AUGUSTA, Ga – The adage “familiarity breeds contempt” has never really applied at Augusta National.
From the earliest days of the Augusta National Invitational, as the tournament was known from 1934-37, experience has always been the great equalizer. Horton Smith won the first edition in ’34 and the third in ’36. Byron Nelson won the fourth and ninth tournaments – the only player to win both the Augusta National Invitational and the Masters – and the tradition of repeat winners joined the likes of pimento cheese sandwiches and blooming azaleas.
Of the 82 Masters that have been played, more than half (47) have been won by players with multiple victories at Augusta National, including eight with at least three triumphs at the season’s first major.
There are plenty of reasons for the phenomenon, but the most logical explanation is location, location, location.
The Masters is the only major played at the same venue each year and players pride themselves on learning every nuanced corner of Augusta National Golf Club.
“You see the same place over and over and build up good vibes and you remember the good shots,” said Bubba Watson, the most recent repeat champion with victories in 2012 and ’14. “We get to see the history year after year. At other events your game has to travel to different venues. It’s like Fred Couples, we see his name on the leaderboard year after year and keep expecting him to win.”
To prove the point, Watson set out for his traditional Sunday practice round with his wife, Angie, and former Secretary of State and Augusta National member Condoleezza Rice after talking with the media and awarding one of the winners in the Drive, Chip & Putt Championship. He’s been at Augusta National since Friday.
By comparison, particular games don’t travel nearly as well at the other major venues. Prior to Brooks Koepka’s back-to-back victory at the U.S. Open last year, the championship had been won by nine consecutive first-time U.S. Open winners. Rory McIlroy is the only repeat PGA champion over the last 11 years, and Ernie Els is the only player to win multiple Open Championships over the same span.
There’s also something to be said for the relatively small field for the Masters (which is currently at 87 players), and the lifetime exemption to previous champions that allows for a career full of institutional knowledge and a connection to the venue that is borderline spiritual for some.
“There’s a level of comfort coming here,” said Adam Scott, the 2013 champion. “I remember before I won how anxious I was. I still want to win another, but I don’t have the anxiety like I did before. You feel at peace with the place.”
Given the track record of former champions, from Jack Nicklaus’ six victories to Ben Crenshaw’s two, it’s easy to see why the accomplished have such an affinity for the place. But that trend has been slowed in recent years.
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Patrick Reed’s victory last year was the fourth consecutive for a first-time winner, the most consecutive Champions Dinner newbies since 1971. Another victory this year by a first-timer would officially turn a curious trend into a bona fide movement, as it would match the longest drought for former champions in tournament history.
That isn’t just possible, it’s likely if the current betting odds are any guide. Just two former champions, Woods and Jordan Spieth, are among this week’s 11 favorites and there’s not a single former champion among the top 10 players in the Official World Golf Ranking.
Some simply chalk this up to the perceived depth of golf at the moment and a trend toward younger champions who no longer need a few years of seasoning before they emerge as world-beaters.
“Everyone is nervous, but I believe the players now are more prepared and not afraid to win,” 1998 Masters winner Mark O’Meara said. “There are so many good players from around the world now.”
The inherent discomfort players had at Augusta National has been dramatically dulled in recent years as players arrive better prepared for the unique challenges of the layout and the intense pressure of winning a lifetime membership in the game’s most exclusive club.
Consider Spieth’s Master’s resume as the ultimate proof of this point. As a 20-year-old first-time participant, he finished second to Watson in 2014 and won the next year. In five starts at the Masters, Spieth’s worst finish is a tie for 11th place in ’17.
There’s also a modern style of play that heavily favors the game’s longest drivers at any venue, but particularly Augusta National which was dramatically lengthened in 2002.
“It’s more wide open than a few years ago because more players drive the ball well,” Scott said. “We’ve seen the improvement of good driving. When the course was stretched out, driving became more important.”
Technology has also mitigated much of the mystery of the storied layout and taken much of the guess work out of a test that once heavily favored the veteran.
“There’s way more information. Even though we’re restricted in what we can use while on the course there are people analyzing 50 years of history now,” Scott said. “There were always the old stories about not hitting here or hitting it there. Now there’s actual data to back it up. The advantage of experience is less.”
But the biggest advantage for another first-time winner is the current Murderers’ Row of potential breakthrough candidates, from world No. 1 Dustin Johnson to McIlroy, who will continue his quest to complete the career Grand Slam with a Masters victory, everything about this tournament favors another first-time winner.
There will always be a place for familiarity at Augusta National, but the game’s most exacting test is slowly evolving into something much less predictable.