The Masters Tournament is among professional golf’s four major tournaments. The Masters is held in the first week of April. Unlike the others, it is consistently maintained at the same place, Augusta National Golf Club, a proprietary course in the city of Augusta, Georgia, in the southern United States.
The Masters Tournament will be held for the 87th time in 2023. The tournament was started in 1934 in Augusta, Georgia, by Bobby Jones. It is one of men’s professional golf’s four major tournaments.
It is one of the world’s most prominent athletic events in which golfers compete for a chance to earn multi-million dollars, a gold medal, and a lifelong invitation to the tournament, depending on their previous performances. The Masters is one of the four primary golf championships. It is a conventional 72-hole stroke-play tournament with competitors paired with three people for the first two rounds until the field is reduced to 44 players.
Let’s have a look at The Masters 2023 Full Tournament Schedule.
General Information
| Date | April 6, 2023 – April 9, 2023 |
| Venue | Augusta, Georgia, U.S. |
| Courses | Augusta National Golf Club |
| Length | 7,510 yards (6,870 m) |
The Masters 2023 Schedule
| Date | Day | Events |
| 2nd April | Sunday | The arrival of players and practice rounds |
| 3rd April | Monday | Practice sessions |
| 4th April | Tuesday | Practice matches, followed by the Champions Dinner |
| 5th April | Wednesday | Par-3 Contest practice sets |
| 6th April | Thursday | Honorary starting ceremony, Masters Tournament first round |
| 7th April | Friday | Tournament second round |
| 8th April | Saturday | Tournament third round |
| 9th April | Sunday | Tournament’s fourth and final round, Green Jacket ceremony, and trophy presentation |
Round 1: Thursday, April 6
| Time (ET) | Activity |
|---|---|
| 8:15 am – 8:30 am | Honorary Starters |
| 8:30 am – 10:30 am | On the Range |
| 9:15 am – 4:00 pm | Holes 4, 5 and 6 |
| 10:50 am – 6:30 pm | Amen Corner |
| 11:00 am – 7:45 pm | Featured Groups |
| 11:45 am – 7:30 pm | Holes 15 and 16 |
Round 2: Friday, April 7
| Time (ET) | Activity |
|---|---|
| 8:30 am – 10:30 am | On the Range |
| 9:15 am – 7:30 pm | Featured Groups |
| 8:45 am – 3:30 pm | Holes 4, 5 and 6 |
| 10:45 am – 6:00 pm | Amen Corner |
| 11:45 am – 7:00 pm | Holes 15 and 16 |
Round 3: Saturday, April 8
| Time (ET) | Activity |
|---|---|
| 11:00 am – 1:00 pm | On the Range |
| 10:30 am – 7:15 pm | Featured Groups |
| 11:00 am – 4:00 pm | Holes 4, 5 and 6 |
| 12:50 pm – 7:00 pm | Amen Corner |
| 1:35 pm – 7:30 pm | Holes 15 and 16 |
Round 4: Sunday, April 09
| Time (ET) | Activity |
|---|---|
| 11:00 am – 1:00 pm | On the Range |
| 10:20 am – 7:00 pm | Featured Groups |
| 10:55 am – 4:00 pm | Holes 4, 5 and 6 |
| 12:35 pm – 6:00 pm | Amen Corner |
| 1:25 pm – 6:30 pm | Holes 15 and 16 |
| 2:00 pm – 7:00 pm | Broadcast |
| 7:00 pm | Green Jacket Ceremony |
Invited Players
Players who got invitations posted on their social media. They are Adrian Meronk, Kevin Na, and Patrick Reed.
As previous champions, six active LIV Golf players have lifetime exemptions to the Masters: Patrick Reed, Dustin Johnson, Sergio Garcia, Bubba Watson, Charl Schwartzel, and Phil Mickelson.
Cameron Smith, Bryson DeChambeau, and Brooks Koepka will be invited since they have won majors in the last five years. Joaquin Niemann will compete for a spot in the 2022 Tour Championship, while Talor Gooch, Harold Varner III, Jason Kokrak, Na, Abraham Ancer, and Louis Oosthuizen will be invited if they are in the top 50 of the Official World Golf Rankings.
Traditions of The Masters
Trophies
Winners’ names are also etched on the real silver Masters trophy. The runner-up received a silver medal, which was first awarded in 1951. A silver salver was given as a reward for the runner-up beginning in 1978. The Masters began awarding the Silver Cup to the lowest-scoring amateur who made the cut in 1952. They began awarding an amateur silver medal to the low amateur runner-up in 1954.
The original trophy weighs more than 130 pounds and is supported by a four-foot-wide foundation. It is permanently on display at Augusta National and portrays the classic course’s clubhouse. The duplicate, which is much smaller, is just 6.5 inches tall and weighs 20 pounds. The winner and runner-up receive their names inscribed on the permanent trophy, cementing their place in golf history.
