Editing Masters Tournament (section)

==History==
[[File:AugustaNationalMastersLogoFlowers.jpg|thumb|Masters logo at the club entrance]]

===Augusta National Golf Club===
{{Main|Augusta National Golf Club}}
The idea for Augusta National originated with [[Bobby Jones (golfer)|Bobby Jones]], who wanted to build a golf course after his retirement from the game. He sought advice from Clifford Roberts, who later became the chairman of the club. They came across a piece of land in [[Augusta, Georgia]], of which Jones said: "Perfect!  And to think this ground has been lying here all these years waiting for someone to come along and lay a golf course upon it."<ref name="Jonesquote">
{{cite book |last=Sampson |first=Curt |title=The Masters: Golf, Money, and Power in Augusta, Georgia |publisher=[[Villard Books]] |year=1999 |location=New York City |page=22 |isbn=0375753370}}</ref>
The land had been an [[Indigofera|indigo]] plantation in the early nineteenth century and a [[plant nursery]] since 1857.<ref name=nursbeaut>{{cite news |url=http://www.augusta.com/stories/2006/04/03/mas_75606.shtml |newspaper=Augusta Chronicle |last=Boyette |first=John |title=Augusta National's natural beauty was born in nursery |date=April 3, 2006 |access-date=August 27, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140821062129/http://www.augusta.com/stories/2006/04/03/mas_75606.shtml |archive-date=August 21, 2014 |url-status=dead}}</ref> Jones hired [[Alister MacKenzie]] to help design the course, and work began in 1931. The course formally opened in 1933, but MacKenzie died before the first Masters Tournament was played.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.masters.org/en_US/history/jacket/club_history.html |title=History of the Club |publisher=www.masters.org |access-date=January 22, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080119025155/http://www.masters.org/en_US/history/jacket/club_history.html |archive-date=January 19, 2008 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

===Early tournament years===
The first "Augusta National Invitation Tournament", as the Masters was originally known, began on March 22, 1934, and was won by [[Horton Smith]], who took the first prize of $1,500.  The present name was adopted in 1939. The first tournament was played with current holes 10 through 18 played as the first nine, and 1 through 9 as the second nine<ref>Although front and back are the terms more commonly used, for the Masters they are called the "first" and "second" nines</ref> then reversed permanently to its present layout for the 1935 tournament.<ref name="Hist"/>

Initially the Augusta National Invitation field was composed of Bobby Jones' close associates. Jones had petitioned the [[USGA]] to hold the [[U.S. Open (golf)|U.S. Open]] at Augusta but the USGA denied the petition, noting that the hot Georgia summers would create difficult playing conditions.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.golf-newz.com/the-masters |title=The Augusta National Golf Club |date=February 8, 2012 |access-date=April 8, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110327064042/http://golf-newz.com/the-masters |archive-date=March 27, 2011 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

[[Gene Sarazen]] hit the "shot heard 'round the world" in 1935, holing a shot from the [[fairway (golf)|fairway]] on the [[par (score)|par]] 5 15th for a [[double eagle (golf)|double eagle]] (albatross).<ref>{{cite web |last=Boyette |first=John |title=With 1 shot, Sarazen gave Masters fame |newspaper=The Augusta Chronicle |date=April 10, 2002 |url=http://www.augusta.com/masters/review2002/041102/sarazen_remembered2002.shtml |access-date=April 13, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080407203811/http://www.augusta.com/masters/review2002/041102/sarazen_remembered2002.shtml |archive-date=April 7, 2008}}</ref> This tied Sarazen with [[Craig Wood (golfer)|Craig Wood]], and in the ensuing 36-hole playoff, Sarazen was the victor by five strokes.<ref name=past-results/>

[[Byron Nelson]] won the first of two Masters titles in 1937. [[Jimmy Demaret]] won three times as did [[Sam Snead]] in the 1940s and 1950s. [[Ben Hogan]] won the 1951 and 1953 Masters and was runner-up on four occasions.

