Ranking the top ten traditions in The Masters Tournament history

The Masters was founded in 1934 by Bobby Jones and Clifford Roberts, and originally known as the Augusta National Invitational Tournament. While Robert Tyre Jones, Jr. had retired from competition in 1930, he also famously never turned professional. He never did win his own tournament, but the legacy of high-level amateur golf Jones left behind lives on to this day.

Although the vast majority of the invitees to the Masters today are professionals, several of the world’s top amateurs are invited to compete alongside them each year. The winners of the U.S. Amateur (and the runner-up), the British Amateur, the Asia-Pacific Amateur, Latin America Amateur, and the U.S. Mid-Amateur all earn the precious invitation to Augusta.

There are more than a few perks to playing in the Masters as an amateur. Forget just teeing it up at Augusta National, these players are afforded the opportunity to stay on the grounds, in the famous Crow’s Nest. At a simple 30 feet by 40 feet, the loft above the Champions’ locker room has five beds, a full bathroom, and a small lounge area. It’s a place steeped in history, and for a single week, these players get to take in a Masters experience nobody else can replicate.

At the end of the week, the low amateur is awarded the Silver Cup. Six have gone on to win the Masters as professionals: Cary Middlecoff (1946), Jack Nicklaus (1960), Ben Crenshaw (1972,73), Phil Mickelson (1991), Tiger Woods (1995), and Sergio Garcia (1999).

Elite company, indeed.