document_title: Masters Tournament

question_text: who has played in the most masters tournaments

question_tokens: who has played in the most masters tournaments

text: Masters Tournament

text: History[edit]

text: Augusta National Golf Club[edit]

text: The idea for Augusta National originated with Bobby Jones, who wanted to build a golf course after his retirement from the game. He sought advice from Clifford Roberts, who later became the chairman of the club. They came across a piece of land in Augusta, Georgia, of which Jones said: "Perfect! And to think this ground has been lying here all these years waiting for someone to come along and lay a golf course upon it."[7] The land had been an indigo plantation in the early nineteenth century and a plant nursery since 1857.[8] Jones hired Alister MacKenzie to help design the course, and work began in 1931. The course formally opened in 1933, but MacKenzie died before the first Masters Tournament was played.[9]

text: Early tournament years[edit]

text: The first "Augusta National Invitational" Tournament, as the Masters was originally known, began on March 22, 1934, and was won by Horton Smith, who took the first prize of $1,500. The present name was adopted in 1939. The first tournament was played with current holes 10 through 18 played as the first nine, and 1 through 9 as the second nine[10] then reversed permanently to its present layout for the 1935 tournament.[4]

text: Initially the Augusta National Invitational field was composed of Bobby Jones' close associates. Jones had petitioned the USGA to hold the U.S. Open at Augusta but the USGA denied the petition, noting that the hot Georgia summers would create difficult playing conditions.[11]

text: Gene Sarazen hit the "shot heard 'round the world" in 1935, holing a shot from the fairway on the par 5 15th for a double eagle (albatross).[12] This tied Sarazen with Craig Wood, and in the ensuing 36-hole playoff Sarazen was the victor by five strokes.[13] The tournament was not played from 1943 to 1945, due to World War II. To assist the war effort, cattle and turkeys were raised on the Augusta National grounds.[4]

text: The Big Three of Arnold Palmer, Gary Player, and Jack Nicklaus dominated the Masters from 1960 through 1978, winning the event 11 times among them during that span. After winning by one stroke in 1958,[13] Palmer won by one stroke again in 1960 in memorable circumstances. Trailing Ken Venturi by one shot in the 1960 event, Palmer made birdies on the last two holes to prevail. Palmer would go on to win another two Masters in 1962 and 1964.[13]

text: Jack Nicklaus emerged in the early 1960s, and served as a rival to the popular Palmer. Nicklaus won his first green jacket in 1963, defeating Tony Lema by one stroke.[14] Two years later, he shot a then-course record of 271 (17 under par) for his second Masters win, leading Bobby Jones to say that Nicklaus played "a game with which I am not familiar."[15] The next year, Nicklaus won his third green jacket in a grueling 18-hole playoff against Tommy Jacobs and Gay Brewer.[16] This made Nicklaus the first player to win consecutive Masters. He won again in 1972 by three strokes.[13] In 1975, Nicklaus won by one stroke in a close contest with Tom Weiskopf and Johnny Miller in one of the most exciting Masters to date.[17]

text: Gary Player became the first non-American to win the Masters in 1961, beating Palmer, the defending champion.[13] In 1974, he won again by two strokes.[13] After not winning a tournament on the U.S. PGA tour for nearly four years, and at the age of 42, Player won his third and final Masters in 1978 by one stroke over three players.[13] Player currently shares (with Fred Couples) the record of making 23 consecutive cuts, and has played in a record 52 Masters.[18][19]

text: A controversial ending to the Masters occurred in 1968. Roberto De Vicenzo signed a scorecard (scored by playing partner Tommy Aaron) which incorrectly showed him as making a par 4 instead of a birdie 3 on the 17th hole of the final round. By the rules of golf, if a player signs a scorecard (thereby attesting to its veracity) that records a score on a hole higher than what he actually made on the hole, the player receives the higher score for that hole. This extra stroke cost De Vicenzo a chance to be in an 18-hole Monday playoff with Bob Goalby, who won the green jacket. De Vicenzo's mistake led to the famous quote, "What a stupid I am."[13][20]

text: In 1975, Lee Elder became the first African American to play in the Masters,[21] doing so 15 years before Augusta National admitted its first black member, Ron Townsend, as a result of the Shoal Creek Controversy.[22]

text: Non-Americans collected 11 victories in 20 years in the 1980s and 1990s, by far the strongest run they have had in any of the three majors played in the United States since the early days of the U.S. Open. The first European to win the Masters was Seve Ballesteros in 1980. Nicklaus became the oldest player to win the Masters in 1986 when he won for the sixth time at age 46.[13][23]

text: During this period, no golfer suffered from the pressure of competing at Augusta more than Greg Norman. In 1987, Norman lost a sudden-death playoff to Larry Mize when Mize holed out a remarkable 45-yard pitch shot to birdie the second playoff hole and win the Masters.[24] In 1996, Norman tied the course record with an opening round 63, and had a six-stroke lead over Nick Faldo entering the final round. Norman shot a 78 while Faldo scored a 67 to win by five shots (for his third Masters championship).[25] Norman also suffered in 1986 when after birdieing four straight holes, and needing only a par to tie Nicklaus for the lead and force a Monday playoff, he badly pushed his 4-iron approach on 18 and missed his par putt for a closing bogey.

