The Masters is the most well-known golf tournament in the world, held at the beautiful  Augusta National Golf Course in Augusta, Georgia. This tournament doesn’t just bring amazing views and great golf, it also has a very rich history, having played its 90th 4-round tournament April 11-14 of this year. Past winners include Tiger Woods, John Rahm, Bubba Watson, and this year, Scottie Scheffler, who walked away with his second win in the tournament.

The history of the Masters dates all the way back to March 22-25 1934, when the first Masters was held. At this time the name hadn’t been perfected yet, having been called “the Augusta National Invitation Tournament.” CBS Radio also broadcasted daily updates on the event, making this the second-ever broadcasted golf tournament. Even though the prize pool was only $5,000, it brought golfers like Bobby Jones, a very skilled golfer out of retirement. People tuning in wondered what was so special about the tournament, as it brought back one of the most influential golfers of the time. People who listened to the tournament found it very entertaining, and Its popularity only grew from there. Now, the event attracts almost 10 million views every time it airs, and the prize pool has reached 20 million dollars, with Scottie Scheffler walking home with $3.6 million this year.

All this success has turned Augusta National into one of the most exclusive golf courses in the world, reserved for members and their guests only. Players go to great lengths just to play on it once; some people have even written whole books about the Master’s and not been accepted onto the course. The club only has about 300 members, and, as of right now, it is almost impossible to become a member. Along with the exclusiveness come some crazy rules, For example, patrons of the masters are not allowed to run anywhere on the property of Augusta National, in an attempt to keep the landscaping up to par.

This exclusivity hasn’t been perfect for the Masters though. The “out of the ordinary” rules made some people see Augusta as up-tight and strict, and they have turned to other tournaments with less formal and more relaxed environments. For example, The new LIV golf league, debuting in the summer of 2022, is a league that shows a very different side of the sport with loud music playing the whole time and the crowd being allowed to do almost whatever they want. This league also features players who played in earlier Master’s Tournaments, such as John Rahm, Bryson Dechambeau, and Bubba Watson.

Overall, the Masters is a very prestigious golf tournament that has one of the deepest and most important histories. They have held tournaments since 1934 and have been the most popular tournament for over 40 years, but is their competition slowly overtaking them?