10 Interesting Facts About the Masters Green Jacket

The Green Jacket is one of the most coveted trophies in all of sports. To get one, you must either win the Masters at Augusta National or be a member at Augusta National — one of the most exclusive golf clubs in the world. For three decades, Cincinnati-based Hamilton Tailoring Co. has made the traditional blazer. It uses wool fabric produced at the Victor Forstmann Inc. mill in the central Georgia town of Dublin. The company takes about a month to produce each blazer, which is fitted with custom brass buttons inscribed with the Augusta National logo. The owner’s name is stitched on a label inside. The shade of its brilliant rye green is Pantone 342. Here are a few other interesting facts about the glorious green garment.

1. The idea for the “Green Jacket” came from Bobby Jones. While attending a dinner at Royal Liverpool, Jones noticed how the captains wore red jackets. He brought this idea back to co-founder, Clifford Roberts, and they chose green for the color of the jackets that August National members would wear.

2. In 1937, Club officials started the custom of Augusta National members wearing a green blazer during Masters week so patrons could identify reliable sources of information. The Club extended the tradition to Masters champions with Sam Snead’s win in 1947, indicating the winners were to become honorary members of Augusta National.

3. The first green jacket to be awarded to a winner of The Masters was in 1947 when Sam Snead won the tournament. 

4. The previous year’s winner awards the green jacket to the winner of the Masters each year. If the winner is a returning champion from last year, the Augusta National president has the honor of presenting the returning champion with the green jacket.

5. The first Masters champion to win the green jacket two years in a row was Jack Nicklaus in 1966. Nicklaus won The Masters six times during his career.

6. The first international golfer to wear the green jacket was South African golfer Gary Player, who won The Masters in 1961.

7. The green jacket that the Masters champion puts on at the ceremony is not the actual jacket he will keep. This jacket is owned by Augusta national Golf Club and must be returned 12 months later before the Masters.

8. Winners are presented with a replica green jacket that they may keep to commemorate their win of the Masters tournament.

9. Winners of the Masters must wear their green jacket whenever they play at Augusta National or visit. 

10. To make sure that the champion will have a  jacket that fits, there are several green jackets in various sizes stored on site at Augusta National. As the tournament comes to a conclusion, employees begin to pull jackets in the sizes of the top players to have a correct sized green jacket ready for the winner.