Golf At Its Best
Author: Susie Drake

Arguably, the most coveted victory in professional golf is the
presentation of the green jacket to the winner at the Masters
Tournament. This year the tournament will be held April 3-9
and, as always, will be at Augusta National Golf Club in the
beautiful state of Georgia. It is an event that has evolved
since its beginning in 1934. The Masters-a vision of golf at
its best and most competitive-began with Bobby Jones and
Clifford Roberts and continues today.

Over the years, the course has undergone improvements and this
year is no exception. Changes will be made on 6 holes. In order
to play, a golfer has to meet at least one of 17 requirements
for participation, which in the end creates a competitive field
unmatched by any other golf tournament. This year a total of 99
golfers will participate in the tournament, which includes 57
US and 42 international players. Five amateurs will be
participating. Of the 99 golfers, 14 will be playing the
Augusta course for the first time.

The usual standouts will be in attendance, however the Masters
often features surprise breakthrough performances from those
who are lesser known. The qualifying rounds are on the first 2
days. The top 44 players of the group will go to the final
round and after it's all over, the 24 top finishers are
automatically invited back for next year's competition.

The Masters is as rich in history as it is in talent. In 1934,
when the first Augusta National Invitation Tournament was held
at Augusta National Golf Club, Bobby Jones had just finished
overseeing the completion of the course with the help of Dr.
Alister Mackenzie as the course architect. It was renamed the
Masters Golf Tournament in 1938.

The initial tournament also featured its first playoff, which
was won by Horton Smith. In 1935, Gene Serazen and Craig Wood
tied and then went on to battle through a whopping 36-hole
playoff with Serazen winning by five strokes. 1942 saw Byron
Nelson earn a one-stroke victory over Ben Hogan in a
shorter18-hole playoff. Other great players who have won the
tournament include Henry Picard (1938), Ralph Guldahl (1939),
Jimmy Demaret (1940), Herman Keiser (1946), Sam Snead (1949),
and Ben Hogan (1951, 1953).

During World War II, the Augusta grounds were used to raise
cattle and turkeys for the war effort. Arnold Palmer showed up
in the 1950's and began his consecutive run of 50 straight
appearances, which ended in 2004. It was then that a new
generation rose to replace the men who had become legends,
including Palmer (multiple winner), Jack Nicklaus (multiple
winner), Gay Brewer (1967), Gary Player (1961, 1974), Billy
Casper (1970) and Raymond Floyd (1976).

There have been some interesting golf milestones over the
72-year tradition of the Masters Golf Tournament. In 1936,
Horton Smith became the first 2-time winner, and three
generations later in 1999, Jose Maria Olazubal ended up being
the 14th multiple winner. The first four-time winner was Arnold
Palmer, only to be topped by the only six-time winner, Jack
Nicklaus, in 1986. At the age of 36, Nicklaus' last win made
him the oldest Masters champion.

More recently, the green jacket went to the youngest man to win
the tournament-Tiger Woods, who notched the lowest 72-hole total
in the history of the contest while creating the largest winning
margin. Gary Player was the first international player to win
the Masters. In 2003, Canadian Mike Weir became the first
player from his country to prevail at Augusta as well as the
first left-handed player ever to receive the green jacket. In
2004, Phil Mickelson won the tournament with a birdie on the
last hole to join 3 other champions who had done the same.

The green jacket is the trademark of the Masters and its color
represents the beauty of rich, healthy turf. It was first
awarded to Sam Snead after his victory in 1949. Members
actually began wearing them in 1937. They are never removed
from the club and those members who work on the tournament are
referred to as "The Green Jackets." Also, the men who wear this
special emblem are considered part of golf's elite, and even
though some don't play as well as others, they all share their
love and dedication for the sport.

Originally, golf was considered a sport mainly for the wealthy
until the common man's general, Dwight D. Eisenhower, became a
member in 1948. When he became president, it was transformed
into a great pastime for the middle-class. In the past few
years, there has been controversy over the inclusion of women
in the tournament, which is a subject that still remains open
for debate.

Like every sport, golf has its superstitions too. The Masters
carries the curse of the Par-3 Contest. Sam Snead was the first
winner of this mini-tournament in 1960. Since the implementation
of this competition, no one has ever won the Masters and the
Par-3 contest in the same year. This so-called curse has
continued for 45 years.

So what can we expect in 2006? Seven days of golf's finest
players vying for top honors on one of golf's most beautiful
and challenging courses. Each of the elite 99 will be pursuing
their individual dream of wearing the triumphant and symbolic
green jacket of the Masters.


About The Author: By Susie Drake sponsored by
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