Augusta National Golf Club’s 18 holes, constructed on the site of a former nursery, are each named after a tree or shrub with which they’ve become associated. They include idyllic names like Tea Olive, Pink Dogwood, and Flowering Peach.
Yet, the 84 competitors who will compete at the 83rd Masters this week know that Augusta’s beautiful setting belies the conditions and competition they will face, including slick greens, dangerous pin placements, and significant challenges at Amen Corner. The Corner, which includes the 11th, 12th, and 13th holes, is considered among the most hallowed places in golf that has provided fan-pleasing entertainment for decades.
The Masters also marks an annual rush to America’s golf retailers.
Augusta National Golf Club, with just 300 members, is not merely the site of golf’s most storied, seminal major championship. Golf Digest notes that the Masters is “the ignition switch that starts the engine that is the golf industry.”
The Masters has also expanded its presence and impact on youth and women with the Drive, Chip and Putt Competition and, most recently, the Augusta National Women’s Amateur.
Yet, beyond the beauty of Augusta National, the golf superstars, the litany of private jets that deliver at least 20,000 patrons and players a year, there is recognition in honor of a fallen comrade, Payne Stewart.
Bernhard Langer, recipient of the 2018 Payne Stewart Award
The award, presented by Atlanta-based Southern Company, recognizes players who exemplify Character, Charity and Sportsmanship. It honors Stewart and the values he exemplified in his life and work as a professional golfer.
Payne Stewart, who won 11 PGA Tour events, including three major championships, died in an airplane accident at the age of 42.
Stewart Cink and Bernhard Langer, recipients of the Payne Stewart Award in 2017 and 2018 respectively, will compete in The Masters in Augusta this week. And the ceremonial first shot to begin the tournament on Thursday is traditionally played by Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player, who are also Payne Stewart Award recipients.
The 2019 Payne Stewart Award will be announced on Tuesday, August 20, during The TOUR Championship at East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta. “We believe Stewart’s contributions create a legacy for all of us to aspire to,” said Tom Fanning, president and CEO of Southern Company.
