Masters Golf Tournament Tickets Information

Masters Golf Tournament
The Masters Tournament, which is commonly referred to as The Masters or The US Masters, is one of four major championships in men's professional golf and the first of the four to be played each year. Unlike the other major championships, the Masters is held every year at the same location, Augusta National Golf Club, a private golf club in the city of Augusta, Georgia, USA.

The Masters was started by Clifford Roberts and Bobby Jones, who designed Augusta National with legendary course architect Alister MacKenzie. The final round of the Masters is always scheduled for the second Sunday in April.

The Masters is an official money event on the PGA Tour, the PGA European Tour and the Japan Golf Tour. In line with the other majors, winning the Masters gives a golfer several privileges which make his career more secure. Masters champions are automatically invited to play in the other three majors (the U.S. Open, the Open Championship (British Open), and the PGA Championship) for the next five years, and earn a lifetime invitation to the Masters. They also receive membership on the PGA Tour for the following five seasons and invitations to the Players Championship for five years. In 2007, the prize fund was US$7.25 million.

The first Masters Tournament was held on 22 March 1934, and was won by Horton Smith. Bobby Jones saw his involvement in founding the tournament as a service to golf, but demurred at calling it the Masters Tournament, preferring the more modest Augusta National Invitation Tournament. That name was used for five years before Jones relented and the present name was adopted in 1939. The first tournament was played with current holes 10 through 18 played as the first nine, and 1 through 9 as the second, then reversed permanently to its famous layout for the 1935 tournament.

In accordance with typical golf tournament formatting, the Masters Tournament is a 72-hole tournament held over four days. It is held under the rules of golf, as defined by the United States Golf Association and is also be subject to special rulings and regulations set by the Masters Tournament Committee. Because the Masters has a relatively smaller field compared to other golf tournaments, groups are set to a size of three players for the first 36 holes (typically Thursday and Friday). After 36 holes have been played by all players, a cut is made. Players who 'make the cut' are in one or both of the following two categories: (1) Lowest 44 scores plus ties, (2) Within 10 strokes of the lowest 36-hole score (set by the leader). From 1957 to 1960, it was the low 40 plus ties and those within 10 strokes of the leader. Before 1957, there was no 36-hole cut.

More 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. The 2003 tournament was won by Mike Weir, who became the first Canadian to win a major championship, and the first left-hander to win the Masters. The following year, another left-hander, Phil Mickelson, won his first major championship by sinking a 15 foot putt on the 72nd hole to beat Ernie Els by a stroke.

As with many other courses, Augusta National's championship setup has been lengthened in recent years. In 1998, the course measured approximately 6925 yards from the Masters tees. It was lengthened to 7270 yards for 2002, and again in 2006 to 7445 yards; 520 yards longer than the 1998 course. The changes attracted many critics, including the three most successful players in Masters history, Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer and Tiger Woods. Woods claimed that the "shorter hitters are going to struggle." Augusta National chairman Hootie Johnson was unperturbed, stating, "We are comfortable with what we are doing with the golf course". After a practice round Gary Player defended the changes saying, "There have been a lot of criticisms, but I think unjustly so, now I've played it.... The guys are basically having to hit the same second shots that Jack Nicklaus had to hit [in his prime]".

In some years, an honorary opening tee shot is made at the first hole. This honorary tee shot has typically been hit by some of golf's most legendary players. The original honorary starters were Jock Hutchison and Fred McLeod; this twosome led off every tournament until 1973, when bad health prevented Hutchison from swinging a club. McLeod continued on until his death in 1976. Sam Snead made the opening tee shot from 1984 to 2002. Until 1999, he was joined by Gene Sarazen and until 2001 by Byron Nelson. In 2007, Arnold Palmer took over as the honorary starter.

Before 1983, all players were required to use the services of an Augusta National Club caddie. Since then, players have been allowed the option of bringing their own caddie. However, the Masters maintains the standardizing of a full caddie uniform. The complete uniform consists of a white jumpsuit, a green Masters cap, and white tennis shoes. The surname, and sometimes first initial, of each player is found on the back of his caddie's uniform. While the caddie uniform is original to the Masters Tournament, it has also been instituted into the Memorial Golf Tournament. The defending champion always receives caddie number "1": other golfers get their caddie numbers in the order in which they arrive at Augusta National and register for the tournament.

Officially known as the "Masters Club," it includes only past winners of the Masters, although selected members of the Augusta National Golf Club have been included as honorary members, usually the chairman. The defending champion, as host, selects the menu for the dinner. Over the years, one of the most notable entrées was haggis, served by Scotsman Sandy Lyle in 1989.

The Champions' dinner is held each year on the Tuesday evening preceding Thursday's first round. The dinner was first held in 1952, hosted by defending champion Ben Hogan, to honor the past champions of the tournament. At that time fifteen tournaments had been played, and the number of past champions was eleven (including Hogan).

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