(Reuters) – The Masters golf tournament will be staged for an 86th time at Augusta National in Augusta, Georgia from April 7-10.
* The first of the year’s four major championships, the Masters was co-founded by Clifford Roberts and Bobby Jones, with the inaugural edition held in 1934.
* It is the only one of the four majors hosted at the same venue, the par-72 Augusta National Golf Club which was designed by Alister Mackenzie and Bobby Jones and opened for play in January 1933.
* Initially known as the Augusta National Invitation Tournament, the event was officially changed to the Masters in 1939.
* Augusta National members began to wear the iconic Green Jackets in 1937 and a decade later Sam Snead became the first champion to be awarded the coveted garment.
* In 1950, Jimmy Demaret became the first three-time winner at Augusta National, an achievement that was surpassed by fellow American Arnold Palmer when he clinched the title for a fourth time in 1964.
* The Masters Club for tournament champions was initiated in 1952 and the inaugural Champions Dinner was hosted that year by Ben Hogan, the 1951 winner.
* The first Par 3 contest was held on the eve of the 1960 Masters, with Sam Snead claiming the inaugural title. The event has become very popular for the players, their families and the fans but it has also become a jinx with no golfer yet winning the Par 3 and going on to win the Green Jacket that same week.
* In 1961, South African Gary Player became the first ‘international’ player to win the Masters with a one-stroke victory, and he went on to add two more titles (in 1974 and 1978).
* Jack Nicklaus became the oldest Masters winner in 1986 at the age of 46 with a record sixth triumph at Augusta National, a feat which has yet to be equalled. He has also posted the most top-five finishes at the Masters, with 15.
* Tiger Woods, aged 21, became the tournament’s youngest champion in 1997 in stunning fashion with a record low total of 18-under-par 270 and a record winning margin of 12 strokes.
(Reporting by Rory Carroll in Los Angeles; Editing by Toby Davis)