In 1940, [[Clifford Roberts]], chairman of the Masters, stated that the Masters was one of the top tournaments in the United States, if not the biggest. He stated, "I am told that the Masters has outdistanced in attendance both the [[U.S. Amateur]] and the [[PGA Championship|PGA]]."<ref name="Maco400317">{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-macon-telegraph-masters-declared-num/170558300/|date=March 17, 1940|page=9|agency=Associated Press|title=Masters Declared Number One Event|newspaper=The Macon Telegraph and News|location=Macon, Georgia|via=Newspapers.com|access-date=April 18, 2025}}</ref><!-- Sun --> The tournament was not played from 1943 to 1945, due to [[World War II]]. To assist the war effort, cattle and turkeys were raised on the Augusta National grounds.<ref name="Hist" />

===1960s–1970s===
The Big Three of Arnold Palmer, Gary Player, and Jack Nicklaus dominated the Masters from 1960 through 1978, winning the event 11 times between them during that span. After winning by one stroke in 1958,<ref name=past-results>{{cite web |url=http://www.masters.com/en_US/tournament/past_winners.html |title=Past Winners & Results |access-date=February 9, 2016 |archive-date=October 30, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201030012158/https://www.masters.com/en_US/tournament/past_winners.html |url-status=live}}</ref> Palmer won by one stroke again in 1960 in memorable circumstances. Trailing [[Ken Venturi]] by one shot in the 1960 event, Palmer made birdies on the last two holes to prevail.  Palmer would go on to win another two Masters in 1962 and 1964.<ref name=past-results/>
[[File:JackNicklaus2006MastersPar3.jpg|thumb|Jack Nicklaus at the [[2006 Masters Tournament|2006]] par 3 contest]]
Nicklaus emerged in the early 1960s and served as a rival to the popular Palmer. Nicklaus won his first green jacket in 1963, defeating [[Tony Lema]] by one stroke.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.augusta.com/masters/story/history/1963-jack-nicklaus-wins-second-pro-masters |title=1963: Jack Nicklaus wins second pro Masters |newspaper=The Augusta Chronicle |date=March 22, 2012 |access-date=January 25, 2008 |archive-date=October 31, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201031184403/https://www.augusta.com/masters/story/history/1963-jack-nicklaus-wins-second-pro-masters |url-status=live}}</ref> Two years later, he shot a then-course record of 271 (17 under par) for his second Masters win, leading Bobby Jones to say that Nicklaus played "a game with which I am not familiar."<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.augusta.com/masters/story/history/1965-nicklaus-wins-nine-shatter-masters-record |newspaper=The Augusta Chronicle |title=1965: Nicklaus wins by nine to shatter Masters record |date=March 22, 2012 |access-date=October 7, 2014 |archive-date=October 31, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201031202232/https://www.augusta.com/masters/story/history/1965-nicklaus-wins-nine-shatter-masters-record |url-status=live}}</ref> The next year, Nicklaus won his third green jacket in a grueling 18-hole playoff against [[Tommy Jacobs]] and [[Gay Brewer]].<ref name="nick1966"/> This made Nicklaus the first player to win consecutive Masters. He won again in 1972 by three strokes.<ref name=past-results/> In 1975, Nicklaus won by one stroke in a close contest with [[Tom Weiskopf]] and [[Johnny Miller]] in one of the most exciting Masters to date.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.augusta.com/masters/story/history/1975-nicklaus-wins-fifth-masters-elder-breaks-color-barrier |title=1975: Nicklaus wins fifth Masters as Elder breaks color barrier |date=March 23, 2012 |newspaper=The Augusta Chronicle |access-date=October 7, 2014 |archive-date=October 28, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201028232149/https://www.augusta.com/masters/story/history/1975-nicklaus-wins-fifth-masters-elder-breaks-color-barrier |url-status=live}}</ref>

Player became the first non-American to win the Masters in [[1961 Masters Tournament|1961]], beating Palmer, the defending champion, by one stroke when Palmer double-bogeyed the final hole.<ref name=past-results/> In 1974, he won again by two strokes.<ref name=past-results/> After not winning a tournament on the U.S. PGA tour for nearly four years, and at the age of 42, Player won his third and final Masters in 1978 by one stroke over three players.<ref name=past-results/> Player is second in consecutive cuts made with 23 straight (tied with [[Fred Couples]]), and has played in a record 52 Masters.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.masters.com/en_US/scores/stats/historical/tournaments_entered.html |title=Historical Records & Stats – Tournaments Entered |access-date=February 9, 2016 |archive-date=September 23, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200923002526/https://www.masters.com/en_US/scores/stats/historical/tournaments_entered.html |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="Cut">{{cite web |url=http://www.masters.com/en_US/scores/stats/historical/cutline.html |title=Historical Records & Stats – Cut Information |access-date=November 10, 2020 |archive-date=September 22, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200922225101/https://www.masters.com/en_US/scores/stats/historical/cutline.html |url-status=live}}</ref>