text: At age 21 in 1997, Tiger Woods won the Masters by twelve shots and broke the 72-hole record that had stood for 32 years.[4] Woods completed his "Tiger Slam" by winning his fourth straight major championship at the Masters in 2001.[13] He won again the following year, making him only the third player in history to win the tournament in consecutive years,[13] as well as in 2005 when he defeated Chris DiMarco in a playoff for his first major championship win in almost three years.[13]

text: The club was targeted by Martha Burk, who organized a failed protest at the 2003 Masters to pressure the club into accepting female members. Burk planned to protest at the front gates of Augusta National during the third day of the tournament, but her application for a permit to do so was denied.[26] A court appeal was dismissed.[27] In 2004, Burk stated that she had no further plans to protest against the club.[28]

text: Augusta National Chairman Billy Payne himself made headlines in April 2010, however, when he commented (at the annual pre-Masters press conference) on Tiger Woods' off-the-course behavior. "It's not simply the degree of his conduct that is so egregious here," Payne said, in his opening speech. "It is the fact he disappointed all of us and more importantly our kids and grandkids."[29][30][31]

text: The 2003 tournament was won by Mike Weir, who became the first Canadian to win a men's major championship, and the first left-hander to win the Masters.[13] The following year, another left-hander, Phil Mickelson, won his first major championship by making a birdie on the final hole to beat Ernie Els by a stroke.[13] Mickelson also won the tournament in 2006 and 2010. In 2011, the tournament was won by South African Charl Schwartzel, who birdied the final four holes to win by two strokes. In 2012, Bubba Watson won the tournament on the second playoff hole. Watson's win marked the fifth time that a left-hander won the Masters in the previous ten tournaments. Prior to 2003, no left-hander had ever won the Masters. The 2013 Masters was won by Adam Scott, the first Australian to win the tournament.[32] Watson won the 2014 Masters by three strokes over Jordan Spieth and Jonas Blixt. It was his second Masters victory in three years. In 2015, Spieth would become the second-youngest winner in just his second Masters.[33]

text: Traditions[edit]

text: Awards[edit]

text: The total prize money for the 2014 tournament was $9,000,000, with $1,620,000 going to the winner.[34] In the inaugural year of 1934, the winner Horton Smith received $1,500 out of a $5,000 purse.[35] After Nicklaus's first win in 1963, he received $20,000, while after his final victory in 1986 he won $144,000.[36][37] In recent years the purse has grown quickly. Between 2001 and 2014, the winner's share grew by $612,000, and the purse grew by $3,400,000.[34][35][38]

text: In addition to a cash prize, the winner of the tournament is presented with a distinctive green jacket, formally awarded since 1949, and informally acquired by the champions for many years before that. The green sport coat is the official attire worn by members of Augusta National while on the club grounds; each Masters winner becomes an honorary member of the club. The recipient of the green jacket has it presented to him inside the Butler Cabin soon after the end of the tournament, and the presentation is then repeated outside near the 18th green in front of the patrons. Winners keep their jacket for the first year after their first victory, then return it to the club to wear whenever they visit. The tradition began in 1949, when Sam Snead won his first of three Masters titles.

text: The green jacket is only allowed to be removed from Augusta National by the reigning champion, after which it must remain at the club. Exceptions to this rule include Gary Player, who in his joy of winning mistakenly took his jacket home to South Africa after his 1961 victory (although he has always followed the spirit of the rule and has never worn the jacket);[39] Seve Ballesteros who, in an interview with Peter Alliss from his home in Pedreña, showed one of his two green jackets in his trophy room; and Henry Picard, whose jacket was removed from the club before the tradition was well established, remained in his closet for a number of years, and is now on display at Canterbury Golf Club in Beachwood, Ohio, where he was the club professional for many years.[40][41]

text: By tradition, the winner of the previous year's Masters Tournament puts the jacket on the current winner at the end of the tournament. In 1966, Jack Nicklaus became the first player to win in consecutive years and he donned the jacket himself.[16] When Nick Faldo (in 1990) and Tiger Woods (in 2002) repeated as champions, the chairman of Augusta National put the jacket on them.

