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The U.S. Masters Golf Championships

3 - 9 April 2006

The U.S. Masters Golf Championships

The US Masters Tournament, along with The US PGA Championship, US Open and British Open, is one of four major championships in the world of golf. It is invitation only or strict qualification criteria into this prestigious event and top players long for a chance to win the famous Green Jacket that goes with the title.

Started in 1934, it is held at The Augusta National Club in Georgia and has become a truly international event, with many of the winners in recent years being foreign. Anyone wishing to place a bet will have plenty of excellent players to choose from, such as Tiger Woods, Vijay Singh and Colin Montgomerie.

This year will be the US Masters 70th anniversary and it will be held on 3 - 9 April 2006. The tournament is the only major golf championship, to decide on a winner by the use of a sudden death playoff, a practice that first started in the 1970s. The Augusta course is particularly famous for its wonderful azaleas and the fact that each hole is named after the different trees or shrubs, which adorn the course.

Qualifying for The U.S. Masters Golf Championships

The Masters is an invitation only event. There are several ways of earning this sought after invite, which can include such criteria as:

· Winning or being well placed in events like The PGA Championship, U.S. Open Championships and the British Open Championships.

· Being in the top 50 official world-ranking players the year before.

· Being in stated positions on tour money lists.

· Being placed in stated positions at previous US Masters Tournaments.

· Having already been a US Masters Champion.

· Being an amateur golf champion.

The Masters Committee can also elect to invite international golfers, who have not met the criteria for qualification.

The last chance to qualify is in March after the Players Championships.

Once invited, the players have to work hard to qualify past the cut after two rounds in the tournament. This can always provide some surprises, when previous winners fail to make it, or only just manage to scrape through.

Format of The U.S. Masters Golf Championships

Bobby Jones and Clifford Roberts made the decision that only the golfer and a caddy would be allowed within the playing area and that play would be in pairs and not threesomes.

From 1940, The US Masters was held in the first full week of April and has stayed in this slot ever since. Standard practice was normally to have 36 holes on the third day, but The US Masters was to consist of four days of 18 hole stroke play matches instead. Sudden death playoffs are used in the case of a tie.

Every year, a Par 3 contest is played on the Wednesday before The US Masters. Played over 1,060 yards, this started in 1960 and has become a bad omen for the winner, as no winner has then gone on to win The US Masters Tournament in the same year. In 2005 the winner of this contest was Jerry Pate.

For more information about the types of golf matches played during The US Masters Tournament, visit out Types of Golf Match page.

The U.S. Masters Golf Championships – Previous Winners

Horton Smith won the first U.S. Masters Championships in 1934. He finished one stroke ahead of the runner up, with a score of 284. He was to win again in 1936 with a score of 285.

In 1961 with a score of 280, Gary Player became the first international golfer to win the U.S. Masters. He took the title again in 1974 and 1978.

Jack Nicklaus won the U.S. Masters Tournament an amazing six times. His first win was in 1963 with a score of 286. His second win was in 1965, which he followed up the next year, making him the first golfer to secure two Masters titles in succession. He took the title again in 1972 and 1975. 1986 marked his 25th year as a professional golfer and also the year he won the Masters a record sixth time.

Arnold Palmer was the first golfer to win this Championship four times. His wins were between 1958 and 1964.

Nick Faldo became the second player to successfully defend his winning Masters title in two consecutive years, these being 1989 with a score of 283 and 1990 with the final score of 278.

Tiger Woods first won the U.S. Masters in 1997, when at age 21 he broke all records to become the youngest golfer to capture the sought after title. He has since backed this up by winning another three US Masters Tournaments to date. This makes him the third person to accomplish four or more Masters titles since the competition began. He became the third golfer to achieve consecutive wins, making him a favourite with gamblers.

The results of the last five U.S. Masters Golf Championships were

Year Winner Score

2006 Phil Mickelson 281

2005 Tiger Woods 276

2004 Phil Mickelson 279

2003 Mike Weir 281

2002 Tiger Woods 276

Betting on The U.S. Masters Golf Championships

The US Masters Championship is a very popular golfing event on which to place a bet and is watched by fans of the game across the world. Seasoned gamblers recognise that placing a bet on their favourite player is not the wisest way to go. Different criteria need to be considered, but remember there can always be surprises.

One tip for anyone placing a bet is to take note of how individual golfers have done in other tournaments and of their world ranking. Remember the players are on their own in the US Masters Championship and any number of things can affect performance.

If you are considering waiting to see who wins the Par 3 warm up to the Masters, played at the Augusta National Club, it is worth knowing that none of these winners have ever gone on to win the Masters in the same year. Gamblers wishing to place a bet on The US Masters can put their money on any number of things. As well as the winner of this coveted title, gamblers can opt to bet on such things as, the number of holes in one and the results of two ball matches. You can also make bets to place a player or make an each way bet at the US Masters Championship to get extra chances of a win.

The U.S. Masters Golf Championships is only one of many events in the golfing calendar. Check out other golf events!

If you are new to betting and want to place a bet on the U.S. Masters Golf Championships be sure to check out our Golf - How To Bet section for some betting hints and tips.

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