A controversial ending to the Masters occurred in 1968. Argentine champion [[Roberto De Vicenzo]] signed his scorecard (attested by playing partner [[Tommy Aaron]]) incorrectly recording him as making a par 4 instead of a birdie 3 on the 17th hole of the final round. According to the rules of golf, if a player signs a scorecard (thereby attesting to its veracity) that records a score on a hole higher than what he actually made on the hole, the player receives the higher score for that hole. This extra stroke cost De Vicenzo a chance to be in an 18-hole Monday playoff with [[Bob Goalby]], who won the green jacket. De Vicenzo's mistake led to the famous quote, "What a stupid I am."<ref name=past-results/><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.worldgolfhalloffame.org/roberto-de-vicenzo/ |title=World Golf Hall of Fame Profile: Roberto De Vicenzo |publisher=World Golf Hall of Fame |access-date=February 9, 2016 |archive-date=June 13, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170613215849/http://www.worldgolfhalloffame.org/roberto-de-vicenzo/ |url-status=live}}</ref>

In [[1975 Masters Tournament|1975]], [[Lee Elder]] became the first [[African American]] to play in the Masters,<ref>{{cite magazine |url=http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0HFI/is_4_51/ai_60121185 |magazine=[[Golf Digest]] |last=McDaniel |first=Pete |title=The trailblazer – Twenty-five years ago, Lee Elder became the first black golfer in the Masters |access-date=January 29, 2008 |year=2000 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080207153543/http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0HFI/is_4_51/ai_60121185 |archive-date=February 7, 2008}}</ref> doing so 15 years before Augusta National admitted its first black member, Ron Townsend, as a result of the [[Shoal Creek Club#Membership|Shoal Creek Controversy]].<ref name="nyt1990">{{cite news |url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C0CE5D7123AF932A2575AC0A966958260 |title=Augusta National Admits First Black Member |date=September 11, 1990 |newspaper=The New York Times |access-date=November 20, 2008 |first=Jaime |last=Diaz |archive-date=February 24, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090224171644/http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C0CE5D7123AF932A2575AC0A966958260 |url-status=live}}</ref>

===1980s–2000s===
Non-Americans collected 11 victories in 20 years in the 1980s and 1990s, by far the strongest run they have had in any of the three majors played in the United States since the early days of the U.S. Open. The first European to win the Masters was [[Seve Ballesteros]] in 1980. Nicklaus became the oldest player to win the Masters in 1986 when he won for the sixth time at age 46.<ref name=past-results/><ref name=oldest>{{cite web |url=http://www.masters.com/en_US/scores/stats/historical/index.html |title=Historical Records & Stats – Champions / Winning Statistics |access-date=February 9, 2016 |archive-date=April 16, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190416003046/https://www.masters.com/en_US/scores/stats/historical/index.html |url-status=live}}</ref>

During this period, no golfer suffered more disappointment at the Masters than [[Greg Norman]]. In his first appearance at Augusta in 1981, he led during the second nine but ended up finishing fourth. In 1986, after birdieing holes 14 through 17 to tie Nicklaus for the lead, he badly pushed his 4-iron approach on 18 into the patrons surrounding the green and missed his par putt for a closing bogey.  In 1987, Norman lost a sudden-death playoff when [[Larry Mize]] holed out a remarkable 45-yard pitch shot to birdie the second playoff hole.  Mize thus became the first Augusta native to win the Masters.<ref>{{cite magazine |url=http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/augusta/si_history_stories/1987.html |title=My, Oh Mize |magazine=Sports Illustrated |last=Ballard |first=Sarah |access-date=February 5, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080403102648/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/augusta/si_history_stories/1987.html |archive-date=April 3, 2008}}</ref> In 1996, Norman tied the course record with an opening-round 63 and had a six-stroke lead over [[Nick Faldo]] entering the final round. However, he stumbled to a closing 78 while Faldo, his playing partner that day, carded a 67 to win by five shots for his third Masters championship.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.masters.org/en_US/history/results/1996.html |title=Tournament Results: 1996 |publisher=www.masters.org |access-date=January 21, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071103130858/http://www.masters.org/en_US/history/results/1996.html |archive-date=November 3, 2007}}</ref> Norman also led the 1999 Masters on the second nine of the final round, only to falter again and finish third behind winner [[José María Olazábal]], who won his second green jacket. Norman finished in the top five at the Masters eight times, but never won.

