 p.m. ET

• CBS Broadcast: 2:00-7:00 p.m. ET (Simulcast on Masters.com/Masters App)

• SiriusXM Broadcast: 2:00-7:00 p.m. ET

Additional Coverage

Long before the first official shot of the event is struck, a full menu of viewing options will be available of all the action happening at Augusta National Golf Club.

On The Range

Masters.com, CBS Sports Network, and CBS Sports Digital
Monday, April 8: Noon-2 p.m.
Tuesday, April 9: 9-11 a.m.
Wednesday, April 10: 9-11 a.m.
Thursday, April 11: 8:30-10:30 a.m.
Friday, April 12: 8:30-10:30 a.m.
Saturday, April 13: 11 a.m.-1 p.m.
Sunday, April 14: 11 a.m.-1 p.m.

Practice Round Coverage

ESPN+
Tuesday, April 9: Noon-2 p.m.
Wednesday, April 10: 10 a.m.-Noon

Par 3 Contest

ESPN and ESPN+ and Simulcast on Masters.com/Master App
Wednesday, April 10: Noon-3 p.m. (ESPN+)
Wednesday, April 10: 3-5 p.m. (ESPN)

Welcome To The Masters

ESPN
Thursday, April 11: 1-3 p.m.
Friday, April 12: 1-3 p.m.

We Need To Talk

CBS
Saturday, April 13: 12:30-1:30 p.m.

Masters Digital Updates

Masters.com and the Masters App will offer live streaming, scoring, interactive player tracking, video highlights, features and news coverage. Additionally, the tradition of Every Shot, Every Hole of the Tournament will continue, along with My Group, which allows users to personalize their own featured group.

Masters digital platforms will also deliver several enhanced experiences:

Masters Vault

Masters Vault unlocks Augusta National Golf Club’s rich video archive, including every final-round broadcast since 1968, select Official Films, original productions and more exclusive content for fans to enjoy.

Apple TV Masters App

The Apple TV Masters App has been fully redesigned and enhanced for 2024 and will feature live streaming, scoring, video highlights and access to Masters Vault.

Featured Groups+

Featured Groups+ debuted in 2023 on the Masters App and will expand to Masters.com during the 2024 Tournament. This feature will present interactive content, including Masters statistics, trivia questions and polls while users watch the Featured Groups feed.

Masters Fantasy

Masters fans can again have a stake in the Tournament results with the return of Masters Fantasy in 2024. Bragging rights and possible Masters merchandise will be on the line. Masters Fantasy, accessed via www.masters.com/fantasy or the Official Masters App, is a free-to-play fantasy game that allows users to casually compete against friends, family or the world. Users will earn or lose points based on how well their chosen players perform. You can create an account at any time but can only pick players who have not yet teed off for the day. In addition to bragging rights, there will be first-, second- and third-place prizes for the Tournament as a whole as well as daily prizes for the best round. This year, there will also be an International competition for residents of India and Mexico. For your best shot at the grand prize, make sure you make your picks before the first round.

Finally, a few words about The Masters Experience.

You have probably heard that being on the grounds at Augusta National Golf Club, during Masters week, is an unforgettable experience. That the course is more dramatic, bigger, more expansive, and more impressive in person that on television. And all that is true. Augusta National is truly a one of a kind golf course, and deserving of its ranking as one of the top 5 golf courses in the World.

But its not just the golf course.

The whole experience of attending the Masters is unlike any sporting event you have ever been to. There is great attention to detail in making the experience as accommodating and enjoyable for the spectator as possible, from the (free) parking, polite and efficient crowd control, lots of viewing areas all around the property, lots of merchandise tents, and plenty of very affordable concessions.

It all makes for great time at The Masters.

Now, a word about tickets. Masters tickets, even for a practice round, can be hard to come by. They are one of the hardest tickets in sports.

If you want to attend the Masters, and looking for tickets, first of all, you should go to Masters.com during the month of May and register for the Masters ticket lottery. Someone has to win!

Second, as the tournament approaches, check the reputable online ticker brokers, like Stubhub or SeatGeek, ask friends, look in social media groups, and try any avenue you can to see if anyone has extra tickets. Beware of scalpers and only buy from reputable sources.

It’s worth the effort.

We hope that you can enjoy The Masters, no matter where you are.

The Masters Experience is truly a foundation cornerstone for the Good in Golf, and accordingly, The Masters truly earns the Good in Golf Badge of Recognition.