The Masters Tournament

As soon as the Final Four ends, the Masters Tournament begins. More than just a 7,445-yard, Par-72 course, Augusta National Golf Club is a career defining “tradition unlike any other” for any professional golfer on the planet.

Even among the sport’s four major championships — which includes the U.S. Open (June 12-15 at Torrey Pines), the British Open Championship (July 17-20 at Royal Birkdale) and the PGA Championship (Aug. 7-10 at Oakland Hills) — The Masters stands out.

At the first major of the year (and the top of every pro’s career check list), fans are referred to as “patrons,” the rough is called the “second cut,” caddies wear all-white coveralls and champions are awarded “Masters Green” jackets.

The Masters doesn’t need commercial breaks and we’re lucky it’s even televised. Super Bowl tickets are easier to come by.

But this year, there will be more extensive coverage than any other, with ESPN handling Thursday and Friday (4:00–7:00 p.m. ET) for the first time ever, before CBS takes over weekend coverage (3:30–7:00 p.m. ET) for the 53rd consecutive year — the longest running event in CBS Sports history and the highest rated golf tournament every year since 1986, when Jack Nicklaus stole the show.

The Masters Tournament started in 1934 and has been an annual four-day major event, excluding 1943-45 — when World War II took precedence. The greatest champions in the game have succeeded at Augusta ever since.

Tailor Made
The players with the most victories (and Green Jackets) in Masters history:

This year, Gary Player is scheduled to break the record for most Masters Tournaments played in, with 51 — topping Arnold Palmer’s previous record of 50 starts at Augusta.

The 72-year-old South African fitness guru is a nine-time major champion and still holds the record for holes-in-one at the Par-3 Contest at Augusta, with three. He qualifies for this year’s tournament as a former champion.

Invitation Only
Who is eligible for this year's exclusive event at Augusta National:

This year, 94 players qualified for the Masters Tournament, none more high profile than Tiger Woods — who qualifies in a variety of ways, as a Masters champ (1997, 2001, 2002, 2005), British Open winner within the past five years (2006, 2005), PGA champ (2007, 2006), a player in the Top 30 of the previous year’s money list (1st, with just under $10.9 million), a winner during the 2007 season (7: Buick Invitational, WGC-CA Championship, Wachovia Championship, WGC-Bridgestone Invitational, PGA Championship, BMW Championship and The Tour Championship) and a player ranked in the Top 50 on the Official World Golf Ranking (No. 1 for 148 consecutive weeks).

And that doesn’t even cover all of Tiger’s 64 career wins, 13 total major championships and countless dollars earned since turning pro out of Stanford in 1996. The 32-year-old is already among the greatest golfers ever and is aiming to add a Grand Slam — by winning all four majors in the same calendar year — to his resume. And that starts with a victory at Augusta National, where Tiger has had a tremendous track record.

Tiger’s Masters History

2007 – T-2nd
2006 – T-3rd
2005 – 1st
2004 – T-22nd
2003 – T-15th 
2002 – 1st
2001 – 1st
2000 – 5th
1999 – T-18th
1998 – T-8th
1997 – 1st
1996 – CUT
1995 – T-41st

Overall, Tiger has won 13 of the 50 majors he has entered, or 26 percent of the most important tournaments on the PGA Tour schedule. He also has 27 Top-10 finishes in those 50 major championships, registering at least a tie for 10th in over half (54 percent) of the majors he has played.

Tiger's 13 Major Championships

• The Masters (2005, 2002, 2001, 1997)

• PGA Championship (2007, 2006, 2000, 1999)

• British Open (2006, 2005, 2000)

• U.S. Open (2002, 2000)

But Tiger is not the only former Masters Tournament champion in this year’s field. There are 17 other Green Jacket winners, many of whom must be respected as possible contenders.

Active Masters Champs
From Gary Player's 50 career starts and three wins at Augusta National to Zach Johnson's three starts and reigning Masters title:

Champions Dinner

The Tuesday night before the tournament is set aside for the Champions Dinner, an event for former Masters Tournament champions. The previous year’s winner chooses the menu, although the club’s standard fare is also available.

This year, 2007 Masters winner Zach Johnson served Iowa corn-fed beef, shrimp, corn casserole, corn pudding, crab cakes, vegetables and salad.

A 22-year-old Tiger Woods served cheeseburgers and French fries in 1998, while an older Phil Mickelson served lobster ravioli and Caesar salad in 2005, the year after winning his first major championship.

Some of the more famous dishes were haggis served by Sandy Lyle in 1989 and wild boar from Canada’s Mike Weir in 2004.

Par-3 Tournament

On Wednesday afternoon, the Par-3 Tournament brings fans, icons, players and their children together for a fun event that has taken on a strangely superstitious aura since its inception in 1960.

No one has ever won the Masters Tournament the same year as the Par-3 Tournament. The best finish by a Par-3 champ was runner-up by Raymond Floyd in 1990 and Chip Beck in 1993. Only one player has ever won their first Masters after winning the Par-3 — with Vijay Singh claiming the 1994 Par-3 before earning a Green Jacket in 2000.

This year, Rory Sabbatini won the event. The outspoken and often controversial South African posted a 5-under on the 9-hole course. But the highlight of the afternoon was the trio of Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer and Gary Player.

Honorary Starters

Maybe one day Nicklaus, Palmer and Player will join together to serve as The Masters’ Honorary Starters, as Sam Snead, Gene Sarazen and Byron Nelson did for many years. 

As it stands, this will be the second year of Palmer teeing off as “The King” of Augusta’s Thursday morning tradition, which began in 1963 — with Snead, Sarazen, Nelson, Ken Venturi, Jock Hutchison and Fred McLeod — and officially starts the tournament.

Green Jacket

Members of Augusta National Golf Club have worn “Masters Green” jackets to stand out since the tournament began in 1937. But the first champion of The Masters awarded a Green Jacket was Sam Snead in 1949.

Since “Slammin’” Sammy, every winner has been honored with a tailor-made jacket that is presented by the previous year’s Masters champ. The Green Jacket is kept while the player is the reigning champ, and then returned to Augusta National Golf Club, to be worn at the Champions Dinner and other special club events.

Catch Them If You Can

Youngest Champion — 1997 — Tiger Woods (21 years, 3 months, 14 days)

Oldest Champion — 1986 — Jack Nicklaus (46 years, 2 months, 23 days)