Two-time champion [[Ben Crenshaw]] captured an emotional Masters win in 1995, just days after the death of his lifelong teacher and mentor [[Harvey Penick]].   After making his final putt to win, he broke down sobbing at the hole and was consoled and embraced by his caddie Carl Jackson.  In the post-tournament interview, Crenshaw said: "I had a 15th club in my bag," a reference to Penick. (The "15th club" reference is based on the golf rule that limits a player to carrying 14 clubs during a round.)  Crenshaw first won at Augusta in 1984.

In 1997, 21-year-old Tiger Woods became the youngest champion in Masters history, winning by 12 shots with an 18-under par 270 which broke the 72-hole record that had stood for 32 years.<ref name="Hist"/> In 2001, Woods completed his "Tiger Slam" by winning his fourth straight major championship at the Masters by two shots over [[David Duval]].<ref name=past-results/> He won again the following year, making him only the third player in history (after Nicklaus and Faldo) to win the tournament in consecutive years,<ref name=past-results/> as well as in 2005 when he defeated [[Chris DiMarco]] in a playoff for his first major championship win in almost three years.<ref name=past-results/>

In 2003, the Augusta National Golf Club was targeted by [[Martha Burk]], who organized a failed protest at that year's Masters to pressure the club into accepting female members. Burk planned to protest at the front gates of Augusta National during the third day of the tournament, but her application for a permit to do so was denied.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9F01E3DA133EF930A25750C0A9659C8B63 |newspaper=The New York Times |date=March 13, 2003 |title=City of Augusta Is Sued Over Protest at the Masters |last=Brown |first=Clifton |access-date=November 23, 2008 |archive-date=February 24, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090224034248/http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9F01E3DA133EF930A25750C0A9659C8B63 |url-status=live}}</ref> A court appeal was dismissed.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9900EFDE163BF933A25757C0A9659C8B63 |title=Court Rejects Burk Appeal |newspaper=The New York Times |date=October 4, 2003 |access-date=November 23, 2008 |archive-date=February 22, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090222022759/http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9900EFDE163BF933A25757C0A9659C8B63 |url-status=live}}</ref> In 2004, Burk stated that she had no further plans to protest against the club.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9805E2DB1F3CF93AA15751C0A9629C8B63 |title=To Burk, No Point Picketing Masters |date=February 29, 2004 |newspaper=The New York Times |access-date=November 23, 2008 |archive-date=February 24, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090224171343/http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9805E2DB1F3CF93AA15751C0A9629C8B63 |url-status=live}}</ref>  The club admitted its first two women members, [[Condoleezza Rice]] and [[Darla Moore]], in 2012.

Augusta National chairman [[Billy Payne]] himself made headlines in April 2010 when he commented at the annual pre-Masters press conference on Tiger Woods' [[Tiger Woods#Infidelity scandal and fallout|off-the-course behavior]]. "It's not simply the degree of his conduct that is so egregious here," Payne said, in his opening speech. "It is the fact he disappointed all of us and more importantly our kids and grandkids."<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/more_sports/2010/04/07/2010-04-07_masters_chairman_rips_tiger_for_his_conduct.html |location=New York |newspaper=Daily News |title=Masters chairman Billy Payne rips Tiger Woods for 'disappointing all of us' |first=Filip |last=Bondy |date=April 7, 2010 |access-date=April 11, 2010 |archive-date=April 10, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100410083128/http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/more_sports/2010/04/07/2010-04-07_masters_chairman_rips_tiger_for_his_conduct.html |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/04/07/AR2010040703169.html |newspaper=The Washington Post |title=Billy Payne disappointed in Tiger Woods's 'egregious' behavior |first=Barry |last=Svrluga |date=April 8, 2010 |access-date=May 12, 2010 |archive-date=February 16, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110216182142/http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/04/07/AR2010040703169.html |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.latimes.com/sports/nationworld/wire/sns-ap-glf-masters-payne-statement,0,3492289.story |title=Billy Payne's remarks regarding Tiger Woods playing at Augusta |newspaper=Los Angeles Times |access-date=May 12, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100411220319/http://www.latimes.com/sports/nationworld/wire/sns-ap-glf-masters-payne-statement%2C0%2C3492289.story |archive-date=April 11, 2010}}</ref>

