Masters Trivia: Notable Facts & Figures
As the sports world shifts it’s attention from the hardwood to the loblolly pines of Augusta National Golf Club, we look forward to the 86th edition of the Masters. It truly is the most wonderful week of the year, and as we get set to crown a (potential) 54th champion, we got to thinking about some notable facts and figures that could win your next Masters trivia challenge. So let’s break down the Masters “by the numbers” with a look through the tournament’s rich history. Start with a quick overview from infographic below, then keep on reading as we dive deep into the numbers that make the Masters such a joy to behold.
How Many People Have Won the Masters?
The Masters has been played 83 times since 1934, but that doesn’t mean there have been 83 winners. In fact, only 53 people have donned the Green Jacket because 17 entrants have won more than one championship. According to records kept by the Masters, there have been 9 two-time winners, 5 three-time winners, 1 four-time winner (Arnold Palmer), 1 five-time winner (Tiger Woods), and 1 six-time winner (Jack Nicklaus). And speaking of that Green Jacket, you might be interested to know that it was first awarded to Sam Snead in 1949 and has been made by a small tailoring company in Cincinnati, Ohio since 1967.
Only five of those champions led the tournament from start to finish: Craig Wood in 1941, Arnold Palmer in 1960, Jack Nicklaus in 1972, Raymond Floyd in 1976, and Jordan Spieth in 2015. In it’s entire history, only three people have repeated as champion: Jack Nicklaus (1965-66), Nick Faldo (1989-90), and Tiger Woods (2001-02).
It’s not an easy tournament to win as a first time player. Out of 53 champions, only 3 (Horton Smith in 1934, Gene Sarazen in 1935, and Fuzzy Zoeller in 1979) won in their first try. Although Horton Smith’s victory came in the first-ever playing, you could make a case that only two rookies have ever won the green jacket. On average, it takes a player 6 attempts before claiming victory, while it took Sergio Garcia a record 19 starts before his first victory in 2017.
What Does a Masters Champion Look Like?
The Masters is not a young man’s game, with the average winner’s age a mature 32.21 years. Tiger Woods is the youngest to ever do it, claiming his first of five green jackets in 1997 at the spritely age of 21 years, 3 months and 14 days. On the other end of the spectrum, Jack Nicklaus won his 6th championship in 1986 at a stately 46 years, 2 months and 23 days. The next oldest winner (by a matter of weeks): Tiger Woods in 2019 as a 43 year old, en route to his 5th green jacket. Only three other players have won the Masters over the age of 40 (Mark O’Meara, Ben Crenshaw, and Gary Player).
View of the reachable Par 5 No. 13, Azalea. Image credit Dan Perry, Flickr
Champions are those who take advantage of the multiple scoring holes (namely, the tantalizingly reachable par 5s) while also keeping big numbers off the scorecard. In fact, the highest winning score ever recorded is a one-over-par 289, by Sam Snead (1954), Jack Burke (1956) and Zach Johnson (2007). The lowest scoring total in tournament history came courtesy of Dustin Johnson’s 268 (65-70-65-68) in the November playing of the 2020 Masters.
Johnson’s 20-under-par effort was two strokes lower than Tiger Wood’s 18-under-par 270, carded in 1997 with his record-setting victory margin of 12 strokes. Hello World, indeed.
Masters Trivia: Tournament Dramatics
They say the Masters doesn’t start until the back nine on Sunday, when players navigate Amen Corner and reachable par 5s at No. 13 (Azalea) and No. 15 (Firethorn). As many observes know, trouble lurks at the short par 3 No. 12 (Golden Bell), with it’s swirling “three club” winds, narrow green, and magnetic Rae’s Creek always a threat to swallow short tee shots and aggressive backspin.
Only six players have come from more than 3 strokes down on the final 18, highlighted by Jack Burke’s 9 stroke come-from-behind victory in 1956. But sometimes, the final 9 holes aren’t enough to decide the winner. In total, there have been 17 years when the Masters went to a playoff, most recently in 2017 when Sergio Garcia bested Justin Rose on the first extra hole (always played on the par 4 No. 18, Holly). When a second playoff hole is required, as it was when Adam Scott beat Angel Cabrera in 2013, it is played on the par 4 No. 10, Camellia.
Since the Masters switched its playoff format in 1976 from a full 18 hole Monday finish to the sudden death format we know today, two holes has been enough to determine a champion. For the sake of Masters trivia, those two holes (Nos. 18 and 10) are the only holes involved in a playoff; should a champion not be decided after these two, they play them again until someone is finally victorious.
Know Your Course
The Masters is a unique and special experience for every patron fortunate enough to attend. As golf’s only major played at the same course each year, it has a beautiful landscape and a back nine that sets up for perfect Sunday drama. And the Masters has absurdly low food prices.
For avid fans, knowledge of the Masters is often reflected by their ability to identify each hole by name. In “History of Augusta National Golf Club,” printed in the 2014 Spectator Guide, the story of the Masters begins with the Fruitland Nurseries, a 365-acre former Indigo plantation purchased in 1857 by Louis Mathieu Edouard Berckmans, a Belgian Baron with a serious horticulture hobby. Upon seeing the property for the first time, Bobby Jones and Clifford Roberts, whose vision was to build a course that “would utilize the natural advantages of the property,” purchased Fruitland Nurseries for $70,000 (approximately $1.2 million by today’s standards).
View of the author’s 2014 Spectator Guide 18 hole layout
As the natural landscape was so important to Jones’ vision, he used the existing flora and fauna to great advantage. Replete with magnolias, azaleas, and numerous flowering plants and trees imported by Baron Berckmans from around the world, the Masters is known for its stunning natural beauty. And each of the Masters hole names reflect the magnificent plants found throughout the Augusta National Golf Club.
No. 1 - Par 4, Tea Olive
No. 2 - Par 5, Pink Dogwood
No. 3 - Par 4, Flowering Peach
No. 4 - Par 3, Flowering Crab Apple
No. 7 - Par 4, Pampas
No. 8 - Par 5, Yellow Jasmine
No. 9 - Par 4, Carolina Cherry
No. 10 - Par 4, Camellia
No. 11 - Par 4, White Dogwood (start of Amen Corner)
No. 13 - Par 5, Azalea (end of Amen Corner)
No. 14 - Par 4, Chinese Fir
No. 15 - Par 5, Firethorn
No. 18 - Par 4, Holly
The 11th at Augusta - Available in our Collection of Augusta Fine Art
The Iconic Logo
Most logos don’t change over time, but that’s not the case for the Masters logo. From it’s inception as a crude, hand drawn sketch of the continental United States to the more polished (but still cartographically problematic) version, the logo has evolved quite a bit over the years. It was first seen on the first program for the inaugural “Augusta National Invitation Tournament” in March of 1934, attended by close friends and associates of Bobby Jones. And now you see the logo everywhere, from merchandise available for purchase at the Masters shop to caddy uniforms to the blazer that rule all blazers, the Green Jacket. With a flag stick firmly planted in the general vicinity of Augusta, GA and instant recognizability for even the most casual of golf fans, the cartographic license can be forgiven for what we consider a beautiful work of art.
Appreciating the Masters
We hope you’ve enjoyed these tidbits of Masters trivia and that a little extra knowledge might make your viewing experience all the more enjoyable. If you want to have your very own piece of this tradition unlike any other, check out our online store for authentic Masters merchandise along with personalized golf gifts, high quality customized hole-in-one awards, and collectible displays to capture your own great golf memories.