AUGUSTA NATIONAL INVITATIONAL

The name "Augusta National Invitational" dates back to 1934. It was the name of a tournament designed to host the best amateurs and professionals of its time... all of those who competed with and against Bobby Jones.

The tournament was the brainchild of Clifford Roberts, first chairman of the club and a good friend of Bobby Jones. The object was to promote the club, Augusta National, and sell memberships so that it could survive without assessments to the current members.

The first champion, was a master of the game, Horton Smith (32 PGA Tour victories). He won again in 1936. In between, a short in stature, but big in game and name, another master of the game, Gene Sarazen, (39 PGA Tour victories, including all modern majors, PGA, British Open and U.S. Open), won in 1935.

Gene (born Eugenio Saraceni) was three behind coming to the 15th tee, his tee shot split the center of the fairway and then proceeded to hole out a 4-wood for an albatross 2 on the par-5 hole. After parring in, he won in a playoff the next day. This was what many called the "The Shot Heard Around the World" and one of the influencing factors in later changing the name of the tournament.

Clifford Roberts had always wanted to call it The Masters because all of Bobby Jones friends and all of those who were invited, were the masters of the game of their time, even the amateurs. The name was finally changed for the tournament of 1939, a name that Bobby Jones had always thought would be looked as too presumptuous. Nevertheless, it was (and is) what is was, which was truly a masters tournament.

No one will argue that the mystique of this event is surpassed by none other tournament. No one knows the purse in advance, tickets for the tournament are pre-sold to the next 25 years, there is no "pro-am" before the event, but there is always a 9-Hole, par-3 tournament on Wednesday (no player who has won the par-3 tournament has ever won the main event in the same year), the US Amateur Champion is always paired with the Masters' defending champion for the first round, all amateurs who qualified for the tournament are invited to stay at the premises at the "Crow's Nest", a very nice condo inside the golf course, all drinks are served in green cups and the delicacy of the tournament is an egg-salad sandwich... for $2.00! And of course, this is the only golf course with an "Amen Corner" in it. Herbert Warren Wind, the great golf write named holes 11-13 as "Amen Corner"... you figure out why: a touch par 4, then the toughest short par-3 in the world of championship golf (tougher in stats than the 17th at Sawgrass) and then a seemingly benign short par-5 of 480 yards, where 8's to 13's have been scored on Masters Sunday.

The Masters is not only the first major of the year, it is also the one with the smallest field and the most anticipated... this is when the golf season starts. The Masters starts this week. The hands down favorite is, of course, Tiger Woods, but I will be cheering for Phil Mickelson, the defending champion. Who will you be cheering for? If Tiger wins, I will be cheering for him at the U.S. Open, it will be the second time he is chasing 4 majors in a row, and it would be something to witness.