In 2003, [[Mike Weir]] became the first Canadian to win a [[Men's major golf championships|men's major championship]] and the first left-hander to win the Masters when he defeated [[Len Mattiace]] in a playoff.<ref name=past-results/> The following year another left-hander, [[Phil Mickelson]], won his first major championship by making a birdie on the final hole to beat [[Ernie Els]] by a stroke.<ref name=past-results/> Mickelson also won the tournament in 2006 and 2010. In 2011, unheralded South African [[Charl Schwartzel]] birdied the final four holes to win by two strokes. In 2012, [[Bubba Watson]] won the tournament on the second playoff hole over [[Louis Oosthuizen]]. In 2013 [[Adam Scott (golfer)|Adam Scott]] won the Masters in a playoff over 2009 champion [[Ángel Cabrera]], making him the first Australian to win the tournament.<ref>{{cite web |first=Chris |last=Matthews |title=As it happened: Scott wins US Masters |url=http://tvnz.co.nz/golf-news/happened-scott-wins-us-masters-5406418 |publisher=TVNZ |date=April 15, 2013 |access-date=October 7, 2014 |archive-date=August 3, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200803183909/http://tvnz.co.nz/golf-news/happened-scott-wins-us-masters-5406418 |url-status=live}}</ref> Watson won the 2014 Masters by three strokes over [[Jordan Spieth]] and [[Jonas Blixt]], his second Masters title in three years and the sixth for a left-hander in 12 years. In 2015, Spieth would become the second-youngest winner (behind Woods) in just his second Masters, equaling Woods' 72-hole scoring record.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.espn.com/golf/masters15/story/_/id/12676053/jordan-spieth-21-ties-masters-scoring-record-first-major-championship |title=Jordan Spieth, 21, leads Masters wire to wire for 1st major win |work=ESPN |agency=Associated Press |date=April 13, 2015 |access-date=April 13, 2015 |archive-date=April 20, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160420040705/http://espn.go.com/golf/masters15/story/_/id/12676053/jordan-spieth-21-ties-masters-scoring-record-first-major-championship |url-status=live}}</ref>  In 2017, [[Sergio García]] beat [[Justin Rose]] in a playoff for his long-awaited first major title.  In 2019, Tiger Woods captured his fifth Masters, his first win at Augusta National in 14 years and his first major title since 2008.

The [[2020 Masters Tournament]], originally scheduled to be played April 9–12, was postponed until November due to the ongoing [[COVID-19 pandemic|coronavirus outbreak]].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.espn.com/golf/story/_/id/28897249/augusta-national-announces-masters-postponed-played |title=Augusta announces Masters will be postponed |date=March 13, 2020 |work=ESPN |first=Bob |last=Harig |access-date=March 16, 2020 |archive-date=November 13, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201113131734/https://www.espn.com/golf/story/_/id/28897249/augusta-national-announces-masters-postponed-played |url-status=live}}</ref> Dustin Johnson won the tournament by five strokes. 

In 2025, a monument in [[Augusta, Georgia]] was erected by artist [[Baruti Tucker]] to honor the black caddies at [[Augusta National Golf Club]] for the Masters Tournament.<ref>{{cite web |title=New monument honors Black caddies of the Masters Tournament in Augusta |url=https://www.wsbtv.com/news/local/new-monument-honors-black-caddies-masters-tournament-augusta/GLHLSTOBC5GO7E2LWSWWN5XXSY/ |website=WSB-TV |publisher=Cox Media Group |date=April 6, 2023 |access-date=April 13, 2025}}</ref>