When is the… 2018 Masters Tournament
The opening major of the season and there is no better setting than Augusta National.
A brief history of the Masters
Augusta National was founded by Bobby Jones, one of the most influential figures in the history of golf, after he retired. Jones helped design Augusta and co-founded the Masters Tournament.
To this day, his comments upon seeing the land are still iconic:
Perfect! And to think this ground has been lying here all these years waiting for someone to come along and lay a golf course upon it.
Work began on the course in 1931 and Jones drafted in course designer Alister MacKenzie. The first official Masters tournament was in 1934, but MacKenzie died before the first tee shot was hit.
Traditionally the field at the Masters is smaller than those of other major championships due to it being an invitational event, however there is a set of qualifying criteria that determines who can battle it out for the illustrious green jacket.
A win in a past appearance or a win at another major championship in the last five years will confirm your place for the next year.
Winning or being runner-up in an amateur championship will guarantee you a place along with being ranked in the world’s top fifty players or having a strong finish in the previous years tournament.
Invitation golfers playing in the Masters received this year in the mail pic.twitter.com/sfa5ruuti8
— Darren Rovell (@darrenrovell) April 8, 2016
Tradition…
The winner of every Masters receives the iconic green jacket, first awarded in 1949, which is presented by last year’s champion in the Butler Cabin.
It is the place to be on a Sunday, named after member Thomas B. Butler in 1964, it was designed with a TV Studio in mind. For 50 years, Butler Cabin is the first place that will interview the newest champion.
Another long standing tradition is one in which the defending champion hosts the ‘champions dinner’ in attendance of all other previous winners. They choose the evenings menu and most likely Jack Nicklaus chooses the conversation…
Jack Nicklaus holds the record for winning the most Masters throughout his career (six), his most famous coming in 1986 when he was 46 years old.
Tiger Woods remains the youngest winner of the tournament after claiming a green jacket at the ripe old age of 21 in 1997. The highest winning score was 289 (+1) set by Sam Snead in 1954 and equaled by Zach Johnson in 2007.
Many greats of the game have triumphed at Augusta, from Sarazen to Snead and Hogan to Palmer and Nicklaus. Then to modern day greats such as Woods and Mickelson.
The Masters has long stood as the most coveted championship in golf.
When is the 2018 Masters?
This will take place from Thursday 5th April to Sunday 8th April at Augusta National Golf Club.
The tournament as usual will be preceded by Wednesday’s par 3 Contest. The late Arnold Palmer was victorious around the 1,060 yard course a whopping five times.
Who is the defending champion?
Sergio Garcia is the current Masters champion after he defeated Justin Rose in a play-off to win his first major title. Garcia finished in style as he holed his birdie putt after Rose missed a par putt from a similar distance.
How can I watch the 2018 Masters?
While there is still plenty of time to head to Augusta and watch the dramatic action first hand, you can always fully submerge yourself in television coverage.
All the action will be shown live by Sky Sports, through host provider CBS sports, with full highlights in the evenings on the BBC.
When is the… 2018 Ryder Cup?
When is the… 2017 Solheim Cup?
Tom Irwin
Tom is a lifetime golfer, now over 30 years playing the game. 2023 marks 10 years in golf publishing and he is still holding down a + handicap at Alwoodley in Leeds. He has played over 600 golf courses, and has been a member of at least four including his first love Louth, in Lincolnshire. Tom likes unbranded clothing, natural fibres, and pencil bags. Seacroft in Lincolnshire is where it starts and ends.
