The Story of The Masters: Drama, joy and heartbreak at golf's most iconic tournament

by David Barrett

 

The Story of the Masters is the first comprehensive year-by-year history of the world’s most famous golf tournament. Veteran golf journalist David Barrett draws upon contemporaneous reporting and other source material to offer dramatic accounts of each year the tournament has been played, starting in 1934. The story of the tournament progresses from the early years when it was founded by golf great Bobby Jones and quickly established itself as an elite event, to the post-World War II era when Sam Snead and Ben Hogan dominated. The thrilling exploits of dashing hero Arnold Palmer brought the tournament into the television age and the sustained excellence of Jack Nicklaus helped to further the prestige of the tournament. Nearly two full decades of European dominance of the Masters heralded the international age of golf. Then Tiger Woods came along and used the Augusta stage for his coming-out party in 1997 and then for his epic comeback in 2019. In Barrett's telling, each year has its own story to tell as the Augusta National course provides the perfect setting for tournament excitement, noted for suspenseful back-and-forth action between multiple contenders -— the norm at the Masters. The nature of the course's layout creates opportunities for stirring charges and heroic shots to determine the champion, while filled with enough danger to provoke monumental collapses that also become part of Masters lore. Through the decades, the game’s greatest players have shined their brightest at the Masters. Many golfing careers have been shaped and defined by this tournament, and Barrett shares unknown and forgotten stories of not only the sport's stars, but also the many others who challenged them over the years at Augusta.

Genres: Sports, Nonfiction, History

340 pages, Hardcover

Published April 6, 2021

Reviews

[Claire Marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Took me so long to read but this book is really really well written so I always enjoy a book like this—feeling informed about the history of golf and when it got to the 2000s it felt like a warm memory of watching golf as a child

[Robert Theodorson · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is definitely a coffee table book. It is HARD to read cover to cover, especially the early years around WWII to just before Nicklaus/Palmer/Player. The tale is largely the same, as it is in real life, so trying to read what happened in the entirety of the 1950's is a slog.

There are certainly some standout chapters like the origins of The Masters, the first couple of years, rivalries, Nicklaus and Woods, and some of the more modern years where the players are still active in 2023. I think the worst part of this book is that Barrett gives you a Top 10 scorecard in every chapter, but not necessarily at the end. So you'll be reading, and wondering who's going to win, who's going to drop, but a page and half before the finish, you're forced to see the results...

It's a good book, but you better be interested in particular years, or be really jazzed about The Masters, like you're on a plane or car actively going there, or you'll be bored at several points, wondering if you can finish.

[Sam Spade · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book about the history of the most prestigious golf tournament on the PGA tour. All the great golfers and their victories are detailed. Byron Nelson, Sam Snead, Jack Nicklaus,,Arnold Palmer, Gary Player, Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson. In addition there are the surprise winners. If you like golf take a dive into history.

[vron! · Rating 4 out of 5]

to read this as the masters was taking place was very cool. i learned so so many cool facts and was shocked by a lot, one being women were not aloud to join the Augusta National club until 2012; INSANE!!

although it took me quite some time to get through this, as life got in the way, i loved it!

[Nancy Prins · Rating 1 out of 5]

Boring. Was hoping for anecdotes and interesting stories, all it has is shot by shot in every Master’s in history. I rarely give up on a book, buy giving up on this one.