The Masters Tournament, held each spring at the Augusta National Golf Club, has become an iconic event in golf. Since its inauguration in 1934, the tournament has drawn competitors playing at the top of their game. The list of golfing greats who have won multiple Masters includes Sam Snead, Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer, Gary Player, Nick Faldo, Tiger Woods, and Phil Mickelson. Nicklaus holds the record for total number of Masters wins, at six. He, Faldo, and Woods are the only players to have won in consecutive years.
These players’ careers would have taken different paths were it not for Alister MacKenzie. The renowned golf course architect worked with the legendary Bobby Jones, newly retired after winning multiple championships in the US and UK, to design a course that would fulfill a longtime dream for Jones.
MacKenzie, known for designing courses throughout the British Isles and the world, fought convention by crafting bunkers with large-scale swaths of sand and holes canted away from the fairway’s line of sight, presenting new challenges to golfers. He took advantage of the natural features surrounding any course, using them to enhance the aesthetic experience of play.
MacKenzie gave his last effort to creating the Masters. The Yorkshire native and former British Army surgeon began the project in 1929, and he died the year of the first tournament. His original course has been altered, due to advancing technology and players' skill, but today’s golfers can still sense his devotion to the game.
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