text: There are several awards presented to players who perform exceptional feats during the tournament. The player who has the daily lowest score receives a crystal vase, while players who score a hole-in-one or a double eagle win a large crystal bowl. For each eagle a player makes he receives a pair of crystal goblets.

text: In addition to the green jacket, winners of the tournament receive a gold medal. They have their names engraved on the actual silver Masters trophy, introduced in 1961, which depicts the clubhouse. This trophy remains at Augusta National; since 1993 winners have received a sterling silver replica. The runner-up receives a silver medal, introduced in 1951. Beginning in 1978, a silver salver was added as an award for the runner-up.[4]

text: In 1952 the Masters began presenting an award, known as the Silver Cup, to the lowest scoring amateur to make the cut. In 1954 they began presenting an amateur silver medal to the low amateur runner-up.[4]

text: In 2017, a green jacket that was found at a thrift store in 1994 was sold at auction for $139,000.[42]

text: Pre-tournament events[edit]

text: In 2013, Augusta National partnered with the USGA and the PGA of America to organize Drive, Chip and Putt, a youth golf skills competition which was first held in 2014. The event was established as part of an effort to help promote the sport of golf among youth; the winners of local qualifiers in different age groups advance to the national finals, which have been held at Augusta National on the Sunday immediately preceding the Masters. The driving and chipping portions of the event are held on the course's practice range, but the putting portion has been played on the course's 18th hole.[43][44][45]

text: On April 4, 2018, prior to the 2018 tournament, new Augusta National chairman Fred Ridley announced that the club would host a new Women's amateur championship beginning in 2019. The first two rounds will be held at the Champion's Retreat club in Evans, Georgia, with the final two rounds hosted by Augusta National (the final round will take place on the Saturday directly preceding the tournament). Ridley stated that "it was the right time for the women's game. I thought for us to have the greatest impact on women's golf that we needed to be committed to do it here at Augusta National, and I also wanted to be able to tell all of you about it today." Although concerns were raised that the event would conflict with the LPGA Tour's Dinah Shore major (which has invited top amateur players to compete), Ridley stated that he had discussed the event with commissioner Mike Whan, and stated that he agreed on the notion that any move to bolster the prominence of women's golf would be a "win" for the LPGA over time.[46]

text: Par-3 contest[edit]

text: The Par 3 Contest was first introduced in 1960, and was won that year by Snead. Since then it has traditionally been played on the Wednesday before the tournament starts. The par 3 course was built in 1958. It is a nine-hole course, with a par of 27, and measures 1,060 yards (970 m) in length.[47]

text: There have been 94 holes-in-one in the history of the contest, with a record nine occurring in 2016. Camilo Villegas became the first player to card two holes-in-one in the same round during the 2015 Par 3 Contest. No par 3 contest winner has also won the Masters in the same year.[48][49] There have been several repeat winners, including Pádraig Harrington, Sandy Lyle, Sam Snead, and Tom Watson. The former two won in successive years.

text: In this event, golfers may use their children as caddies, which helps to create a family-friendly atmosphere. In 2008, the event was televised for the first time by ESPN.

text: The winner of the par 3 competition, which is played the day before the tournament begins, wins a crystal bowl.[50]

text: Player invitations[edit]

text: As with the other majors, winning the Masters gives a golfer several privileges which make his career more secure. Masters champions are automatically invited to play in the other three majors (the U.S. Open, The Open Championship, and the PGA Championship) for the next five years (except for amateur winners, unless they turn pro within the five-year period), and earn a lifetime invitation to the Masters. They also receive membership on the PGA Tour for the following five seasons and invitations to The Players Championship for five years.[51]

text: Because the tournament was established by an amateur champion, Bobby Jones, the Masters has a tradition of honoring amateur golf. It invites winners of the most prestigious amateur tournaments in the world. Also, the current U.S. Amateur champion always plays in the same group as the defending Masters champion for the first two days of the tournament.

text: Amateurs in the field are welcome to stay in the "Crow's Nest" atop the Augusta National clubhouse during the tournament. The Crow's Nest is 1,200 square feet (110 m2) with lodging space for five during the competition.

text: Opening tee shot[edit]

text: Since 1963, the custom in most years has been to start the tournament with an honorary opening tee shot at the first hole, typically by one or more legendary players. The original honorary starters were Jock Hutchison and Fred McLeod; this twosome led off every tournament from 1963 until 1973, when poor health prevented Hutchison from swinging a club. McLeod continued on until his death in 1976. Byron Nelson and Gene Sarazen started in 1981, and were then joined by Sam Snead in 1984. This trio continued until 1999 when Sarazen died, while Nelson stopped in 2001. Snead hit his final opening tee shot in 2002, a little over a month before he died.

