Emphasis Preaching Journal

Each spring the Master's Golf Tournament is held at the Augusta National Golf Club. As the first of golf's major championships played each year, it serves as a virtual rite of spring for the PGA Tour. Winning major championships is ultimately the criteria by which great players are determined. All eligible players yearn for the week when they are enough on top of their game to capture the title of such an event. Typically the mark of winning a tournament rests in receipt of the tournament trophy and prize money. The Master's has long had a variety of unique traditions that emphasize the unusual nature of the event. People who manage to make eagles or holes in one are presented with crystal commemorating the event. The defending champion hosts a meal for the club and all other past champions the week of the tournament during which he suggests a special menu of his own favorite foods. No tradition is more time-honored in golf than the distinctive presentation of the champion with a green jacket. The blazer is exactly like those worn by the membership. This jacket is presented on national television, and to golfers everywhere it is the symbol of a Master's champion, more than any trophy or check. The garment is kept on club grounds and is available to former champions for wear during their future visits to Augusta. This symbol unites Master's champions in some ways like the Lord's Supper unites Christians by making visible the invitation that is extended for their presence.
-- Frye