April 8, 2014: Every winner of The Masters tournament is presented with the “Green Jacket.” Slipping on the green jacket is a golden moment for every winner of the tournament. As The Masters 2014, is set to tee off this Thursday, every player of the elite field is enthusiastic to own its most coveted “Green Jacket”.
In the words of Adam Scott of Australia, who won 2013 US Masters, “There’s a huge sense of achievement of putting it on your shoulders. It’s something that not everyone gets to put on their shoulders. In the game of golf, there are a few real pinnacles and I think the Green Jacket is one of them because not that many people in history have been able to slip it on their shoulders.”
Here are few interesting facts about the Masters Green Jacket:
The idea for the “Green Jacket” came from Bobby Jones. While attending a dinner at Royal Liverpool, Jones noticed how the captains wore red jackets. He brought this idea back to co-founder, Clifford Roberts, and they chose green for the color of the jackets that August National members would wear.
In 1937, Club officials started the custom of Augusta National members wearing a green blazer during Masters Week so patrons could identify reliable sources of information. The Club extended the tradition to Masters Champions with Sam Snead’s win in 1947, indicating the winners were to become honorary members of Augusta National.
The first green jacket to be awarded to a winner of The Masters was in 1947 when Sam Snead won the tournament.
The previous year’s winner awards the green jacket to the winner of the Masters each year. If the winner is a returning champion from last year, the Augusta National president has the honor of presenting the returning champion with the green jacket.
Jack Nicklaus has adorned the green jacket for a record six times(1963,1965, 1966,1972, 1975, 1986) in his career. Nicklaus was also the first Masters champion to win the green jacket two years in a row in 1966. Tiger Woods has worn it four times(1997, 2001, 2002, 2005) so far.
The first international golfer to wear the green jackets was South African Gary Player, who won The Masters in 1961.
The original green jacket is owned by Augusta National Golf Club and must be returned 12 months later before the Masters.
The Masters winners are presented with a replica green jacket that they may keep to commemorate their win of the Masters tournament.
Winners of the Masters must wear their green jacket whenever they visit or play at the August National.
In order to make sure that the champion will have a jacket that fits, there are several green jackets in various sizes stored on site at Augusta National. As the tournament starts nearing conclusion, employees begin to pull jackets in the sizes of the top players to have a correct sized green jacket ready for the winner.
