The Masters

This week the world’s eyes will be on Georgia, in particular, Augusta National Golf Course. So many yearn for the golden ticket to the classiest game in sports, The Masters, but, alas, few will attain this goal.

Years ago traveling in Great Britain a week before the Masters, I was educated to the importance of this tournament to the world. Every where we went our Southern accents gave us away and many people asked us if we were from Georgia.

Their eyes glistened as if speaking of some miracle when they spoke of the fondness for the Masters.

Each year the television cameras span across the greenest fairways, the flowering dogwoods, the brightest pink azaleas, and the best of the best golfers trying to be cool under the greatest of pressure to be able to wear the green jacket. The green jacket only worn by the 300 or so members of the club and the winners of the 83 year old tournament.

Some sports writer described the green jacket as something you would see on the clearance rack, but this coming Sunday it will be the fashion of the day. The fabric used to make the green jackets is produced in Dublin, Ga., and the color is not green, but Pantone 342.

The first winner of the Masters in 1934, Horton Smith, won $1,500 in prize money. In 2013, his green jacket was sold at auction for $682,229. According to the rules, all green jackets worn by members or past winners are to be returned to a cedar closet in the basement of the Augusta National Golf Club. The winner gets to wear his for the entire year.

Last year over 200 countries watched The Masters, nearly 18 million viewers just in the United States. When the last putt has been putted, the winner will walk to the middle of the green and Jordan Spieth, last years’ champion, will help the new winner put on the green jacket. Unless, Spieth wins again, you can only get one green jacket.