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Masters Traditions Match Play: Round 1 voting

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There is nothing like the Masters.

What Bobby Jones created in 1934 has grown into one of the world’s most beloved sporting events with indelible images, customs and ceremonies.

We’ve seeded what we believe are the top 16 Masters traditions and you get to vote for your favorites of the Masters Tradition Match Play. And, yes, landmarks aren’t technically ‘traditions,’ but they a part of the fabric of this event, so they have been included.

Round 2 voting will begin April 5; Final-four voting on April 8; the championship match on April 10, and the winner will be revealed April 12. You can read up on the contenders and vote below:


Match 1: (1) Green jacket vs. (16) Big oak tree

Green jacket: The tradition of the green jacket at Augusta National Golf Club dates to 1937. That year, members of the club wore green jackets during the tournament so that patrons in attendance could easily recognize them if they needed to ask questions. Slipping a jacket onto the winner of the Masters began in 1949.

Big oak tree: Located on the golf course side of the clubhouse is a magnificent oak tree that was planted in the 1850s. The popular gathering spot for members, guests, players and media is what many consider the heart of the Masters.


Match 2: (8) The menu vs. (9) Skipping balls on 16

The menu: Limited, like commercial interruptions, and ridiculously affordable and tasty. Pimento cheese sandwiches, egg salad sandwiches, chicken sandwiches, Coke, sports drinks and beer. Sandwiches are $1.50. A dollar-fifty, people.

Skipping balls on 16: During practice rounds, players hit their tee shots on the par-3 16th and then, with encouragement from the patrons, go to the water’s edge and attempt to skip shots across the hazard and onto the green.


Match 3: (5) Par-3 Contest vs. (12) Azaleas

Par-3 Contest: Since 1960, a semi-social event on Augusta National’s par-3 course has been played the day before the first round of the Masters Tournament. No players that has won the nine-hole event has ever gone on to win the actual tournament the same year.

Azaleas: Augusta National sits on the site of a former tree nursery, and is festooned with azaleas, magnolias and an amazing variety of other trees. Azaleas bloom in that part of the country around the same time as the tournament is held.


Match 4: (4) Ceremonial tee shots vs. (13) Caddie jumpsuits

Ceremonial tee shots: Jock Hutchison and Fred McLeod hit the first ceremonial opening tee shots in 1963. For many years the trio of Sam Snead, Gene Sarazen and Byron Nelson filled the role. The much-loved tradition now has Arnold Palmer, Gary Player and Jack Nicklaus.

Caddie jumpsuits: Until 1983, players were required to use caddies provided by the club. Since then, they have been allowed to bring their own bagmen, but the caddies must dress in the traditional Augusta caddie garb: white jumpsuits and green hats.


Match 5: (6) Champions Dinner vs. (11) Magnolia Lane

Champions Dinner: The Champions Dinner has been an annual tradition at the Masters since 1952, when Ben Hogan suggested and hosted the first edition. The previous year’s winner gets to select the menu – and he also has to pay.

Magnolia Lane: The road to the Augusta National clubhouse is 330 yards long and is lined with a canopy of magnolia trees that date back to the mid-1800s. According to the Augusta Chronicle, there are 61 magnolia trees on each side of Magnolia Lane. Those trees’ branches meet overhead, creating a tunnel effect that is particularly striking when they are in bloom.


Match 6: (3) Amen Corner vs. (14) Rae’s Creek

Amen Corner: The second shot at the par-4 11th, all of the par-3 12th, and the tee shot at the par-5 13th at Augusta are nicknamed Amen Corner. This term was first used in print by author Herbert Warren Wind in his April 21, 1958 Sports Illustrated article about the Masters.

Rae’s Creek: Rae’s Creek is most famous as the water fronting the 12th green at Augusta National. As the creek cuts across a corner of the property, it flows behind the 11th green, in front of the 12th green and in front of the 13th tee. A tributary (but not Rae’s Creek itself) snakes up the side of the 13th fairway and crosses in front of the 13th green.


Match 7: (7) Limited commercial interruption vs. (10) Amateurs in the field

Limited commercial interruption: The Masters, by design, has fewer commercial breaks than any other golf tournament. While we’d love to never be taken away from coverage, seeing 57 out of every 60 minutes isn’t too bad.

Amateurs in the field: The Masters honors its founder, amateur legend Jones, by extending invitations to notable amateurs and amateur champions around the world.


Match 8: (2) Former champions in the field vs. (15) Crow’s Nest

Former champions in the field: Jones thought of the Masters as a gathering of his friends and extended a lifetime exemption to the tournament to past winners. Past champions also get their own locker room.

The Crow’s Nest: The Crow’s Nest is a room that tops the Augusta National clubhouse. For decades, amateurs playing in the Masters field have been afforded the chance to sleep there. U.S. Amateur champions Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods are among those to have slept in one of the club’s twin beds, which are placed in a room measuring 30 feet by 40 feet.