Masters Green Jacket winners' fashion hits and misses

The US Masters Green Jacket is not the easiest colour to complement with a golf shirt. Some US Masters champions have managed it, some haven't...

When Bernard Langer won the US Masters in 1985 he reflected afterwards that he had not thought through his outfit for the final day in case he did win. He had entered the final round tied in third, only two shots off the lead, and he had already won 11 times on tour. So the thought that he might be donning the Green Jacket at the end of the day would not have been an unreasonable one. Later, when he looked at the pictures of himself putting on the Green Jacket, he rued that he “looked like a Christmas tree”.

In 1993 Langer was much better prepared, and his yellow shirt complemented the Green Jacket probably as well as any shirt can. The Green Jacket was never intended as a style item, more a stand-out-from-the-crowd item. Quite literally. The idea was that Augusta National members wore these jackets during the US Masters tournament so as to signal to members of the public who they were. That way the public knew who to approach if needing help or guidance. This started in 1937. The tradition of awarding the winner of the tournament their own Green Jacket began in 1949. Other tournaments have subsequently taken on the idea of awarding a jacket to the winner.

Jack Nicklaus is, well a past master at donning the Masters Green Jacket. In 1986 he did so for the sixth time, and had on his trademark yellow shirt. The trousers are quite fun, though.

I am not sure whether Ben Crenshaw’s shirt goes with the jacket. But then what does go with this shirt? But at least he looks happier to be putting on the Green Jacket here in 1995 than he had done in 1984...

...when Seve looked more pleased than Ben Crenshaw at the latter donning the Green jacket after Gentle Ben’s win in 1984.

Adam Scott does a Tommy Cooper impression after his victory in 2013. Are those sleeves the right length? The jacket a first-time winner is given in the immediate aftermath of his victory is borrowed off an Augusta member with roughly the same build as the winner. Later the winner gets measured for a jacket which is made specifically for him by a London tailor. He can keep his Green Jacket for a year, and then he has to return it to the Augusta National Golf Club where it remains. However it does remain ’his’ jacket and he can wear it when he is at the golf club - but only there. Unless of course he wins the Masters again when he has a further year he can wear it and out and about.

Picture credits: Getty Images