Green Jacket
In addition to a cash prize, the tournament winner receives a unique Green Jacket, which has been legally given since 1949 and informally granted to previous victors. The green sport coat is the official apparel worn by Augusta National members when on the club grounds; each Masters victor is made an honorary member of the club.
The green jacket is awarded to the winner inside the Butler Cabin shortly after the event concludes in a televised ceremony, and the presentation is subsequently replayed outside near the 18th green in front of the spectators.
The green jacket may be removed from the Augusta National grounds only by the defending champion, after which it must be returned to the club. Gary Player is an exception to this rule, who, after winning in 1961, made the error of taking his jacket home to South Africa out of pure delight, despite the fact that he has always observed the rule in spirit and has never worn the jacket.
Invitations
Winning the Masters, like winning the other majors, has various advantages that help a golfer’s career. Masters victors are automatically invited to compete in the other three majors (the U.S. Open, The Open Championship, and The PGA Championship) for the next five years (save for amateur winners who become pros within the five-year span).
They get a lifetime invitation to the Masters. They will also earn PGA Tour membership for the next five seasons as well as invites to The Players Championship for the next five years. During the event, amateurs are permitted to remain at the “Crow’s Nest” atop the Augusta National clubhouse. The Crow’s Nest is 1,200 square feet (110 m2) and can accommodate five people during the tournament.
Pre-Tournament Events
Augusta National joined together with the USGA and the PGA of America in 2013 to launch Drive, Chip, and Putt, a junior golf skills tournament that debuted in 2014. The tournament was created to assist in promoting the sport of golf among young people; the winners of local qualifiers in various age categories proceed to the national finals.
Which have been hosted at Augusta National on the Sunday prior to the Masters. The driving and chipping sections of the tournament are staged on the practice range on the course, and the putting component is played on the 18th hole.
Par-3 Contest
The Par-3 competition was first held in 1960, and Snead won it that year. Since then, it has been played on Wednesday before the tournament begins. The par three courses was constructed in 1958. It is a nine-hole course with a par of 27 and a length of 1,060 yards.
Golfers may employ their children as valets in this event, which contributes to the event’s family-friendly environment. ESPN aired the tournament for the first time in 2008. The winner of the par 3 competition, held the day before the event, receives a crystal bowl.
Champions’ Banquet
Every year, the Champions’ Dinner is held on the Tuesday evening before the opening round on Thursday. The dinner was first conducted in 1952, hosted by defending champion Ben Hogan, to celebrate the tournament’s previous victors.
At the time, 15 tournaments had been held, with 11 previous champions. Officially known as the “Masters Club,” it is composed solely of former Masters winners, however, certain members of the Augusta National Golf Club, typically the chairman, have been added as honorary members.
The Opening Tee Shot
Since 1963, it has been customary to begin the event with a ceremonial first tee shot on the first hole, usually by one or more renowned players. Jock Hutchison and Fred McLeod had been the first couple to tee off for a number of years prior to 1963, both being former major championship winners. However, the eligibility criteria were revised in 1963, and they were no longer eligible to compete.
Hutchison and McLeod were the first two honorary starters to be introduced. From 1963 to 1973, when Hutchison’s health prohibited him from swinging a club, these twosomes led off every tournament. McLeod worked until his death in 1976. Byron Nelson and Gene Sarazen founded the band in 1981, and Sam Snead joined in 1984. This trio lasted until Sarazen died in 1999, and Nelson retired in 2001. Snead played his final opening tee shot in 2002, a little over a month before his death.
Field of The Masters
With 90-100 participants, the Masters features the smallest field among the major events. There are no alternates or qualification tournaments, as there are at other majors. It is an invitation-only event, with invites granted mostly automatically to participants that satisfy predefined criteria.
The invitation is extended to the top 50 players in the Official World Golf Ranking. Past champions are always eligible, although the Augusta National Golf Club has discouraged them from participating at an elderly age since 2002. Some will go on to be honorary starters.
Conclusion
The Masters is a traditional event that is very prestigious among golfers all around the world. The Masters 2023, which will be held between April 6 and 9, will be the 87th time this championship has been held. Every golf enthusiast is eagerly waiting for this year’s Masters to begin. It will be a fantastic sporting event as the arrangement committee left no stone unturned to make this event successful.
FAQs
How much do Masters Tournament winners earn?
Answer: The money for the Masters Tournament in 2022 is set at $15 million.
Who has the most Masters Tournament victories?
Answer: Six Masters Tournaments have been won by Jack Nicklaus.
What is the lowest score in the Masters Tournament?
Answer: 63 is the best score ever recorded at Augusta National Golf Club.
