by Jake Morrison

Created on: July 05, 2010

Every year, the winner of the US Masters Golf Tournament is awarded the coveted and illustrious green jacket.  It is a very distinguishing and sought after prize which was first awarded to Sam Snead in 1949.  Slipping on the Green Jacket is a golden moment for all who have won the tournament and it may be the defining moment in their entire career.  Many young golfers dream of someday being awarded the jacket and an elite few get the honor of actually wearing it as they are recognized by the entire sport of golf, and golfing legends that have worn it in the past.

Tournament Background

Bobby Jones and Clifford Roberts teamed up to build this golf course.  They found the land and hired a golf architect in Alister MacKenzie to design the course and oversee its construction.  It was completed in 1933 and the first tournament was held a year later.

The Masters is now one of the four major championships in professional golf.  It is held the first full week of April, and is the first of the four majors played each year.  Unlike the other three major championships, the Masters is held each year at the same place, Augusta National Golf Club in Georgia.

Origins of the Tradition

While attending the UK to compete at the British Open in 1930, Bobby Jones had been invited to a dinner at the Royal Liverpool Golf Club.  While he was there he saw 15 men wearing red jackets.  He found out later that these were given to the captains of the club.  When he was putting together Augusta National, he remembered the red jackets and thought that the same idea should be put in place.

In 1937 he decided that the members of the club helping at the tournament should wear green jackets so that they could be easily identified by fans and players.  At first people were hesitant to the idea but looking back they can see that this was the beginning of one of the most famous and known golf traditions today.

The Tradition Today

Each Masters winner becomes an honorary member of the club.  The recipient of the green jacket has it presented to them inside the Butler Cabin right after the tournament draws to a close, and then that presentation is then repeated outside near the 18th green for the spectators.  Winners are allowed to keep their jacket for the first year after the victory, and then they must return it to the club house.  This tradition began when Sam Snead won his first of three Masters titles.  The green jacket is only allowed to be taken from Augusta National by the reigning champion, after it must be returned to the club. 

The winner of the previous year's Masters Tournament puts the jacket on the new champion at the conclusion of the tournament.  If the player wins twice in a row, then the chairman of Augusta National will have the honor of presenting the jacket.

The masters has many traditions and many things that are considered unique about it.  The green jacket is certainly one of most prestigious and decorated honor in golf, and one of the most widely recognized traditions in golf.  Any golfer who wishes to be on the list of legends to wear the green jacket must battle through the worlds elite golfers, and if they are successful, they can have their photo taken in the awe inspiring jacket.

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