At Augusta National, the Green Jacket awaits golf’s next Masters champion
The by-invitation only tournament has a reputation for precision and excellence.
For the past nine decades and counting, the Masters Tournament – the first men’s Major championship of the season – has served up countless magical moments that golf fans will talk about for the rest of time.
A host of Rolex Testimonees have left an indelible mark over the years. Tiger Woods claimed his fourth Masters victory in 2005, with the highlight being his fabled chip-in on the iconic 16th hole.
In 2015, fellow American Jordan Spieth – then aged just 21 – defied the odds to lead wire-to-wire and shoot a record-tying 270 to win his first Major in style.
Back in 1985, Bernhard Langer birdied four of the last seven holes to become the first winner of a Major from Germany and only the second champion from Europe.
And 12 months ago, Scottie Scheffler won by four strokes over a star-studded chasing pack to became the fourth youngest golfer in history to win the Masters twice – following fellow Testimonees Jack Nicklaus and Woods.
From Thursday (Apr 10) to Sunday, the historic Augusta National Golf Club in the United States is once again the venue for this beloved tournament, and at the end of 72 holes of play a new champion will have earned the right to don that coveted Green Jacket.
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Crowning achievement
The Masters was founded by golfing legend Bobby Jones and investment banker Clifford Roberts. Jones played an integral role in designing the course, working alongside British architect Alister Mackenzie.
Roberts was the chairman of Augusta National from 1931 all the way until 1976, and after his death in 1977 he was named chairman in Memoriam.
He was also chairman of the Masters from 1934 to 1976.
Apart from the prestige and rich history of the tournament, the Masters is celebrated by golfers and fans around the world today for its impeccable course conditions.
From the immaculately maintained greens to the azalea-lined fairways, every minute detail at Augusta National Golf Club reflects the tournament’s reputation for precision and excellence.
The Masters Tournament remains the only one of the four men’s Majors to be contested by an invitation-only field.
The first tournament was held on Mar 22, 1934 and starting in 1940, the Masters was scheduled to take place each year during the first full week of April.
This year’s event is the 89th edition, and it’s widely accepted that claiming victory at the Masters is one of golf’s crowning achievements.
Often regarded as the pinnacle of golf, it demands a relentless pursuit of excellence, a drive to be the best and a commitment to continuous improvement.
These qualities are aligned with Rolex, the Tournament Partner that has supported this bastion of tradition and excellence since 1999.
Rolex’s relationship with the game dates back to 1967 when Arnold Palmer, joined by close friends and fellow members of The Big Three, Nicklaus and Gary Player, became Rolex’s first golf Testimonees.
Since then, Rolex’s involvement in the sport has expanded significantly, extending its support to every level of the game by championing both elite and amateur players, governing bodies and the most prestigious events on the annual golfing calendar.
Where dreams are made
Scores of Testimonees have graced the Masters, and many often come away spellbound by the experience.
Spieth, who’s now 31 and a three-time Major winner, said that his first Major victory remains his “most special memory”.
“It was always my dream growing up to win major championships and the Masters has always been my favorite. I think it goes back to watching Tiger’s wins there,” he said.
“Having grown up in America, it can be seen as the Super Bowl of golf – the pinnacle of our sport. The history of the golf course and the way that it is managed, nobody inside the ropes and no cameras makes it certainly unique.”
Scheffler, meanwhile, is attempting to become only the second man in the history of golf – the other being none other than Nickalus – to win the Masters thrice in four seasons.
“Since it’s the Masters, there’s always something special about it. When you grow up here in the United States, that’s the event we look at the most – with the history around the tournament, the Augusta National Golf Club and it being on the same golf course year in, year out. You just dream of getting a chance to play in that tournament and to have an opportunity to win it,” he said.
There are many other members of the Rolex family who are hoping to follow in those footsteps and win their maiden Major title.
They include Sweden’s Ludvig Aberg, who was runner-up to Scheffler last year; and Viktor Hovland from Norway who is making his sixth appearance at Augusta.
Fellow Testimonees Keegan Bradley, Jason Day, Bryson DeChambeau, Thomas Detry, Nick Dunlap, Matt Fitzpatrick, Sungjae Im, Brooks Koepka, Collin Morikawa, Joaquín Niemann and Justin Thomas will also be challenging for honours.
Also in action are former champions Fred Couples (1992), Hideki Matsuyama (2021), Phil Mickelson (2004, 2006, 2010), Jose Maria Olazabal (1994, 1999), Jon Rahm (2023) and Adam Scott (2013).
With such an open and competitive field, it remains anyone’s guess as to who will get to wear the Green Jacket on Sunday and be immortalised in golfing folklore.
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