by R. Drum

Created on: March 16, 2010   Last Updated: March 24, 2010

The 2010 Masters Tournament, the first of the four majors, will be played April 5th through 11th at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia.  Argentinean Angel Cabrera, the defending champion, made two putts to win the 2009 Masters on the second sudden-death playoff hole.  He earned the Green Jacket with a 12 under par finish.

The Masters was begun as an annual event in 1934 by Bobby Jones and Clifford Roberts.  The legendary Jack Nicklaus became the first Masters champion to defend his title successfully, during 1965 and 1966. Two decades later, at age 46, Nicklaus donned his sixth Green Jacket.  Nicklaus’ record six Masters wins still stands today.

Fan and media attention upon this year’s Masters is likely to be greater than ever.  Tiger Woods, the youngest player ever to win the Masters, confirmed this week that he will return to golf in April at the 2010 Masters.  Woods’ return follows a four-month layoff necessitated by a sex scandal that tarnished his image as the sport’s standard bearer.   Woods said in a statement, “the Masters is where I won my first major and I view this tournament with great respect.''  In 1997, Woods shattered the Masters Tournament four-day scoring record that had stood for 32 years.   Woods has won the Masters four times, in 1997, 2001, 2002, and 2005.   Arnold Palmer also has four wins, in 1958, 1960, 1962, and 1964.

The 2010 Verizon Heritage Tournament will be held April 12th through 18th at Hilton Head Island, South Carolina.   The Verizon Heritage Tournament is noted for its dedication to charitable causes.  Since 1987, the Tournament has donated almost $20 million to deserving organizations located throughout South Carolina and Georgia.   Last year’s winner, Brian Gay, broke the tournament record with a score of 20-under 264, besting the previous record of 19-under set by Loren Roberts in 1996.

The 2010 Zurich Classic of New Orleans will be played during April 19th through 25th in Avondale, Louisiana.  The Zurich Classic has been played annually since 1958, and has the distinction of being the first nationally-televised sporting event after the Hurricane Katrina disaster.  Many of players donated their winnings from the tournament to Hurricane relief.  Jerry Kelly won the 2009 Zurich Classic by one stroke, with a final score of 274.

The 2010 Quail Hollow Championship will be played during April 26th through May 2nd at Charlotte, North Carolina.  It is the newest of the majors, first played in 2003, when it was called the Wachovia Championship.  The Quail Hollow Championship is renowned for its very challenging 16th, 17th, and 18th holes, usually ranked as among the PGA Tour's most difficult.  Sean M. O'Hair captured the 2009 Quail Hollow Championship with a score of 11 under par.

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