2023 Masters Tournament: Inside Golf’s Major Tournament Traditions Ahead of Augusta Showdown

• The Masters Tournament's longstanding traditions have always made it an exciting sport to watch
• It is the only major golf event that has been played in one venue since it started
• Five-time winner Tiger Woods could be part of the start list in the 2023 event

The 2023 Masters Tournament is here with us, with Golf revellers getting ready for the first of the four major opens of the year.

Scottie Scheffler will put his title on the line with the likes of John Rahm, Rory Mcllroy and Cameron Smith among the favourites to win this year's gong. Veteran Tiger Woods is also expected to feature despite lingering walking issues from a car accident in 2021.

The Masters' tournament is heavily built on tradition - key of which being its location that never changes. The Par 72 Augusta National Golf Club has played host to the event since its inception in 1934.

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Sports Brief takes a look at the other traditions ahead of the 2023 edition set to run from 6-9 April.

1. The Green Jacket

A Green Jacket has always been awarded to the champion of the Masters Tournament since 1949. The winner returns the jacket to the Golf club one year after his triumph, where it is stored alongside the jackets of previous winners.

Should one person win the event repeatedly, the same jacket is used. In as much as the jacket is the property of the winner, only the reigning champion is allowed to remove it from the club grounds.

2. Awards

Apart from the Green Jacket, the winner receives a handsome cash prize and a gold medal. Other prizes on offer for other players include a crystal vase for a player with the daily lowest score over the four days.

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A player who gets a hole-in-one gets a crystal bowl, while an eagle gets someone a pair of crystal goblets.

3. Champions Dinner

This is usually the preserve of the reigning champion, who comes up with the menu two days before tee-off (on Wednesday). The champion often hosts the previous winners of the competition, with honorary members of the gold club in attendance as well.

Last year, the then champion, Hideki Matsuyama, went with assorted meals from his home country of Japan. The main course was Miyazaki Wagyu - a type of steak.

4. Par 3 contest

The contest before the contest. Played on Wednesday before the tournament starts, the golfers are allowed to use their children as caddies on the Par 3 course.

The winner gets a crystal bowl. However, no winner of the Par 3 contest at the Masters has ever gone on to win the tournament itself.

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5. Opening tee shot

In simple terms, the opening ceremony before the event starts. Honorary members, and preferably past winners, often take the first shot before players take to the course.

In 2022, Tom Watson joined Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player at the ceremonial tee shots.

6. No advertisements

For a tournament as big as the Masters, it is often surprising to notice that there aren't any visible brand advertisers on the course to maximise visibility in a tournament broadcast worldwide. The idea behind this is believed to have minimal interruptions throughout the tournament.

To compensate TV stations for their loss in revenue, the club often waive the rights fee for the tournament, as Chicago Tribune reports.

From Rory Mcllroy gunning for a career golf Grand slam to LIV Golfers being cleared to participate to Tiger Woods' potential appearance and romantic triumph, the 2023 Masters has a lot to offer.

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LIV Golf vs PGA Tour

Sports Brief had earlier reported that LIV Golf took to Twitter to mock the imminent PGA Tour changes of limited fields and a no-cuts policy, set to be implemented in prestigious tour events in coming years.

Four-time major champion Rory McIlroy has welcomed the changes, however, saying it will make the PGA Tour more competitive.

The new changes will see the top eight of its events outside of the majors have limited fields and no 36-hole cuts. Those designated events are set to deter more players from defecting to LIV Golf.