Masters Tournament is the first of the four most important men’s annual golf tournaments. These tournaments are called the majors. The other majors, in order of play, are the United States PGA (Professional Golfers’ Association) Championship, the United States Open, and the British Open. The Masters is the only major held at the same course each year. The tournament is played every April at the Augusta National Golf Club, a private golf club in Augusta, Georgia.
The number of players for the Masters is smaller than for the other majors because admission is by invitation only. The Masters sets standards to determine who will be invited to play, but does not hold qualifying tournaments like the other majors. The Augusta National Golf Club controls the invitations to the Masters. Both professional and amateur players may be invited. Like the other majors, the Masters is a 72-hole tournament, with 18 holes played daily from Thursday through Sunday. In addition to money, the winner receives a green jacket, which has become one of the most familiar symbols in men’s golf.
American golfer Bobby Jones and Scottish golf course architect Alistair MacKenzie designed Augusta National. In 1934, Jones played host to the first tournament, known as the Augusta National Invitation Tournament. The tournament took its present name in 1939. The American golfer Jack Nicklaus holds the record for most Masters championships with six. The American golfer Tiger Woods has won five, and the American golfer Arnold Palmer has won four.
