The 2012 Masters will tee off tomorrow morning at 7:50 a.m. EST. Craig Stadler, Brendan Steele, and Tim Clark will be the first three golfers to drive down the fairway at Augusta.
Tiger Woods, who has started his climb back toward the top of the golf world, will be teeing off at 10:35 along with Sang-Moon Bae and Miguel Angel Jimenz. Luke Donald, who is currently the number one ranked player in the world, will start his attempt for a green jacket at 10:46.
For the last 7 decades the best players in the world have been gathering in Augusta, Georgia, for the first major championship of the season. Before Woods, Donald, Rory McIlroy, Bubba Watson and the rest of the field tee off in search of a green jacket tomorrow morning, here are some statistics about Golf’s most famous tournament.
6,490,806 – Tiger Woods has won $6,490,806 at the Masters.
1,500,000 – This year’s winner is expected to take home $1.5 million. Phil Mickelson took home $1,350,000 after he won the Masters in 2011. When Horton Smith won the inaugural Masters in 1934, the first place purse was $1,500.
1980 – Seve Ballesteros became the first European to win the Masters in 1980.
506 – Jack Nicklaus holds the record for most birdies by a player in Masters history with 506.
63 – The lowest round in tournament history is a 63. Nick Price completed the feat in 1986 and Greg Norman duplicated it in 1996.
50 – Stuart Appleby holds the record for consecutive holes at par or better. Appleby hit 45 pars and 5 birdies during 2001 tournament.
46 – Jack Nicklaus is the oldest player to win the Masters. Nicklaus won in 1986 when he was 46-years, 2-months, and 23-days old.
21 – Tiger Woods won his first Masters in 1997 when he was 21-years, 3-months, and 14-days old. He is the youngest player to win at Augusta.
15 – It took Mark O’Meara 15 attempts before winning a green jacket.
14 – The Masters have only been decided by a playoff 14 times in its 74 year history.
12 – Tiger Woods won the Masters in 1997 by a dozen strokes. It is the widest margin of victory in tournament history and at 18 under par was the best score in Masters history.
6 – Jack Nicklaus has the most victories at Augusta. Nicklaus won in 1963, 1965, 1966, 1972, 1975, 1986). Arnold Palmer and Tiger Woods are tied in second with four wins apiece.
4 – Ben Hogan, Jack Nicklaus and Tom Weiskopf have all finished as runner-ups four times.
3 – Only three people have won The Masters in their debut tournament. Horton Smith (1934), Gene Sarazen (1935) and Fuzzy Zoeller (1979) all won on their first try.
Are you watching The Masters this year? Who do you think will win?