Introduction
The Masters Tournament, held annually at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia, is one of golf’s four major championships. It is an invitational event, with eligibility limited to previous champions and select others determined by the Chairman of Augusta National. The coveted green jacket is awarded each year to the winner of the tournament, who is then expected to return it to club grounds before the next year’s event. But what happens if a golfer wins the Masters in back-to-back years? Who puts the jacket on the defending champion if he repeats as winner?
The History of the Green Jacket
The green jacket was first introduced at The Masters in 1949 as part of club co-founder Clifford Roberts’ plan to add more prestige and recognition to the annual tournament. Each Augusta National member receives a green jacket upon being invited to join the exclusive club, so it made sense to create a similar jacket for the tournament winner. The original green jackets were manufactured by Brooks Uniform Company in New York and were made of fine wool with the Augusta National logo on the left chest.
Over the years, the jackets have undergone modifications in terms of fit, fabric and manufacturer, but have remained a revered symbol of Masters glory. The jackets are kept on club grounds year-round, with each champion receiving their personal jacket for the year during the winner’s ceremony. Before leaving Augusta, they must return their jacket to be displayed at the club, receiving a replica to take home.
Repeating as Champion
In the 88 year history of the Masters, only three golfers have won consecutive tournaments: Jack Nicklaus (1965-1966), Nick Faldo (1989-1990), and Tiger Woods (2001-2002). This rare back-to-back feat is understandably challenging, requiring not only immense talent but some luck in avoiding injuries, slumps, and rising young rivals.
For these three golfers, winning two years in a row brought the unique situation of receiving their green jacket from themselves as the defending champion. Though the jacket ceremony itself follows uniform protocol, the image of these greats symbolically passing on the mantle is an indelible moment in Masters lore.
Jack Nicklaus
Jack “The Golden Bear” Nicklaus first won the green jacket in 1963 at age 23, launching a remarkable run of six Masters victories. In 1965, he shot a tournament record 17-under par 271 to win his second title by nine strokes. The next year, as defending champion, Nicklaus helped himself into the jacket following a dominating performance where he led wire-to-wire and bested the field by three shots. At the ceremony, Nicklaus became the first back-to-back winner and two-time defending champion.
Nick Faldo
Twenty-four years after Nicklaus, Englishman Nick Faldo duplicated the feat. He first won in 1989 after Scott Hoch missed a short putt on the first playoff hole. The next year, Faldo shot a final round 67 to win by five strokes for his second straight green jacket. In the Butler Cabin ceremony, he became only the second golfer to go back-to-back at Augusta and self-present the jacket.
Tiger Woods
In 1997, a 21-year-old Tiger Woods won the Masters by a record 12 shots in his first attempt, ushering in a new era of golf. Woods had to battle through a slump from 1998-2000 before successfully defending his title in 2001. His final round 68 was good enough for a two-shot win over David Duval. After receiving the jacket from himself, Woods went on to capture another Masters in 2002, granting him a three-peat as defending champion.
The Ceremony Protocol
The jacket presentation in the Butler Cabin has been a tradition since the first tournament in 1934, when inaugural champion Horton Smith received his jacket from club chairman Clifford Roberts. The ceremony begins with a recap of the winner’s scorecard and remarks from the new champion. Then the defending champion, if available, will help the winner into the new jacket. If the previous winner cannot attend, Augusta National Chairman Fred Ridley currently fills this role.
In the rare case that a golfer repeats as champion, the defending winner will conduct the ceremony alone and symbolically present the jacket to himself. He will remove the jacket he has worn all week and place the new one on his shoulders. Whether self-administered or not, the jacket ceremony remains a poignant conclusion to golf’s most prestigious event.
Other Back-to-Back Trivia
While only three golfers have pulled off the Masters repeat, seven champions have successfully defended their title, including:
- Horton Smith (1934, 1936)
- Jack Nicklaus (1965, 1966)
- Nick Faldo (1989, 1990)
- Tiger Woods (2001, 2002)
- Nick Faldo (1989, 1990)
- Jack Nicklaus (1965, 1966)
- Horton Smith (1934, 1936)
Besides Woods, four others have won three Masters in a row:
- Jimmy Demaret (1940, 1947, 1950)
- Jack Nicklaus (1965, 1966, 1967)
- Nick Faldo (1989, 1990, 1996)
- Phil Mickelson (2004, 2006, 2010)
And Sam Snead holds the record for most cumulative days as defending champion, at 1,392 days across his three wins.
Conclusion
Receiving the green jacket from the previous year’s winner caps off a life-changing week for the new Masters champion. For the select few who have won consecutive tournaments, the honor of symbolically passing the torch to themselves is a remarkable achievement in golf history. Defending the title at Augusta is so difficult that the back-to-back feat may never be matched again.