It is the most desired jacket by every golfer. It is the “Green Jacket”, symbol and history of the Masters Tournament, the most fascinating Major in golf. The history of the green jacket began in 1937, when Augusta National forced Club members to wear it for the duration of the tournament.
The reason? Make them recognizable in the eyes of the fans present on the course. The first to receive it, in 1949, was Sam Snead. The American who, with his unmistakable swing, accompanied by the famous straw hat on his head, enchanted audiences from all over the world.
But later the jacket was also donated to the winners of previous editions of the Augusta Masters. Made of tropical wool, it is nothing more than a single-breasted 3-button suit with an evident slit on the back.
Masters, Green Jacket
The Master’s logo is engraved on the brass buttons and embroidered on the pocket.
It is priceless and yet in 1994, an official green jacket (dating back to the 1950s but whose owner is unknown) was bought in a flea market in Toronto (Canada) for just 5 dollars. Once the authenticity was discovered, the buyer decided to auction it.
After 35 relaunches, it sold for $139,348. Compared to the past, those available to the Augusta National Golf Club for the final crowning of the winner are of different sizes. At the end of the games, the champion’s name and surname are embroidered inside a made-to-measure model.
This was to avoid repeating scenes from back then. In 1952 Snead was in fact given a jacket with rather short sleeves. While in 1963, the exact opposite happened to Jack Nicklaus, “The Golden Bear” of golf. It is the latter who holds the record of successes of the tournament.
The American has won The Masters six times, most recently in 1986 at the age of 46. Behind him, another golf legend: Tiger Woods. The former number 1 in the world boasts five successes and in 2019 he signed, when the tournament seemed to be in the hands of Francesco Molinari, one of the greatest feats of his career.
The winner is always dressed by his predecessor. In the event of a past winner (it happened three times in history to Nicklaus 1965-1966, Nick Faldo 1989-1990, Tiger Woods 2001-2002), the tradition of Augusta requires that it is the president of Augusta National who offers the jacket to the sample.
That with the victory of the tournament he becomes an honorary member of the club and has the honor and the burden of wearing it every time he attends the club.
