One of my annual rites of spring is rummaging through the Masters media guide. At 485 pages, it encompasses a myriad of facts and figures that detail the tournament’s history. For Masters aficionados, the offbeat is every bit as interesting as the awesome. With that in mind, we sifted through the pages seeking nuggets of interest that are not immediately recognized, even by the most hardcore Masters fan. Here are 13 that will have your friends thinking you’re a Google Golf god when it comes to the year’s first men’s major.
Guest appearance as Honorary Starter
From 1981 through 1999, Byron Nelson, Gene Sarazen and Sam Snead (who joined the pair in 1984) were fixtures in providing the ceremonial swats that kicked off the start of the tournament. A little-known honorary starter fact is that Ken Venturi, who twice nearly won the Masters as an amateur and would later win the 1964 U.S. Open, pinch-hit for Nelson in 1983 as Nelson tended to his wife, who was ill.
Masters marathons 
Fans stand with umbrellas as play is suspended during the third round of the 2023 Masters.
Erick W. Rasco
According to the media guide, rain has fallen at Augusta National in 49 of the 88 Masters, or well more than half of the total tournaments played. Yet only twice has the wet stuff come down enough to force players to trek two rounds in one day. In 1936, the first and fourth rounds were wiped out, leading to a 36-hole Monday finish, and in 1939, the first round was washed out, requiring a 36-hole Sunday finish. There have been other instances where two rounds were scheduled in one day but not completed. And yes, we know Gene Sarazen and Craig Wood went 36 in their playoff in 1935.
Aces wild at the Par 3 Contest 
Tony Finau runs toward the hole after making an ace during the 2018 Masters Par 3 Contest.
Andrew Redington
If you want to see an ace, the Par 3 Contest offers a decent opportunity. In the history of the event, there have been 112 holes-in-one made, including a record nine in 2016. Who has the most? That would be Gary Player with four.
Even Masters competitors can shoot in the 90s
The roars brought about by birdies and eagles can sometimes turn to groans when things go bad. Unfortunately for Charles Kunkel, he owns the distinction of the highest score in Masters history with a 95 in 1956’s final round—a day of play in ferocious winds. The “record” comes with an asterisk: Billy Casper shot 105 in 2005’s opening round but withdrew without submitting a score.
A perk unlike any other
Attending the Masters once is a bucket-list item. For members of the media, it often is an annual pilgrimage. For some, that stretches 40 years or more, in which case Augusta National officials (who treats the media arguably the best of any event in sports) bestows the Masters Major Achievement Award. The tournament has given this honor to 36 individuals who receive a plaque handmade in Georgia from a hickory tree that stood for many years adjacent to the No. 2 tee, as well as their own dedicated parking space within an easy walk to the media building.
More Masters preview stories 
The Masters Was Augusta National behind the proposed deal between the PGA Tour and Saudi Arabia? 
Time Travel Could 1975 Jack Nicklaus break par on today’s Masters course? A mathematical answer to an impossible question 
Computer Games A supercomputer simulated the 2025 Masters 1,000 times and the winner is … Going low right from the start
They say it takes a while to learn the nuances of Augusta National; however, four players have managed to post a round of eight-under 64 in their inaugural start. Two did it in their first round of Masters competition—Lloyd Mangrum in 1940 and Mike Donald 50 years later. David Toms joined the group in the final round in 1998, while Jason Day did it in the second round in 2011. None went on to win, although Mangrum and Day each finished second.
These old guys were plenty good 
red Couples lines up a putt on the 13th green during the 2010 Masters.
Harry How
Although senior golfer has never won the Masters, there have been plenty of memorable moments from them, especially the three gents who fired six-under-par 66s, the lowest score ever carded by ethe over-50 crowd. Ben Hogan’s in the third round of 1967 at age 54 was perhaps the most memorable. Then there was Fred Couples in the first round in 2010 at age 50 while another 50-year-old, Miguel Angel Jimenez, did it in the third round four years later.
Avoiding the bogeyman
Giving shots back at the Masters always hurts. No one went on a longer stretch of avoiding that than Stuart Appleby in 2001, when the Aussie went 50 holes (45 pars, five birdies) without a bogey. Appleby started his stretch at the fifth hole of the opening round and ended it with a bogey on the first hole of the final round.
Easy pickings at the par 3s
Making a birdie on any of Augusta National’s stout par 3s is pretty good stuff, so imagine making a 2 on all four of them in the same round. Only three players have accomplished that feat. The first was Jerry Pate in 1977’s third round, followed by Loren Roberts in the second round in 2000 and Charley Hoffman in 2017’s opening round. Honorable mention to Matt Kuchar, who went four under on the par 3s in the same year as Hoffman but did so with a par and an ace (at 16) on the card.
Steady as it goes 
Gene Littler watches his shot during the 1973 Masters.
Augusta National
Augusta National is the ultimate risk-reward course, leading to many birdies or bogeys (or worse). All of which might explain why only seven players (Gene Littler did it twice, 14 years apart) have parred all 18 holes in a single round. They are: Littler, first round, 1959; Bob Rosburg, second round, 1967; Peter Butler, first round, 1968; Lionel Hebert, first round, 1968; Littler, second round, 1973; Charles Coody, first round, 1985; Gil Morgan, first round, 1993; Anirban Lahiri, final round, 2015.
More Masters preview stories 
Golf Digest Logo Sundays with Butch: The real stories of six unforgettable Masters final rounds from inside the ropes .png.rend.hgtvcom.406.203.suffix/1588791770594.png)
Golf Digest Logo 50 defining moments in Masters history, ranked 
Game Plan The strategy pros use to play Augusta National’s ingenious greens The eagle(s) have landed
The Masters offers a pair of highball glasses to players who bag an eagle during tournament play. Dustin Johnson could have had a nice start on opening up his own Masters bar in 2015 after his heroics in the second round. DJ made three eagles on par 5s, on Nos. 2, 8 and 15, to become the only person in Masters history to hit the trifecta in one round.
Sunday treat at 16
The traditional Sunday pin placement at the par-3 16th is designed to produce drama, balls funneling toward the cup off the slope as the patrons gather their collective anticipation of a potential ace. In the final round of 2004, patrons got a little extra when first Padraig Harrington and then, in the following group, Kirk Triplett, aced the 177-yard hole, each using a 6-iron. That marked the only time consecutive groups have made holes-in-one at the Masters.
Lacing ’em up at 91
One of the more popular traditions at the Masters is allowing honorary invitees the opportunity to participate in the Par 3 Contest. Paul Runyan took did so in 2000 at the age of 91 years, 267 days—the oldest player ever to make an appearance in the event.
This article was originally published on golfdigest.com
