The Masters 2017: 5 best moments in history
By John Buhler
Since The Masters is played at Augusta National annually, all the great moments from past tournaments come rushing back in a hurry. Here are the five best.
Every spring, we don’t know it’s spring until The Masters tells us it’s spring. The beautiful landscape of Augusta National takes us back in time to Masters of yesteryear. This tournament on the PGA Tour is like no other. It is the most watched golf tournament for a reason.
Many of professional golf’s best memories have happened on this 18-hole course designed by Bobby Jones back in the early 1930s. For 81 years, The Masters has been the gold standard of golf tournaments. With the most recent installment of the tournament beginning on Thursday, let’s take a look back at the five best moments in the history of The Masters.
5. Gene Sarazen’s “shot heard ’round the world” (1935)
It was only the second installment of The Masters Tournament. In all honesty, the tournament wasn’t even called The Masters yet. Back in 1935, it was still known as the Augusta National Invitation Tournament. Over 80 years later, it still has one of the greatest moments in the event’s history.
Gene Sarazen was known for his ability to out-drive anybody on the golf course in his heyday. He had a feeling that a ball could go in a hole at anytime on the golf course. That was never more evident in his famous ‘shot heard ’round the world’, coming on the par-5 15th hole “Firethorn.”
Sarazen trailed leader trailed Craig Wood by three strokes on the back nine in Round 4. Many thought Sarazen would need three birdies to catch Wood to force a playoff. Instead, Sarazen ripped it with a four-wood on his second shot to achieve a double eagle/albatross to tie Wood on one stroke.
Back then, the playoff format was a 36-hole spectacular. Sarazen would best Wood by five strokes in the 36-hole playoff. Interestingly, Sarazen would par Firethorn in both opportunities during the playoff. The Round 4 success on Firethorn would really even out for him eventually. The 1935 Masters would be Sarazen’s seventh major and his only major win at Augusta.