Fun facts about Masters, Augusta National trees, bridges and more you may not know about
For players and fans alike, it's the holy grail of North American golf. This year's Masters, the 89th rendition of the event, has enjoyed as much build-up and anticipation as any. You could spend days learning about the history of the tournament and Augusta National.
Sure, you know that Jack, Tiger and Arnie have combined for 15 green jackets and you're probably plenty familiar with azaleas, but there are other things you may not know about the event and the course.
Trees on Magnolia Lane are over 160 years old
The famous Magnolia Lane extends from the entrance gate to the clubhouse, but here's a fun fact: the large magnolia trees that line both sides of the 330-yard road date to the late 1850s. The road was paved in 1947.
Three bridges on the golf course are dedicated to players
There are three dedicated bridges at Augusta National:
Sarazen Bridge at hole No. 15 — to honor Gene Sarazen's double eagle there during the 1935 Masters
Hogan Bridge at the No. 12 green — to honor Ben Hogan's then-record score of 274 in 1953
Nelson Bridge at the No. 13 tee — to honor Byron Nelson's performance on holes No. 12 and 13 when he won the 1937 Masters
Green jacket tradition started in 1937
The tradition of members wearing green jackets began in 1937, when jackets were purchased from New York's Brooks Uniform Co. The idea was that Masters patrons could easily see members who would have accurate information. The jackets have been stitched at Hamilton Tailoring outside Cincinnati and according to numerous reports, it takes roughly a month to produce each three-button, single-breasted blazer.
As many as five amateurs can stay in the Crow's Nest
The Crow's Nest is a 30-by-40-foot room atop the clubhouse available as living quarters for as many as five amateurs during The Masters. There are four bedrooms, a games table and a television. Although it's certainly not ritzy, it's considered one of the most historic parts of the property. Eight players who have stayed in the space as amateurs later won the event — Jack Nicklaus, Tommy Aaron, Tom Watson, Ben Crenshaw, Craig Stadler, Mark O'Meara, Phil Mickelson and Tiger Woods.
Only one U.S. president was a member at ANGC
Avid golfer Dwight (Ike) Eisenhower is the only U.S. president to have been a club member. Ike's Pond occupies 3 acres near hole No. 9 on the par 3 course, a nine-hole layout that is the site of the traditional Par 3 Contest on Wednesday of Masters week.
Every hole is named for a plant or shrub
For example, No. 3 is called "Flowering Crab Apple" and the famous par-3 12th is known as "Golden Bell." An estimated 80,000 plants have been added since the course was built.
The area was used for raising animals during WWII
The tournament was not played during the years 1943, 1944 and 1945 because of World War II. To help with the war effort, turkey and cattle were raised on the Augusta National grounds.
The land had once been Fruitland Nurseries
The club was conceived by Bobby Jones and Clifford Roberts. Their vision was to establish a national membership for the club. They took a $70,000 option on a 365-acre property called Fruitland Nurseries in Augusta, Georgia. Jones and Alistair Mackenzie of Scotland designed the course. Construction began in 1931. The course opened in 1932 with limited play. The formal opening was January 1933.
Cabins still provide on-site lodging for members
The 10 cabins located on the grounds of Augusta National provide lodging for members and their guests, including the Eisenhower Cabin, which was built for President and Mrs. Eisenhower for their visits. The cabin is a little larger than others because it had to house Secret Service members.
The Record Fountain sits just off the 17th green
The Record Fountain was built to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the Masters. It is located left of the No. 17 green and displays course records and Masters Tournament winners.
Rae's Creek was used as protection from attacks
Rae's Creek was named after John Rae. The creek runs in front of the No. 12 green, has a tributary at the No. 13 tee, and passes by the back of the No. 11 green. Rae's house kept residents safe during Native American attacks. It was the furthest fortress up the Savannah River from Fort Augusta.
