It is the first full week of April and the azaleas are blooming, which can only mean one thing: The Masters is here! It is the week all sports fan circle on their calendars and feign illness/injury so they can spend Thursday-Sunday on the couch.
Since 1934, Bobby Jones’ dream tournament has been conducted at Augusta National Golf Club, the most iconic location in golf, as the backdrop. It is considered to be the ultimate test of championship golf.
The field teeing it up this week in northern Georgia will feature many of the top LIV Golf stars and top-ranked PGA Tour players.
As we do each week, let’s take a look at the history, field, stats and other factoids as we prepare for the season’s first major.
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The Skinny
The MASTERS
Dates: Apr. 11-14, 2024
Course: Augusta National GC
Where: Augusta, GA
Distance: Par 72, 7545 yards
Architect: Alister McKenzie, Bobby Jones
Field: 88 (by invitation)
Format: Stroke, 72 holes
Cut: 36 holes
Purse: $20,0000
Winning Share: $3,600,000
FedExCup Pts: 700
OWGR Pts: 100
2023 Champion: Jon Rahm
How to Follow The MASTERS
TELEVISION: Thu-Fri: 3-7:30 p.m. (ESPN); Sat: 3-7 p.m. (CBS); Sun: 2-7 p.m. (CBS)
STREAMING: Thu-Fri: 8:30 a.m.; Sat-Sun: 11 a.m. (ESPN+, MASTERS.COM)
RADIO: Thu-Sun: 2-7 p.m. (CBS Radio, Sirius 208, XM 92)
All times Eastern
LINKS: Website | Instagram | X/Twitter | Facebook
History of The MASTERS
Believe it or not, The Masters has not always been called The Masters, at least not officially.
Tournament co-founder Clifford Roberts wanted that name to be attached to the tournament right off the bat, but he was overruled by the legendary Bobby Jones, a paragon of humility, thought the name sounded boastful and pretentious.
As a result, the initial tournaments were given the tongue-twisting name, Augusta National Invitation Tournament, but after five years, the tournament had become such a resounding success that Jones finally relented and allowed the event to officially be called The Masters.
The Masters began as an idea in the mind of Jones, who had achieved basically everything that could be achieved in golf. He wanted to build his own course and hold his own tournament. He wanted to create the ultimate golf experience.
After Jones made the decision to build the course in Augusta, Georgia, he and Roberts found an old tree nursery that they felt would be the perfect place. Augusta National was created at that very spot, with help from renowned golf architect Alister MacKenzie.
The inaugural Masters teed off in 1934, with Horton Smith becoming the first champion. What helped the Masters really take off, however, was Gene Sarazen’s double-eagle on 15 on Sunday in 1935, known today as “the shot heard around the world”.
Sarazen would go on to win that Masters in a playoff, and it soon built a reputation for being a high-end tournament worthy of the best of the best.
Over the years, the course and tournament format have been frequently updated, and many traditions were adopted. One such tradition, the green jacket, was originally just for club members, but the decision was made to make each year’s tournament winner an honorary Augusta member, and award them their own green jacket.
Other traditions include medals for winners and runners-up, honorary tournament starters, the annual par-3 tournament and the Champion’s dinner, a feast hosted (and paid for) by the previous year’s winner.
Tournament winners have included many of the all-time greats, including Sarazen, Ben Hogan, Byron Nelson, Sam Snead, Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player, Tom Watson,Phil Mickelson, and Tiger Woods, among many others. Nicklaus holds the tournament record with six green jackets, followed by Woods with five, and Palmer with four.
Woods’ first Masters win (1997) was by an unfathomable 12 strokes, a tournament record. Jimmy Demaret, Snead, Player, Mickelson and Nick Faldo are three-time winners, while Horton Smith, Nelson, Hogan, Tom Watson, Seve Ballesteros, Bernhard Langer, Ben Crenshaw, Jose Maria Olazabal, and Bubba Watson have won twice. The winner is famously given a lifetime Masters exemption.
