Masters 2024: 27 unimportant but still memorable anniversaries in Masters history

Perhaps more than any other sporting event, the Masters is marked by anniversaries. That's why this week golf fans will undoubtedly be peppered with reminders that it's been five years since Tiger Woods won his fifth green jacket and 20(!) years since Phil Mickelson captured his first. Heck, CBS is airing an entire special about the former on Masters Saturday. And we can't wait to watch!

But while those are a couple of BIG anniversaries, there are plenty of smaller ones that probably won't get mentioned during the broadcast. These are things that didn't really have a major impact on the action, but they still hold a, um, special place in our hearts. In a few instance, they really only matter to a small group of us at Golf Digest. To give those moments their due, we've rounded up a list of 27 unimportant but still memorable anniversaries in recent Masters history. So take a stroll down memory lane with us as we run down the lesser-known milestones being celebrated this year.

1-Year Anniversaries

—Former NFL QB Brock Osweiler showing up at the annual Golf Writers Association of America awards dinner. (Yeah, we still don’t get it, either.)

—Golf Digest's Steve Hennessey and Christopher Powers winning the annual media lottery to play Augusta National together the Monday after the Masters. (And they haven’t shut up about it since despite neither breaking 90.)

2-Year Anniversaries

—No Georgia peach ice cream sandwiches being at Augusta National due to "supply-chain issues" back in 2022. (These were dark times, folks.)

—Dude Perfect playing Amen Corner with Bryson DeChambeau. (Would love to get Bobby Jones' and Cliff Roberts' thoughts on this one.)

—Tyrrell Hatton giving a gun salute at Amen Corner after a missed putt. (Ditto)

3-Year Anniversaries

—Billy Horschel falling on his ass. (Yet another reason why you should never wear white pants.)

4-Year Anniversaries

—Bryson DeChambeau declaring Augusta National a "Par 67" for him. (Let's just say things haven't played out that way since.)

5-Year Anniversaries

—Augusta National unveiling the ability to watch every shot of the tournament in 2019. (Further cementing the Masters app as the greatest app ever created.)

—That terrifying rat snake eating a squirrel at the Par 3 Contest. (Yes, there are rat snakes at Augusta National, even if we're still not entirely sure about the club's bird situation.)

—Niall Horan opening a beer for me at his Masters party. (Someday, my daughters will think I'm cool because of this. Hopefully.)

6-Year Anniversaries

—Jack Nicklaus' grandson making an ace. (Probably the best Par 3 Contest highlight ever.)

—Tony Finau rolling his ankle. (Definitely the worst Par 3 Contest highlight ever.)

—Tiger and Phil playing a practice round together! (And if that wasn't crazy enough, Phil wears a dress shirt for the occassion!)

7-Year Anniversaries

—Dustin Johnson falling down the stairs at his rental house—OK, this had a major impact on the tournament but didn't happen during the tournament. (Never has such a heavy favorite had to WD on the eve of the tournament.)

—Augusta National opening its new press building. (Never have media members been so spoiled.)

—Snoop Dogg performing at a Masters Eve Washington Road concert. (Never has a media member shown so much grit getting to the Masters the following morning.)

8-Year Anniversaries

—Henrik Stenson playing “Ice, Ice Baby” driving down Magnolia Lane. (True story.)

—Jack Nicklaus being (briefly) stopped by security driving down Magnolia Lane. (Also a true story.)

—Ernie Els' six-putting on his opening hole of the tournament. (That's one way to take the pressure off!)

—Louis Oosthuizen banking a hole-in-one off J.B. Holmes’ golf ball. (A different kind of "IN YOUR LIFE have you ever seen anything like that?" moment on No. 16.)

9-Year Anniversaries

—Speaking of balls ping-ponging off each other, the best Masters-week battle ever might have been Jaime Diaz vs. me at one of the Golf Digest rental houses during my first year covering the tournament in 2015. (I prevailed thanks to this epic forehand winner.)

10-Year Anniversaries

—Jeff Knox beating then-World No. 1 Rory McIlroy in 2014. (The longtime ANGC member and legendary Masters marker got the biggest notch in his belt.)

14-Year Anniversaries

—Then ANGC chairman Billy Payne scolding Tiger Woods, who was returning to competition following his sex scandal. (The club has a history of punishing people, but this was a bit much!)

15-Year Anniversaries

—Vijay Singh skipping a hole-in-one on No. 16 in 2009, a practice-round feat since matched by Martin Kaymer and Jon Rahm. (These guys are good!)

18-Year Anniversaries

—John Daly showing up for his last Masters—and playing, that is. (His tradition unlike any other of setting up shop down the road at Hooters, including his RV getting hit by a car in 2018, actually goes back to 1997.)

19-Year Anniversaries

—Phil and Vijay getting into a heated locker room exchange over Phil's spike marks. (If only Golf Twitter was around back in 2005!)

22-Year Anniversaries

—An 89-year-old Sam Snead hitting a wild ceremonial tee shot in 2002 that struck a patron in the face, breaking a pair glasses. (The tournament didn’t do that tradition for a few years after that.)

Here's to the honorary starters keeping it in the short grass this year. And to making more special Masters memories to celebrate for decades to come.

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