Why Is The Masters Called The Masters?

When it comes to iconic golf tournaments, chances are The Masters will be among the top events on the list.

Held at the stunning Augusta National, The Masters signals, for most, the start of the golf season and brings the world's best to Georgia for a chance at the Green Jacket.

The championship has been won by many of the game's greats, but why is The Masters called The Masters? Here, we take a look.

First played in 1934, the event, which was founded by Bobby Jones and Clifford Roberts, was originally called the Augusta National Invitation Tournament.

At the time, Roberts proposed that the event be called the Masters Tournament, as it referred to the "masters of golf" who participated. However, Jones objected, believing that the name was too presumptuous.

After five years of the event being called the Augusta National Invitation Tournament, Jones eventually gave way and, in 1939, the name was changed to The Masters, with it scheduled to take place each year during the first full week in April.

Throughout the first five years, and under the Augusta National Invitation Tournament name, Horton Smith claimed the title in 1934 and 1936, while Gene Sarazen won in 1935. In 1937, Byron Nelson secured the first of his two victories at Augusta National, while Henry Picard won in 1938.

In terms of which player claimed the first victory under The Masters banner, that would be Ralph Guldahl, who defeated Sam Snead by a single stroke in 1939.

One last point to note is that, while it is no longer called the Augusta National Invitational Tournament, The Masters is still an ‘invitational’ event. Eligible players will receive invites through their letterbox around Christmas time, which is something that the Augusta National Women’s Amateur has also adopted since it first started in 2019.

Not only has it been called The Masters since the late-30s, but Augusta National also features a variety of names for the buildings on-site, as well as all 18 holes featuring individual names.

Regarding the holes, all 18 take the name of flowers or trees found on them. Originally, the course was a plant nursery and, even now, it is estimated that more than 80,000 plants of over 350 varieties surround the layout.

There are 12 buildings around Augusta National that offer lodgings for members and their guests. These cabins take the names of famous members and influential figures in the course's history, such as the Eisenhower, Butler and Roberts Cabins, as well as the Payne and Johnson-McColl Cabins.

In fact, going further, Augusta National even has three iconic bridges that are named after past Masters Champions. The three are the Hogan Bridge (connecting the 12th tee to the green), the Nelson Bridge (connecting the 12th green to the 13th tee), and the Sarazen Bridge (connecting the 15th fairway to the green).