Golf Central

We won't be able to get away from it until next Sunday, golf fans ... but then again, who would want to? The Masters Tournament begins its 71st incarnation next Thursday - and who knows what magic will happen? SG Matthews takes you through a tour of some of the landmark events throughout Augusta's history that make the tournament arguably the most anticipated golf event of each year.

1. Bobby Jones' dream course (1929):

According to legend the concept of Augusta National was either an actual dream of golf legend Bobby Jones, or it was a concept of a dream course in his native Georgia. Either way, it's a good story: And when Jones had the dream, he was on site at Cypress Point Club in California for the '29 US Amateur. The spectacular new course had been built a year earlier by genius designer Alister MacKenzie and it was inspiring. Jones and Mackenzie teamed up to build Augusta National in 1933.

2. Sarazen's "Shot Heard 'Round The World" (1935):

A year after the first Augusta National Invitation Tournament was played - later to be called the Masters - the tournament got it's greatest ever shot. Little Gene Sarazen knocked his second shot into the cup on the par-5 15th hole, and he needed the miracle. Sarazen got into a playoff and went on to win the title. The double-eagle captured the golf public's imagination, and the legend of the Masters was sparked.

3. The Green Jacket is born (1949):

Oh yes, they are ugly. But there is no doubt that the gruesome dark green blazers worn by Augusta members - and given to the annual champion - is the one piece of kit every competitive golfer dreams about owning. In fact, ever since Sam Snead was awarded the first Green Jacket after winning in '49, the garment has probably become the most coveted item of clothing in all of sport.

4. The first Champions Dinner (1952):

The Masters is known for the deification of its winners - who get their own separate locker room - and the Champions Dinner is one of its grandest traditions. Open only to past champions, the menu is one of golf's great gatherings, held each Tuesday preceding the competition. The menu is specially selected by the previous year's champion, leaving Zach Johnson on the hook to fill the stomachs of the legends this time around.

5. The Masters on television (1956):

The biggest lift to the Masters - other than Sarazen's albatross - was when pictures of the beautiful course were first beamed to TVs around the States, and later the world, by CBS. Until 1993 only the final 10 holes were shown each day, but now the coverage is blanket - and in high-definition. And even the most hard-bitten husbands are allowed to watch the golf with all those pretty pictures of azaleas in bloom.

6. The Par-3 Contest is born (1960):

Another nifty tradition at Augusta, where on the Wednesday prior to the tournament, the competitors have it out on the property's nine-hole, par-27 1,060-yard mini-course. Sam Snead was the first winner with a 23, there have been 61 holes-in-one made in the event, and Art Wall (1965) and Gay Brewer (1973) share the course record of 20. No Par-3 Contest winner has won the Masters proper in the same year. There's an added bonus this year, as for the first time this popular, fun event will be televised live.

7. The foreigners break through (1961):

The first 24 champions at Augusta were all Americans. But that all changed when scrappy little South African Gary Player walked away with the 1961 Green Jacket at the age of 25. Spanish genius Seve Ballesteros in 1980 was the first European winner at the Masters, and Scotsman Sandy Lyle was the first British champ in 1988.

8. Lee Elder breaks the colour barrier (1975):

The self-taught, soft-spoken Texas, a pro golfer since 1959 and a four-time PGA Tour winner, became the first African-American to play in the Masters - where blacks were long only seen as serving staff or caddies. Elder had qualified by winning the PGA Tour's Monsanto Open in Pensacola, Florida the year before. Elder shot 74 and 78 to miss the cut, but the importance of Elder's achievement cannot be understated today.

9. Greg Norman's meltdown (1996):

Perhaps no one better symbolises the difficulty and drama of Masters competition than Norman, who has come heartbreaking close several times to winning the title he wanted the most. The worst of Norman's letdowns came in '96, when he strafed Augusta for a course record-tying opening 63 and entered the final round with a six-shot lead. But Norman collapsed painfully to a 78 on the Sunday, losing by five to Nick Faldo, who earned his third Green Jacket.

10. Tiger's arrival (1997):

And if Norman is the symbol of Masters agony, perhaps no one will be a better symbol of the tournament's glory than Tiger Woods. And what an arrival Tiger made. In his first major championship, at the age of 21 years, three months and 14 days, Woods shot a phenomenal 18-under 270, the lowest total in Masters history, for a 12-shot win over Tom Kite. It was the first of four Green Jackets so far for Tiger, and his successes have changed the way the tournament is played today. How many more Green Jackets will Tiger win?