Lee Trevino is considered the greatest player to never win the Masters. As a Mexican-American, Trevino said that he felt uncomfortable and unwelcomed at Augusta National and that he disliked the course because his style of play. At the peak of his prime, Trevino did not accept invitations to the Masters in 1970, 1971, and 1974. And in 1972, he famously got dressed in the parking lot, rather than use the locker room facilities. Years later, he would come to regret his boycott of the Masters, calling it “the greatest mistake I’ve made in my career.” He’s called Augusta National “the eighth wonder of the world.”
Masters History: Recent Winners
2023: Jon Rahm (-12)
2022: Scottie Scheffler (-10)
2021: Hideki Matsuyama (-10)
2020: Dustin Johnson (-20)
2019: Tiger Woods (-13)
2018: Patrick Reed (-15)
2017: Sergio Garcia (-9)
2016: Danny Willett (-5)
2015: Jordan Spieth (-18)
2014: Bubba Watson (-8)
2013: Adam Scott (-9)
Masters History: Records
SCORING:
268 (-20) Dustin Johnson (2020)
WINS:
6 – Jack Nicklaus (1963, 1965-66, 1972, 1975, 1986)
5 – Tiger Woods (1997, 2001-02, 2005, 2019)
4 – Arnold Palmer (1958, 1960, 1962, 1964)
3 – Jimmy Demaret (1940, 1947, 1950)
3 – Sam Snead (1949, 1952, 1954)
3 – Gary Player (1961, 1974, 1978)
3 – Nick Faldo (1989-90, 1996)
3 – Phil Mickelson (2004, 2006, 2010)
The Course: Augusta National
Augusta National Golf Club, located in the Georgia town of the same name, is one of the most famous golf clubs in the world.
Founded by Bobby Jones and Clifford Roberts on the site of the former Fruitlands Nursery, the course was designed by Jones and Alister MacKenzie, and opened for play in January 1933.
Since 1934, the club has played host to the annual Masters Tournament, one of the four major championships in professional golf, and the only major played each year at the same course.
Lengthened in recent years because of the increasing number of big hitters, the course still makes mortals of most.
Amen Corner – The second shot at the 11th, all of the 12th, and the first two shots at the 13th hole at Augusta are nicknamed “Amen Corner”. This term was first used in print by author Herbert Warren Wind in his April 21, 1958, Sports Illustrated article about the Masters that year. Wind said he wanted a catchy phrase like baseball’s “hot-corner” or football’s “coffin-corner” to explain where some of the most exciting golf had taken place. Thus “Amen Corner” was born.
Famous Moments: In 1958 Arnold Palmer outlasted Ken Venturi to win the tournament with heroic escapes at Amen Corner. Amen Corner also played host to Masters moments such as Byron Nelson‘s birdie-eagle at 12 and 13 in 1937, and Sam Snead‘s water save at 12 in 1949 that sparked him to victory.
On the flip side of fate, Jordan Spieth‘s quadruple bogey on No. 12 during Sunday’s final round in 2016 cost him a two-stroke lead and ultimately the championship.
Rae’s Creek – Cutting across the southeastern corner of the Augusta National property, Rae’s Creek flows along the back of the 11th green, in front of the 12th green, and ahead of the 13th tee. This is the lowest point in elevation of the course.
The (Ben) Hogan and (Byron) Nelson Bridges cross the creek after the 12th and 13th tee boxes, respectively. The creek was named after former property owner John Rae, who died in 1789.
Rae’s Creek has a tributary evident at No. 13 tee, and flows at the back of No. 11 green. It was Rae’s house which was the farthest fortress up the Savannah River from Fort Augusta. The house kept residents safe during Indian attacks when the fort was out of reach.
Ike’s Pond – During a visit to Augusta National, then-General Eisenhower returned from a walk through the woods on the eastern part of the grounds, and informed Clifford Roberts that he had found a perfect place to build a dam if the club would like a fish pond.
