If you are watching one of the greatest weeks in sports, you can’t help notice the white jumpsuits worn by all the caddies, and ask why?
First, the caddie uniform is a standard for Augusta National. That is just what the club’s caddies wear. Up until 1983, participants in the Masters were required to use caddies provided by the exclusive golf club only.
And the reason for the jumpsuits? It derives from the 1930’s when the club opened. The caddies were all mostly poor African American men, and the club founders and members wanted all the caddies to look “smart” and neat, and so they adopted the white jumpsuit.
The uniform has remained basically unchanged–the standard being the jumpsuit itself, a green hat and white sneakers. For the Masters, the pro golfer’s name is emblazoned is across their backs, and all are numbered. The number “1” is given to the defending champion’s caddie, and the other golfers get their caddie numbers from the order in which they register for the tournament.
Other Interesting Facts
- The day after the tournament closes, The Bobby Jones Scholars from The University of St Andrews in Scotland play a four-ball round on the course – the last people to do so before the greenskeepers start the process of repairing and restoring the course to pre-tournament standard.
- The Masters is the first major championship of the year. Since 1948, its final round has been scheduled for the second Sunday of April, with several exceptions.
- The golf course was formerly a plant nursery and each hole is named after the tree or shrub with which it has become associated.
- The Masters has the smallest field of the major championships, with 90–100 players. Unlike other majors, there are no alternates or qualifying tournaments. It is an invitational event, with invitations largely issued on an automatic basis to players who meet published criteria.
- Jack Nicklaus has won the most Masters (six) and was 46 years, 82 days old when he won in 1986, making him the oldest winner of the Masters. Nicklaus is the record holder for the most top tens, with 22, and the most cuts made, with 37. The youngest winner of the Masters is Tiger Woods, who was 21 years, 104 days old when he won in 1997. In that year Woods also broke the records for the widest winning margin (12 strokes), and the lowest winning score, with 270 (−18). Jordan Spieth tied his score record in 2015.
