The Masters Tournament is one of the four 'Majors' in professional golf and is the first to be staged each calendar year. Unlike the three other major championships The Masters is always played at the same venue, Augusta National Golf Club.

The Augusta course has many famous holes and includes the famous triumvirate at the 11th, 12th and 13th where so many rounds have been 'made' or totally ruined. Author, Herbert Warren, coined the now legendary description of "Amen Corner" for these three consecutive holes.

World Famous Augusta National Golf Club

The first Masters was held in 1934 and won by American, Horton Smith. Home players then dominated The Masters right up until 1961 when South African, Gary Player, became the first non-American to win the coveted Green Jacket.

Since 1949, the winner of The Masters has been awarded a green jacket. These green 'coats', as they were originally referred to, were worn for identification purposes by all members of Augusta National. The first winner of the Green Jacket was legendary golfer Sam Snead. Each winner keeps the Green Jacket for a year after which he is obliged to return it to the Club to wear on subsequent visits. Traditionally, the winner of the previous competition places a jacket on the new winner.

European Masters Golf Success

The Americans have dominated this tournament and it wasn't until 1980 when Seve Ballesteros became the first European to win the Green Jacket. In 1985 Bernhard Langer of West Germany also won, and in 1988 Sandy Lyle of Scotland became the first Briton to win The Masters. This was quickly followed by Nick Faldo (winner in 1989, 1990 and 1996) and Ian Woosnam in 1991, and Spaniard José María Olazábal who won The Masters twice in the 1990s.