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He needed a graveyard shift at UPS to pay for training. Now he's a U.S. champion sprinter
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And then, having to balance that with getting into meets, paying for gear, paying for spikes and all the things that go into track? And then having to pay your own bills, too; you know, rent, car bills, gas, groceries, like the whole nine yards.' In many major North American professional sports, a single entity such as the NBA, NFL or MLB collects revenue from media rights, merchandising and other licensing and pays out a share to its athletes under the terms of an agreement that has been collectively bargained with their union. Track and field, however, has no single, premier league, and their athletes also have no union. The combination makes established and aspiring pro runners alike the world's fastest freelancers, whose income is dependent on a piecemeal combination that can include endorsements, appearance fees, prize money and money earned from social media and grants. As Patterson can attest, not all of those revenue streams are guaranteed. At last week's U.S. championships, it was not uncommon to see some of the sport's highest-paid and most-decorated athletes, including champion sprinter Noah Lyles, competing alongside peers scratching out a living. On Sunday, Dylan Beard made the U.S. team that will compete in September's world championships in Tokyo in the 110-meter hurdles. To go to the meet, however, the unsponsored hurdler will need to ask for time off from his day job in the deli of a North Carolina Walmart. Patterson left the University of Florida powerhouse campus in 2023 with a pair of NCAA relay championships but his times were not fast enough to earn an all-important sponsorship contract with a shoe company. Shoe companies provide the bulk of money for track athletes though some, but not all, companies utilize so-called 'reduction clauses' to cut an athlete's earnings if certain performance marks are not met. These contracts are almost never made public. 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"I just didn't have it," Fitzpatrick told BBC Sport. "I'd put in a tonne of work, my coaches had put in so much work and it just didn't happen. "There's no stone left unturned for me, but it's hard when you're intending to hit a shot and missing it by quite a lot. I just didn't know what was coming. "And that's when confidence hits an all-time low and you feel like you can't progress." By the end of the Masters, where he finished in a share of 40th place, the former world number six was 75th in the rankings. He was not sure what to do to arrest the decline. And sometimes stuff happens away from the course as well. Such vicissitudes contributed to what had been previously unthinkable - splitting with Mike Walker, his coach and confidante since Fitzpatrick's mid teens. Walker works alongside fellow South Yorkshireman Pete Cowen and helped his protege win the US Amateur in 2013 before turning professional. "My relationship with Mike is more important than golf really," Fitzpatrick said. "He's someone I've looked up to since I was 14 or 15. "I could tell him anything and my respect for him is so high. At the same time I wasn't playing well and things probably needed to change. "It's my job and I needed to get myself together." The week after the Masters, Fitzpatrick started to work with the Alabama-based coach Mark Blackburn. "It was the first time I've ever had anyone look at my swing, or get a lesson off someone not named Mike Walker or Pete Cowen in 15 years," Fitzpatrick said. Blackburn wanted to know his new pupil's physical capabilities and his level of flexibility. They soon discovered Fitzpatrick possesses unusually long arms. "Which is not great for hitting irons because its harder to control the depth of the club, and you are going to hit it heavier more often than not," he said. "The other thing was I don't have great shoulder flexion and because of that, as soon as I swing it too long I come out of posture and my swing is all out of whack." While finishing 11 under par at Portrush it was noticeable that before every shot Fitzpatrick would pull back his shoulders and push out his chest. "It's me trying to pinch my shoulder blades together," he said. "It is basically to create the radius of my arms, which means I can just rotate there and I don't need to stretch or move my arms." The work is paying off. Fitzpatrick was eighth in May's US PGA at Quail Hollow, one of five top 10s since the Masters - including finishing fourth at the Scottish Open the week before Portrush, and a share of eighth at the Wyndham last Sunday. Now he is looking to push to finish top 30 on the PGA Tour and grab a place in the season-ending Tour Championship in Atlanta. He currently lies 41st and competes in the first play-off event, the FedEx St Jude, which starts in Memphis this Thursday. Asked who he credits for helping him through the toughest stretch of his career, Fitzpatrick says: "My mum and dad and wife Katherine. "She was constantly reminding me that I won the US Open; 'you're a great player, you're going to get it back'. "It really is true, you've got to have the right people around you and I feel very lucky that I've always had that." Football tactics fascinate Fitzpatrick The other constant has been his love of football. This conversation began with Fitzpatrick seeking contact details for a tactical expert who had appeared on the BBC Sport website. "People think its a joke but I love football way more than golf," Fitzpatrick smiled. "I'm obsessed with football. It's brilliant for me. "I love supporting Sheffield United, over here in the States they show every game I could wish to see, which is amazing." Fitzpatrick has visited Premier League side Brentford and spoken face-to-face with the performance team at champions Liverpool to glean insights. His voice lights up while recalling the people he met and the chats that followed. He was like a sponge absorbing information. "How they use data, how culture is so important," he said. "Just fascinating. "Finding little things that maybe we could take into golf - I feel like we've taken a lot from it." But not just golf. He claims there could come a day when he might switch sports. "I don't know when I'll ever get time to do this, but I'd love to work in football if the opportunity ever arose in some way, shape or form," Fitzpatrick said. "That's extremely wishful thinking, but I just find it so interesting to be part of. I love reading about it and everything about it." More pressing is a golf career that is back on the up. Along with trying to make it to East Lake for the Tour Championship, he wants to retain his place in Europe's Ryder Cup team for next month's trophy defence at Bethpage in New York. "It is nice to play well at the crunch time; the play-offs and the Ryder Cup," Fitzpatrick said. "To be part of that would be very special again." He has played three Ryder Cups but his record of only one win in eight matches is a frustration, and poor reflection of the talents of someone with 10 tournament wins in his professional career. "Despite my record I still want to be part of it to give myself a chance to improve on it," he said. If he makes Luke Donald's team, Fitzpatrick will bring plenty of perspective to the European team. "In the last 15 months there's been an extra effort to try and be a little bit more forgiving to myself and understanding my own psychology really," he admitted. "My biggest thing I would take away from the slump is catching things earlier. I can't afford to get to that stage again. "It was a tough time for me and the problem was it went on for so long. You can't afford to be behind the eight ball and you need to catch those things as early as you can, and turn them round as quickly as you can." Spoken like a golfer who might one day deliver half-time team talks.
