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PGA Golf | The Masters

History of The Masters PGA Tournament

Looking to provide a service to golf by hosting a tournament, Bobby Jones and Clifford Roberts decided to hold an annual event beginning in 1934. The final decision was made at a meeting in New York at the office of member W. Alton Jones. Roberts proposed the event be called the Masters Tournament, but Bobby Jones objected thinking it too presumptuous. The name Augusta National Invitation Tournament was adopted and the title was used for five years until 1939 when Jones relented and the name was officially changed. An early decision was whether Jones would play or serve as an official. Jones preferred not to compete but was persuaded by the Club's members to join the field. In the 12 Tournaments that Jones played, his best finish was 13th in 1934.

Many decisions made in the early days of the Tournament remain today. Among these are the four-day stroke playing of 18 holes each day instead of the then customary 36 holes on the third day, eliminating qualifying rounds, and denying permission for anyone except the player and caddie to be in the playing area. A complimentary pairing sheet and a spectator booklet were provided, and commercialization in any form of the Tournament was limited.

The first Tournament was held March 22, 1934, and beginning in 1940, the Masters was scheduled each year during the first full week in April. That first Tournament was won by Horton Smith, and in the Fall of 1934 the nines were reversed. In 1935 Gene Sarazen hit "the shot heard 'round the world" scoring a double eagle on the par 5 15th hole, tying Craig Wood and forcing a playoff. Sarazen won the 36-hole playoff the following day by five strokes. In 1942 Byron Nelson defeated Ben Hogan 69-70 in an 18-hole playoff and the Tournament was not played the following three years, 1943, 1944 and 1945, during the war. To assist the war effort, cattle and turkeys were raised on the Augusta National grounds.

The 1950's included two victories by Ben Hogan, and the first of four for Arnold Palmer. Palmer's 1958 win began the tradition of Amen Corner. In 1960 the Par 3 Contest was begun, and in 1965-1966 Jack Nicklaus became the first Masters champion to defend his title successfully. During the decade of the 1970's the two founders of the Masters Tournament passed away. Both Jones and Roberts left indelible impressions on the Masters and on the world of golf. The following decade Spaniard Seve Ballesteros won twice and Tom Watson captured his second title. In 1986 at age 46, Nicklaus donned his sixth Green Jacket. And in 1997, Tiger Woods broke the Tournament four-day scoring record that had stood for 32 years. At the 2001 Masters, Woods won his fourth consecutive professional major, and in 2002 became only the third player to win consecutive Masters titles.

Bobby Jones

Robert (Bobby) Tyre Jones, Jr., was born on St. Patrick’s Day, March 17, 1902, in Atlanta, Georgia. The amateur golfer Bobby Jones dominated the game of golf from the early 1920’s through 1930. From 1923 through 1930, Jones won 13 of 21 major championships he entered. His record includes five United States Amateur Championships, one British Amateur Championship, four U.S. Open Championships and three British Open Championships. In 1926 he was the first man ever to win the Open Championship of both countries in the same year.

In 1930, Jones won the British Amateur on the Old Course at St. Andrews, the British Open at Royal Liverpool in Hoylake, England, the U.S. Open at Interlachen Country Club in Minneapolis and the U.S. Amateur at Merion to capture golf’s Grand Slam. In 11 of the last 12 Open championships he played, nine U.S. Opens and three British, he finished first or second. At the age of 28, Jones retired from competitive golf except for playing yearly at the Masters.

Academically Jones was equally successful. He studied engineering at Georgia Tech earning a BS degree in Mechanical Engineering, then completed a BS degree in English Literature from Harvard. He later entered Emory University to pursue a degree in law, passing the bar exam after his first year of school.

Off the golf course Jones designed golf clubs, wrote four books including Bobby Jones on Golf, hundreds of newspaper articles, and gave instructional performances in several movies. He helped found and make successful the Masters Tournament and Augusta National Golf Club, where he was named President in 1933 and remains President in Perpetuity.

He was married to the former Mary Malone and had three children, Clara Malone, Robert T., III, and Mary Ellen. In 1971 at age 69, Jones died of the spinal disease syringomyelia.

Clifford Roberts

Clifford Roberts was born on a farm in Morning Sun, Iowa, in 1894. He was the co-founder with Bobby Jones of Augusta National Golf Club. Roberts served as Chairman of Augusta National from 1931 through 1976 and was named Chairman in Memoriam after his death in 1977. He was Chairman of the Masters Tournament from 1934 through 1976.

An astute investment banker, Roberts made his mark on Wall Street as a partner with Reynolds & Company.

Under Roberts’ direction, the Masters made numerous innovations which are now commonplace in golf. He changed the mound locations to give the gallery better viewing. He was the first to use a series of leader boards placed throughout the course. He also devised a system for showing the cumulative score of each player – red for under par, green zero for par and green for over par. Roberts was also instrumental in the first and subsequent Masters television broadcasts, working closely with the network.

It was Roberts who in 1948 invited General Dwight Eisenhower to visit Augusta National and who would later become a political and financial advisor to the President. Subsequently, Eisenhower became a member of the Club.

Roberts received many awards and honors during his lifetime including service on the PGA Advisory Committee from its inception in 1943 until his death, appointment by the USGA to serve on the Bobby Jones Award Selection Committee, and enshrinement in the World Golf Hall of Fame in 1978. He was the author of The Story of the Augusta National Golf Club, published in 1976.

He was also featured in The Making of the Masters, published in 1999, which is available in the Masters Library.

Visit The Masters PGA Tour's Official Website at http://www.masters.org