Golf enthusiasts are only now starting to learn why the winner of the Masters is awarded the coveted green jacket, have a look at its history
Golfers fantasise about getting theirs as they sleep, Bubba Watson broke down in tears simply remembering his, and one fan was willing to shell out more than $680,000 to own one.
Golf’s most prized fashion statement and one of the most recognisable items of apparel is the green jacket from Augusta National, an exclusive prize awarded to Masters champions.
The prestige of winning one of the four majors in men’s golf, the trophy, as well as the prize money, are certainly pleasant rewards, but the Georgia club’s green member’s jacket has a distinguished history that has made it popular among those who desire it.
Since the Masters was first played in 1934, 54 golfers have won the tournament, and each winner has received the recognisable green jacket. But where did the concept come from?
Why are The Masters winners given the green jacket, its history and rules
The Masters is one of golf’s most esteemed competitions since only 54 competitors are handed the coveted green jacket awarded to champions at Augusta. One of the four main championships is this one.
The jacket is the most prized item of clothing in golf, and in 2013, the one awarded to Horton Smith, who took first place at the Masters, sold for an amazing $682,229 (about £550,000).
Past Masters champions gather for the Champions Dinner before the competition. For a portrait taken as part of an annual tradition recognising the golfer who won the Masters the previous year, everyone in attendance dons their green jackets.
The idea for the jacket was developed in 1930, the year American golfer Bobby Jones won the British Open and was invited to the Royal Liverpool Golf Club’s players’ reception, even though the jacket itself wasn’t created until 1937.
The story goes that Jones was sitting next to a chap called Kenneth Stoker, who was captain of the club the year before,” the club’s historian Joe Pinnington told CNN in 2014. “All the captains were wearing their formal kit – the red coats that we have.”
In the future, Jones founded the Augusta National Golf Club, which hosted the 1934 Masters competition.
Members of Augusta began donning similar green jackets that matched the red jackets worn by those at Royal Liverpool three years after they first started doing so.