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The 2007 Masters is just a twinkle in the collective eye of golf fans. The highs and lows of 2006 are fading into the past, the leftover turkey is gone, “chestnuts roasting on an open fire” plays in the background, and the decorations are up. Not exactly Masters weather.<\/p>\n
Never-the-less, looking at the masters of The Masters is worth it because, before you know it, the on-air pontification over potential winners and contenders is going to start. You want to have a little history in your back pocket to impress your friends.<\/p>\n
One rule: Those who make “Masters of the First Major” qualified by winning at least three. Known as much for his carousing as his stellar play, Demaret won 31 times on the PGA Tour. Only thirteen other players have more victories. He won events from 1935 to 1957, an impressive span.<\/p>\n Credit goes to Demaret for founding the Legends of Golf tournament which eventually grew into the Senior and now Champions Tour.<\/p>\n Sam Snead<\/strong> (1949, 1952, 1954) Sam Snead became the first recipient of the green jacket in 1949, fifteen years after The Masters had begun. His 1954 victory over Ben Hogan in a playoff was his most exciting victory and his last major victory.<\/p>\n Snead hit the honorary opening tee shot at The Masters from 1984 to 2002.<\/p>\n Gary Player<\/strong> (1961, 1974, 1978) Nick Faldo<\/strong> (1989, 1990, 1996) Arnold Palmer<\/strong> (1958, 1960, 1962, 1964) Bobby Jones said of Palmer after his stunning 1960 victory over Ken Venturi, “If I ever had to have one putt to win a title for me, I’d rather have Arnold Palmer hit it for me than anybody I ever saw.” Palmer had nailed a 27-footer on 17 and followed it up with another birdie on 18 for a one-shot victory.<\/p>\n It almost goes without saying that Palmer did more to extend the reach of golf than almost any other single player. His historic run at The Masters played an integral part.<\/p>\n Tiger Woods<\/strong> (1997, 2001, 2002, 2005) Tiger could just as easily add four more green jackets to his collection in the next ten years. He’s still a couple jackets away from The Masters most prolific winner…<\/p>\n Jack Nicklaus<\/strong> (1963, 1965, 1966, 1972, 1975, 1986) His best Masters magic was saved for last as he made good use of that big putter of his rolling the ball in from everywhere on the final day, on the back nine, for his final major victory at age 46. He defeated Tom Kite and Greg Norman by one stroke. It’ll be one of the best remembered Masters victories Jack brought home because of it’s improbability and the memories it gave golf fans.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Augusta National is America’s most prestigious golf venue and it has revealed some of the greatest players in the game. Here are Masters champs with the most victories.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[25],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1598","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-profiles"],"yoast_head":"\n
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\nJimmy Demaret<\/strong> (1940, 1947, 1950)
\nBorn May 24, 1910, Demaret was the first three-time winner of The Masters. Jack Burke Jr. called him perhaps the greatest shot-maker who ever lived. Demaret had a significant influence on Ben Hogan whom he may have picked up his shot-making mentality from.<\/p>\n
\nSnead won an unprecedented 82 PGA Tour events, seven of those majors, in his four-decade career. He fell short of a career grand slam as he never won the U.S. Open. But he did win The Masters three times.<\/p>\n
\nPlayer became the first international player to win at the Masters and set the consecutive cuts record with 23 from 1959 to 1982. He later became the oldest golfer to have made a cut in the Masters in 1998. He was 63.<\/p>\n
\nOf his three Masters victories he’ll be remembered most with Greg Norman’s notorious final round collapse in 1996. Faldo started the round six strokes behind Norman and ended up five strokes ahead of him with a final round 67. While only the two of them know what Faldo said to Norman after the win, his generosity in victory was greatly appreciated by the humbled Norman.<\/p>\n
\nEvery two years between 1958 and 1964 Palmer donned a green jacket. He is the first of three (with Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods) to have won The Masters at least four times.<\/p>\n
\nThere can be no doubt that Tiger meshes well with Augusta National. He proved it in his third try in 1997 when he won by an unprecedented 12 strokes over a shell-shocked field. While Tiger seems to love Augusta, Augusta’s cronies weren’t thrilled with his domination so they lengthened the course. I believe that history will see Augusta’s maneuver as unnecessary.<\/p>\n
\nNicklaus has had some special moments at The Masters. Among the best was in 1965 when he won by 9 strokes.<\/p>\n