Best Traditions at the Masters

It’s almost Masters Championship week and recent surveys show that, by far, it’s the most anticipated and watched of all golf tournaments of the year. It’s time to cue up the Masters theme song (named Augusta) and take a stroll down magnolia lane. We are all in for four days of drama filled competition on one of the most pristine and exciting golf courses in the world.

The Masters is special for so many reasons. The scenery is a level above the rest. Augusta National has the rolling hills, tall pines, and meandering creeks framed by magnolias, azaleas and dogwoods in perfect bloom. Then there are the traditions that have started over the years. These traditions just keep getting richer and make the tournament more special over time.

Amateur Invitations and Recognition

Golf legend and co-founder of Augusta National Golf Club, Bobby Jones, was a life long amateur golfer. In that spirit, starting in 1952, the Masters Championship starting inviting amateur golfers to play alongside the best professional golfers in the world. That tradition continues today and has even been broadened. Among the amateur golfers who qualify to play in the Masters are the US Amateur Champion and US Amateur runner-up, US Mid-Amateur Champion, Latin American Amateur Champion and the Asia Pacific Amateur Champion. These stellar non-pros get some special perks besides getting to walk the fairways of the tournament. They get to stay on property during the tournament sleeping in the crows nest atop the clubhouse.

Many big names of golf have enjoyed that rite of passage including Jack Nicklaus, Curtis Strange and Phil Mickelson. Most people know and talk about the champions dinner where all previous champions dine together. Many don’t know that another tradition for amateurs is the Monday amateur dinner. This was started back in 1948 as a way to support the amateurs and make them more at ease among golf’s greatest pros. Finally, the low scoring amateur who also makes the 36-hole cut wins the Silver Cup.

Wednesday’s Nine Hole Par-3 Contest

The Wednesday tradition of holding a nine hole par-3 contest almost never happened. Club Chairman Clifford Roberts had to try to convince fellow members to hold the event as some members feared this small course would detract from the main event. Luckily, Roberts did convince them and the par-3 contest started back in 1960 with its first winner being Sam Snead. The field of this contest is made up of tournament participants and past non-competing champions. The tradition certainly brings some charm to the championship as wives, kids and families of the players take an active role serving as caddies for the players. The Par-3 course is nine holes ranging from 70 yards to 140 yards and has seen an amazing 94 aces over the years. To date, no player who has ever won the par-3 contest has ever won the championship that same year.

Champions Dinner

Past Masters champions get to stroll down Magnolia lane for an exclusive dinner each year. For 2023, this dinner has been much talked about due to the public comments made by past champions regarding the competing golf tours. To hear the media, this could be anything from a fiery, confrontational affair or possibly an awkward, cold get together. Here’s hoping it’s a time to bring some of golf’s greatest stars together reminding themselves more about what they have in common versus what they don’t. The Champions Dinner is held on Tuesday night.

The first champions dinner was hosted back in 1952 by Ben Hogan who won the championship the previous year. Champions sometimes select dishes to showcase their upbringing or heritage. This year Jon Rahm is giving a nod to Northern Spainish cooking with his menu of tapas and even a dish from his grandma.

The Green Jacket

Since 1949, each winner of the Masters Championship has been awarded a green jacket. This jacket is also the official attire of all club members that they wear while on club grounds. Each Masters winner gets a green jacket making them a honorary club member. The jacket is first awarded to them in the Butler Cabin in a short ceremony. Then, the winner is taken out to the 18th green where the jacket is once again presented to them by the previous year’s champion in front of all the patrons. The winner gets to keep their jacket for a year after their victory. After that, the jacket has to remain at the club.

The Honorary Starters

The tradition of having someone kick off the championship on the first day of competition started all the way back in 1941 when Francis Ouimet played in the first round knowing he would later withdraw after the round. Twenty years later Jock Hutchison and Fred McLeod teed off restarting the tradition. For almost a decade, the twosome would play nine or even 18 holes. The tradition was brought back in 1981 with Byron Nelson and Gene Sarazen taking on the role. Both were past champions with major careers at the Masters.

The ceremony stopped for a short time and was then restarted with Sam Snead and even Ken Venturi hitting one year. In 2007, Arnold Palmer reignited the tradition as a solo starter and it has really stuck this time. Jack Nicklaus was added in 2010 and Gary Player in 2012. The tournament was also blessed to have Lee Elder in 2021. Last year, golf legend Tom Watson was added with him, Nicklaus and Player making up the present honorary starters.

To learn more about the Masters this year go to our men’s major championship web page. You can learn all about the Masters plus the other three major championships in professional golf this year.