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Show BHerUtah Statesman 18 reasons to love the Masters AUGUSTA NATIONAL From ihe moment tournament founder Bobby Jones first looked out across the land that would become Augusta National, he sensed "the land had been lying here for years just waiting for someone to lay a golf course upon it." F F ^ v ; THE SPIRIT OF f - v ^ ; f BOBBY JONES It hangs in the air like the smell of gardenias. If you don't believe in ghosts, you've never been to the Masters. \ PIMENTO CHEESE SANDWICHES Two slices of white bread, a spread of pimento cheese, and you've found the official lunch of the Masters. AMEN CORNER The most famous three-hole stretch in golf earned its nickname from writer Herbert Warren Wind, who borrowed the name from an old jazz recording "Shouting At Amen Comer" and used it in a Sports Illustrated magazine story in 1958. Amen Corner includes the par-4 11th, the par-3 12th and the par-5 13lh holes. It's where the wind whispers from all comers, and it's where championships are won and lost. -S-L: NICKLAUS He has played his last Masters, but his six green jackets have largely defined the event. Of all the Masters' moments, Nicklaus's dramatic win in 1986 remains unmatched. GERRY MELENDEZ'KRT Jack Nicklaus played his last Masters in 2005. "! THE PAR-3 CONTEST It's all fijn on Wednesday afternoon when everybody converges on the little par-3 course, and laughs are more important than birdies. Somebody's going to make a hole-in-one, and everybody's going to have a good time. LIMITED COMMERCIAL BREAKS Most of the world sees the Masters through a television screen, and viewers are spared the constant commercial interruptions that clutter so many telecasts. It is a pleasure to sit back and just watch golf. 8 SJ^ i The Masters is the most distinctive tournament in golf. From its springtime setting to its dramatic stage at Augusta National, it is a tournament unlike any other. As it unfolds again, we take a look at 18 reasons why the Masters is unique. JT-- " The green jacket: A golf tradition One of the most prized possessions in golf is a simple green jacket. It's a basic blazer except that it has an emblem of Augusta National Golf Club on its left chest pocket and gold buttons and remains on club property at all times. And it goes to the Masters champion. That's not how the green jacket tradition started. It began as a way for members to make themselves visible to guests during the early years of the tournament. They could offer directions and answer questions to patrons on the property. Members did not initially care for the idea of wearing the jackets but it gradually took hold, especially after the jackets became more GENE SARAZEN'S DOUBLE EAGLE Only a handful of people witnessed the "shot heard 'round the world" in 1935 when Sarazen holed his 235-yard, 4-wood second shot at No. 15 on Sunday but the double-eagle, which forced a Monday playoff with Craig Wood, remains among the most famous shots in golf history. The clubhouse at Augusta National Golf Club has welcomed many Masters champions. PATRON BADGES They still cost just $175 for the tournament, but they're as precious as gold. Every year, old-timers wander the course with badges from tournaments past pinned to their hats. MAGNOLIA LANE For the record, there are 61 magnolias planted along the 330-yard road leading into the Augusta National clubhouse, each of them planted from seed in the 1850s. ii SCOTT VERPLANK'S EIGHT In 2003, Verplank played the famous par-3 12th hole in 2-2-2-2, a feat unequaled in tournament history. It's also five strokes less than Tom Weiskopf needed there in one round in 1980. 12 CONSTANT CHANGES It only seems like nothing changes at Augusta National. In fact, the golf course changes almost constantly. Since last year, six holes have been lengthened and toughened, stretching the layout to 7,445 yards, nearly 200 yards longer than it was. 50YEARS OF ARNOLD PALMER BOYZELL HOSEY/KHT Nick Faldo awards Tiger Woods the green jacket following Woods' victory at the 1997 Masters. lightweight. It wasn't until 1949 that the winner was given a green jacket. Sam Snead was the first champion awarded a jacket and the presentation ceremony on Sunday evening culminates THE MASTERS yfW\ \^LL. C7~QY! BY RON GREEN JR. Knight Ridder Newspapers When: April 6-9 Where: Augusta National Golf Club (par 72,7,445 yards), Augusta, Ga. Defending champion: Tiger Woods All-time scoring record: 270, Tiger Woods, 1997 Tickets: Sold out TV (all times ET): • Thursday: 4-7 p.m., USA Network; 8-11 p.m., replay on USA Network; 11:30-11:45 p.m., CBS highlights • Friday: 4-7 p.m., USA Network; 8-11 p.m., replay on USA Network; 11:30-11:45 p.m., CBS highlights • Saturday: 3:30-7 p.m., CBS • Sunday: 2:30-7 p.m., CBS the tournament. Members leave their jackets in storage at the club through the year. Only the reigning champion is allowed to take his jacket off the property — and only for the year he is champion. A CMASTERS I Memorable moments at the Masters • 1996: Nick Faldo comes from six shots behind starting Sunday to beat Greg Norman in a stunning turnaround. Faldo shot 67, Norman closed with 78 to finish second by five strokes. • 1986: Jack Nicklaus wins his sixth green jacket by shooting 65 on Sunday, 23 years after his first Masters victory. Nicklaus shot 30 on the back nine going eaglebirdie-birdie at Nos. 15, 16 and 17 on Sunday. • 1976: Wielding a 5wood that helped him overwhelm the par-5s, Raymond Floyd tied the tournament scoring record of 17-under par 271 as he cruised to an eight-stroke victory over Ben Crenshaw. • 1966: Jack Nicklaus became the first back-to-back winner in tournament history when he won an 18-hole playoff over Tommy Jacobs and Gay Brewer. • 1956: Jackie Burke rallied from eight shots behind on Sunday to win with a 1over par total of 291. Amateur Ken Venturi led entering the final round but shot 80. • 1946: Herman Keiser threc-puttcd the 18th hole but so did Ben Hogan, allowing Keiser to win the first post-war Masters. • 1936: Horlon Smith won the second of his three Masters, keyed by a 50-foot chip-in at the 14th hole. From 1955 through 2004, Palmer, right, played the Masters every April, the most consecutive appearances by any player. He gave the Masters much of its color, and his appearance on the grounds still sends a stir across the property. CHAMPIONS DINNER Each year on Tuesday night of tournament week, the defending champion hosts all former winners at a clubhouse dinner. Bcmhard Langer served wcincr schnitzel, Ben Crenshaw served Texas barbecue and, after his first victory. Tiger Woods served cheeseburgers, french fries and milkshakes. AS LARRY MIZE'S CHIP-IN Mize, an Augusta native, holed a 140-foot chip shot on the second playoff hole to beat Greg Norman in a playoff in 1987. Mize had birdied the 18th hole to join a playoff with Norman and Seve Ballesteros. TIGER'S WIN _ _ J IN 1997 In a performance that resonated for so many reasons. Tiger Woods shattered the tournament scoring record while becoming the first player of color to win the Masters. It was, as Woods has shown, just the start for him. THE COLORFUL FLOWERS Azaleas. Dogwoods. Wisteria. They give Augusta National its pastel splash, framing a golf tournament in all the colors of springtime. 18 THE ANTICIPATION From the time Christmas decorations come down, golf's attention begins to wander toward the Masters. It has a buildup unlike any other tournament and, more often than not, a payoff to match. |