Ike’s Pond was built and named, and the dam is located just where Eisenhower said it should be. This is also the location where Roberts committed suicide by gunshot in 1977. At age 83, he had been in ill health for several months with cancer and had a debilitating stroke.
Augusta National Facts
Holes/Yards: 18/7475
Par: 36-36-72
Front: 4, 5, 4, 3, 4, 3, 4, 5, 4
Back: 4, 4, 3, 5, 4, 5, 3, 4, 4
Amen Corner: Nos. 11-13
View PGW’s hole-by-hole course preview here.
The 2024 Masters’ Field
The Masters has the smallest field of the major championships, generally limited to 85-90 players. Unlike other majors, there are no alternates or qualifying tournaments. It is by invitation only, with “invitations” issued to players who meet published criteria. For instance, the top 50-60 players in the Official World Golf Ranking are all invited.
This year’s field has 88 participants, but the players who can realistically entertain hopes of being swathed in a new green jacket on Sunday evening is limited to about 25 or so.
Headlined by five-time Masters champion Tiger Woods, who is not one of those 25 favorites, the field will also feature superstars with great odds to win, including defending champion Jon Rahm and world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler, along with Rory McIlroy, Bryson DeChambeau, Dustin Johnson, Cameron Smith, Justin Thomas, Joaquin Niemann, Viktor Hovland, Brooks Koepka, Xander Schauffele, Hideki Matsuyama, Patrick Cantlay, Collin Morikawa, Wyndham Clark, Ludvig Aberg, and Jordan Spieth.
This group – particularly Smith, Rahm, DJ, Hovland, Thomas, Scheffler, Cantlay, Morikawa, Koepka, and McIlroy – are always the top betting favorites, no matter the major.
Other top-ranked players from what would be considered the next level of favorites: Matthew Fitzpatrick, Brian Harman, Cameron Young, Tommy Fleetwood, Tony Finau, Patrick Reed, Tyrell Hatton, Will Zalatoris, and Max Homa.
Next you have a strong group of players who could easily win the Masters but are a bit of longer shots: Min Woo Lee, Sungjae Im, Sam Burns, Tom Kim, Shane Lowry, Sergio Garcia, and Rickie Fowler.
Then you have a group of big-name former major winners, who’ve fallen some in terms of form and ranking but are still at a world-class level and could easily win this week: Adam Scott, Jason Day, Justin Rose, Bubba Watson, and Keegan Bradley.
Those are just the headliners. There are so many directions this tournament could go, often frequently thrown in less familiar directions by the strong international contingent that is always part of the mix. (Heck, can you ever totally rule out 53-year-old Phil Mickelson, the former Masters champ, who finished T2 here last year at 52?)
Honorary starters Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player, and Tom Watson will officially open the tournament with tee shots at 7:45 a.m. Thursday. From there, let the drama unfold!
Top-20 Betting Favorites
1. Scottie Scheffler 4-1
2. Rory McIlroy 11-1
3. Jon Rahm 12-1
4. Brooks Koepka 14-1
5. Xander Schauffele 18-1
6. Hideki Matsuyama 20-1
6. Jordan Spieth 20-1
8. Ludvig Aberg 22-1
9. Joaquin Niemann 25-1
9. Wyndham Clark 25-1
11. Patrick Cantlay 30-1
12. Bryson DeChambeau 35-1
12. Cameron Smith 35-1
12. Justin Thomas 35-1
12. Viktor Hovland 35-1
12. Will Zalatoris 35-1
17. Collin Morikawa 40-1
17. Dustin Johnson 40-1
17. Matthew Fitzpatrick 40-1
20. Brian Harman 50-1
20. Tommy Fleetwood 50-1
Money Pick: Bryson DeChambeau 35-1
Full Field: Odds To Win
Augusta National | Augusta, GA | Apr 11-14, 2024
Credits: PGA Tour Media, Getty Images, Wikipedia, Masters.com, Bovada
Joel Cook contributed to this preview.
