2016/2017 TOURNAMENT OVERVIEW
April 6-9, 2017
Masters Tournament
Location Augusta, Ga. Augusta N ational Golf Club
Yardage 7,435; par 72
Tickets
For information, visit online at www.tickets.masters.com. Long-hitting Dustin Johnson shot a final-round 71 to tie for fourth.
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When Bobby Jones retired from competitive golf after winning the Grand Slam in 1930, he set his sights on building his dream course. Aided by his friend, New York investment banker Clifford Roberts, the perfect site was found in Augusta, Ga., on a former tree nursery. “It seemed that this land had been lying here for years just waiting for someone to lay a golf course upon it,” Jones later wrote. Jones collaborated with architect Alister MacKenzie on the design of Augusta National Golf Club, building a strategic layout that was immediately acclaimed upon opening in 1932. There was some discussion with the USGA of holding a U.S. Open there, but that didn’t work out since the club was closed during the summer months. So Roberts came up with the idea of holding an invitation tournament in the spring, hosted by the legendary Jones. With Jones interrupting his retirement to play in the event, the inaugural Augusta National Invitation Tournament (as it was then named) in 1934 drew more press coverage than any tournament outside of the U.S. Open. By the time Gene Sarazen won in 1935 in spectacular fashion, fueled by a double
eagle on the 15th hole, the tournament (which would officially become the Masters in 1939) had already become a rite of spring. Sarazen’s victory was only one example of Augusta National bringing out the best in the game’s greatest players, as it has continued to do throughout Masters history. Byron Nelson won his first major there in 1937 and added another Masters in 1942. Sam Snead and Ben Hogan claimed five of the six Masters from 1949 through 1954, Snead three and Hogan two. Arnold Palmer, with his swashbuckling style, used Augusta National as his main stage, becoming the first to win the Masters four times, in 1958, 1960, 1962 and 1964. Jack Nicklaus came along and did Palmer two better, claiming six green jackets from 1963 to 1986. South Africa’s Gary Player, also made a mark with Masters titles in 1961, 1974 and 1978. He heralded the rise of international players in golf, and especially in the Masters. England’s Nick Faldo with three titles (1989, 1990, 1996) led a vanguard of Europeans who captured 11 Masters from 1980 to 1999. Just before the turn of the century the game’s next dominant player arrived, and
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Course Information
Augusta National Golf Club was designed by Alister MacKenzie and Bobby Jones, opening in 1932. Laid out on the site of a former tree nursery, the course features elevation changes; large, undulating greens; and relatively few but strategically placed bunkers. The course has undergone many changes throughout its history to continue to provide a strong test for Masters competitors.
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