The Tragic Story Of The Masters Co-Founder Who Was Discovered Dead At Augusta National

2024 marks the 88th edition of The Masters - the brainchild of Augusta National Golf Club co-founders, Clifford Roberts and Bobby Jones.

While the entrepreneurial duo would come together to create arguably the most famous golf tournament in the world, their lives followed different paths for the most part.

Jones was - and should always be - known as one of the most-talented and famous amateur golfers of all time who also practiced law as a profession. Roberts, meanwhile, was a relatively unknown but highly-successful businessman who ended up becoming a Wall Street stock broker and consequently earning lifetime partner status at Reynolds & Company.

Having become one of the most famous sporting faces in the world as a result of an unmatched amateur career, Jones was simply keen to build a private course for he and his friends to enjoy.

However, Roberts saw an incredible business opportunity. Once the original Augusta National Golf Club was built, the pair ensured their sport would never be the same again.

Under Roberts’ direction, the Masters made numerous innovations that are now commonplace in golf. He changed the mound locations to give the gallery a better viewing experience.

The Morning Sun, Iowa-born man was the first to suggest using a series of leaderboards placed throughout the course. He also devised a system for showing the cumulative score of each player – red for under par and green for par and above. Roberts was also instrumental in the first and subsequent Masters television broadcasts.

And although their impact on golf will forever be felt thanks to their decision back in 1932, they both suffered a rather tragic end to their respective lives around 40 years later.

Jones was diagnosed with syringomyelia - a disorder in the spinal cord which causes paralysis - in 1948 which ultimately restricted him to a wheelchair. After suffering with the disease for over 20 years, he later died in the same city in which he was born - Atlanta - on December 18, 1971.

His Augusta National Golf Club partner, Roberts also endured health issues as he grew older but opted to cut his life short in tragic circumstances towards the end of the same decade.

After a life which had seen him serve as the Masters Tournament chairman from 1934 to 1976, become friends with (and later political and financial advisor to) President Dwight Eisenhower, and be inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame, Roberts' rapidly deteriorating health ultimately proved too painful to bear.

On September 29, 1977, a few months after being unable to leave his bed during Masters week, Roberts received a haircut and got dressed into new pyjamas before journeying down to somewhere along the water's edge on Augusta National's par 3 course.

Having written a note of apology to his wife and attached a copy of his medical records, the club's co-founder - whose parents had also taken their own lives - was later discovered with a self-inflicted gunshot wound and a pistol by his side. He was 83.

Augusta named him 'Chairman in Memorium' following his death and commissioned a commemorative plaque at the golf club which read: "A man whose vision was inspired by genius and given substance through determination. His contributions to the game of golf will be remembered for as long as the game is played."

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