The Masters will be played for 87th time at Augusta National next month. It's the first of the four majors each year, but the youngest of the four tournaments.
The Open Championship, often referred to as the British Open, is the world's oldest golf tournament dating from 1860. The first U.S. Open was played in 1895 and the first PGA in 1916. The PGA was changed from match to stoke play in 1958.
There have been some memorable moments at the Masters.
Gene Sarazen hit the most famous shot in the history of the sport in 1935. He came to the par 5 15th during the final round trailing Craig Wood by three strokes, and put his second shot in the hole from 232 yards for a double eagle. That tied him with Wood and he won a playoff to become the first player with a career grand slam. He previously won the PGA three times, the U.S. Open twice and the Open Championship once.
The most unfortunate incident at the Masters happened in 1968. Roberto De Vicenzo was an Argentine golfer who won 229 tournaments world wide including the 1967 Open Championship. He shot a 65 in the final round at the ’68 Masters for a 277 total, tied with Bob Goalby, to set up a playoff. But De Vicenzo's playing partner, Tommy Aaron, erroneously marked a par 4 instead of a birdie 3 for the 17th hole, and De Vicnezo signed the incorrect scorecard. Under golf rules, the incorrect score is the official score when it is signed, giving De Vicenzo 278 and Goalby the victory.
De Vicnezo’s comment – “What a stupid I am to be wrong here.”
Jack Nicklaus won the Masters a record six times 23 yards apart, beginning in 1963. In 1965, Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer and Gary Player, golf's Big Three at the time, were tied at six under 138 through two rounds. Nicklaus shot 64-69 the last two rounds for a 271 total, a record at the time, to finish nine strokes ahead of Palmer and Player,
Nicklaus also won in 1966 in a playoff with Gay Brewer and Tom Jacobs, making him the first repeat winner, 1972, 1975 and 1986. His 1986 victory, at age 46, was the result of a six-under 30 on the final nine holes.
Tiger Woods has won five times, beginning in 1997, when he won at age 21 by a record 12 strokes with a record 72-hole score of 270. His most recent win came in 2019, a comeback from numerous injuries.
But nobody has dominated the Masters the way Palmer did, winning four times in seven years from 1958 to ’64. It could have been six in seven years.
After winning for the first time in 1958, he finished two strokes behind Art Wall in ’59 because he put his tee shot in the water at the par 3 12th during the final round and finished with a triple bogey. After winning in 1960 with a birdie-birdie finish, he needed a par on the final hole to win in ’61. His double bogey handed the green jacket to Player.
In 1962, he birdied 16 and 17 on Sunday to get into a three-way playoff with Player and Don Finsterwald, then won the playoff. If he had parred 12 in 1959 and 18 in ’61, it would have been five in a row.
Palmer won his final Masters in 1964 giving him victories in four consecutive even years.
The winners’ prize money each of the first nine year of the Masters — $1,500. Scottie Scheffler’s reward for winning last year —$2,700,000.
