While you’re smelling the Azaleas, some facts to think about:
- The tournament has a number of traditions. Since 1949, a green jacket has been awarded to the champion, who must return it to the clubhouse one year after the time of that player’s victory. In most instances, the green jacket is only removed from the club’s grounds by a first-time champion. A golfer who wins the event multiple times uses the same green jacket awarded upon his initial win (unless he needs to be re-fitted with a new green jacket)
- Before 1982 all players in the Masters were required to use the services of an Augusta National Club caddy, who by club tradition was always an African American. Indeed, club co-founder Clifford Roberts is reputed to have said, “As long as I’m alive, golfers will be white, and caddies will be black.” The Masters requires caddies to wear a uniform consisting 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. The defending champion always receives caddy number “1”: other golfers get their caddy numbers from the order in which they register for the tournament.
- The Champions Dinner, inaugurated by Ben Hogan in 1952, is held on the Tuesday before each tournament, and is open only to past champions and certain board members of the Augusta National Golf Club.
- In 1997 Fuzzy Zoeller was asked about Tiger Woods dominating performance and responded, “He’s doing quite well, pretty impressive. That little boy is driving well and he is putting well. He’s doing everything it takes to win. So you know what you guys do when he gets in here? You pat him on the back and say congratulations and enjoy it and tell him not to serve fried chicken next year…or collard greens or whatever they hell they serve.”
- In 1997, Tiger Woods won the Masters by twelve shots at age 21, in the process breaking the tournament four-day scoring record that had stood for 32 years.
- The idea for Augusta National originated with Bobby Jones, who wanted to build a golf course after his retirement from the game. He sought advice from Clifford Roberts, who later became the chairman of the club. They came across a piece of land in Augusta, Georgia, of which Jones said: “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.” The land had been an indigo plantation in the early nineteenth century and a plant nursery since 1857.
- The tournament was not played from 1943 to 1945, due to World War II. To assist the war effort, cattle and turkeys were raised on the Augusta National grounds.
- In 1975, Lee Elder became the first African American to play in the Masters, doing so 15 years before Augusta National admitted its first black member.
- Former Augusta National chairman Hootie Johnson infamously said in 2002 that the world-renowned golf course might someday have female members “but that timetable will be ours and not at the point of a bayonet.” In 2012, former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and South Carolina financier Darla Moore became the first female members.
- In 1994, Fairway announcer and former touring pro Gary McCord claimed the greens were so fast it was as if they had been “bikini waxed”. Since Augusta National has a strict policy on referring to fans as "patrons or gallery", McCord was banned from Augusta.
- In 2010, Masters Chairman Billy Payne said in regards to Tiger Woods' rock-star side life, “It’s not simply the degree of his conduct that is so egregious here, it is the fact he disappointed all of us and more importantly our kids and grandkids.”
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| Hootie Who?! |
In 2001, the course measured 6,925 yards and was extended to 7,270 yards for 2002, and once more in 2006 to 7,445 yards; 520 yards longer than the 2001 course. This was commonly referred to as “Tiger-proofing” Augusta and requires the winner to now hit long, high, drawing (right to left) shots off the tee, around Augusta’s corners in addition to navigating the treacherous greens.
The Big 3
Tiger (7/2) is the obvious favorite because physically, mentally, emotionally, and short-game wise, he looks as strong as ever. My only concern is Tiger has been working the ball left to right with his last two coaches. He’s had two weeks to work on hitting a draw again. He is Tiger, but does a big miss lurk under Major pressure? Rory (8/1) finished second this past weekend at the Valero Texas Open. Martin
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| Gold Jacket? Green Jacket? |
The Value
- Charl Schwartzel (22/1) 2011 Champion
- Keegan Bradley (28/1) pounds the high draw, belly-putter can get hot, major winner
- Brandt Snedeker (28/1) had hottest 2013 before current rub injury, hits draw, phenomenal putter, Defending FedEx Cup Champ
- Louis Oosthuizen (28/1) lost in a play-off hole to Bubba in last year's Masters, has one of the best swings in the game, hits draw, putts well, recent British Open Champ
- Adam Scott (28/1) solid swing, finished second in 2011 due to Schwartzel’s five birdies in a row to win, 3 holes away from wire-to-wire British Open Victory last year, if the broomstick putter gets going he has as good a shot as anyone not named Tiger.
- Dustin Johnson (33/1) crushes the draw, putter has to be good for three days to have a legitimate shot
The Reaches
Graeme McDowell (60/1), Billy Haas (66/1), Jason Dufner (66/1), and Webb Simpson (66/1) all have the game, they just need to believe that they can compete with the Augusta veterans. I really like Haas out of the group. He’s had a solid year so far, is a previous FedEx Cup Champion, and has a game that translates nicely to Augusta.
And, of course, a cocktail:
The Azalea:
.5oz lemon or lime juice
.5oz pineapple juice
3oz Gin
*splash of grenadine to color pink
Mix in a shaker and serve in a cocktail glass.
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