One of the best known traditions of Masters tournament, in the United States and other parts of the world, is that the champion wears a green jacket in recognition of his performance on the golf course.
The idea occurred to Bobby Jones, co-creator of the Augusta National, on a visit to Royal Liverpool, where the captains were wearing green jackets.
Thus, from 1937, all members began to use it to distinguish themselves from the public. From then on, and until 1948, only the members of the club could wear that green jacket.
Who was the first champion to wear the green jacket?
In 1949, Sam Snead became the first tournament winner to be awarded the famous green jacket. Hence, he was inducted as a member and creditor of the jacket.
That was the reason why it was implemented that the outgoing champion awarded the prize to the new one and that each winner could keep the garment for a year and then return it.
The first player, of non-American origin, who managed to enter the club by winning the Masters was the South African Gary Player, in 1962. The first European, in addition, was Seve Ballesteros.
In such a way, the green jacket that they usually deliver at the ceremony is that of another winner who has a size similar to the new champion. That, while making the new jacket.
The 2021 Masters, the most select golf tournament in the world had started in the middle of the Covid-19 pandemic without its main legend: Tiger Woods, who, due to a car accident. The crash leaves in doubt whether Woods will even walk properly again, much less play golf.
Hideki Matsuyama became the first Japanese male golfer to win a major championship, and the first Asian-born golfer to win the 2021 Masters.
