OPENING DAY

4/6/2015 (Permalink)

The Masters Tournament, also known as The Masters or The US Masters, is one of the four major championships in professional golf.  Scheduled for the first full week of April, it is the first of the majors to be played each year.  Unlike the other major championships, the Masters is held each year at the same location, Augusta National Golf Club.

The Masters was started by Cliffor Roberts and Bobby Jones.  Jones designed Augusta National with course architect Alister MacKenzie.   The tournament is an official money event on the PGA Tour.  This is also an invitational event, so the field of players is smaller than those of the other major championships.

In 1997, Tiger Woods won the Masters by twelve shots at the age of 21.  Recently, the club was targeted by Martha Burk, who organized a failed protest at the 2003 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.  A court appeal was dimissed in 2004.  In 200 the tournament was won by Mike Weir, who became the first Canadian to win a men's major championship, and the first left-hander to win the Masters. 

Last year the total prize moeny for the toruanment was $9,000,000 with $1,620,000 going to the winner.  In addition to a cash prize the winner of the tournament is presented with a distinctive green jacket, formally awarded since 1949.