text: In 2007, Arnold Palmer took over as the honorary starter. Palmer also had the honor in 2008 and 2009.[52] At the 2010 and 2011 Masters Tournaments, Jack Nicklaus joined Palmer as an honorary co-starter for the event.[53] In 2012, Gary Player joined them. Palmer announced in March 2016 that a lingering shoulder issue would prevent him from partaking in the 2016 tee shot.[54] Palmer was still in attendance for the ceremony.[55]

text: Following Palmer's death in 2016, the 2017 ceremony featured tributes; his green jacket was draped over an empty white chair, while everyone in attendance wore "Arnie's Army" badges.[56][57]

text: Champions' Dinner[edit]

text: The Champions' Dinner is held each year on the Tuesday evening preceding Thursday's first round. The dinner was first held in 1952, hosted by defending champion Ben Hogan, to honor the past champions of the tournament.[58] At that time 15 tournaments had been played, and the number of past champions was 11. Officially known as the "Masters Club", it includes only past winners of the Masters, although selected members of the Augusta National Golf Club have been included as honorary members, usually the chairman.

text: The defending champion, as host, selects the menu for the dinner. Frequently, Masters champions have served finely prepared cuisine by the Masters chef from their home regions. Notable examples have included haggis, served by Scotsman Sandy Lyle in 1989,[59] and bobotie, a South African dish, served at the behest of 2008 champion Trevor Immelman. Other examples include German Bernhard Langer's 1986 Wiener schnitzel, Britain's Nick Faldo's fish and chips, Canadian Mike Weir's elk and wild boar, and Vijay Singh's seafood tom kah and chicken panang curry. In 1997, 1979 champion Fuzzy Zoeller created a media storm when he suggested that Tiger Woods refrain from serving collard greens and fried chicken, dishes commonly associated with Afro-American culture, at the dinner. The 2011 dinner of Phil Mickelson was a Spanish-themed menu in hopes that Seve Ballesteros would attend, but he was too sick to attend and died weeks later.[60]

text: Caddies[edit]

text: Until 1983, all players in the Masters were required to use the services of an Augusta National Club caddie,[61][62][63] who by club tradition was always an African American man.[22] Indeed, club co-founder Clifford Roberts is reputed to have said, "As long as I'm alive, golfers will be white, and caddies will be black."[64] Since 1983, players have been allowed the option of bringing their own caddie to the tournament.

text: The Masters requires caddies to wear a uniform consisting of a white jumpsuit, a green Masters cap, and white tennis shoes. The surname, and sometimes first initial, of each player is found on the back of his caddie's uniform. The defending champion always receives caddie number "1": other golfers get their caddie numbers from the order in which they register for the tournament. The other majors and some PGA Tour events formerly had a similar policy concerning caddies well into the 1970s;[65][66][67] the U.S. Open first allowed players to use their own caddies in 1976.[68][69]

text: Other traditions[edit]

text: The day after the tournament closes, The Bobby Jones Scholars from The University of St Andrews in Scotland play a four-ball round on the course – the last people to do so before the greenkeepers start the process of repairing and restoring the course to pre-tournament standard.[citation needed]

text: Format[edit]

text: The Masters is the first major championship of the year. Since 1948, its final round has been scheduled for the second Sunday of April, with several exceptions. It ended on the first Sunday four times (1952, 1957, 1958, 1959) and the 1979 and 1984 tournaments ended on April 15, the month's third Sunday.[4] The first edition in 1934 was held in late March and the next ten were in early April, with only the 1942 event scheduled to end on the second Sunday.

text: Similar to the other majors, the tournament consists of four rounds at 18 holes each, Thursday through Sunday (when there are no delays). The Masters has a relatively small field of contenders, when compared with other golf tournaments, so the competitors play in groups of three for the first two rounds (36 holes) and the field is not split to start on the 1st and 10th tees, unless weather shortens the available playing time. The tournament is unique in that it is the only major tournament conducted by a private club rather than a national golf organization like the PGA.[6]

text: Originally, the Masters was the only tournament to use two-man pairings during the first two rounds. It was also the only event to re-pair based on the leaderboard before Friday’s round, as most tournaments only do this on the weekend. This practice ended in the early 2000s, when the Masters switched to the more standard three-man groups and the groups are now kept in-tact on Friday, with players sharing the same playing partners in both of the first two rounds.[citation needed]

text: After 36 holes of play, a cut-off score is calculated to reduce the size of the field for the weekend rounds. To "make the cut", players must be either in the top 50 places (ties counting), or within 10 strokes of the leader's score. These criteria have applied since 2013.[70] From 1957 to 1960, the top 40 scores (including ties) and those within 10 strokes of the leader made the cut. From 1961 to 2012, it was the top 44 (and ties) or within 10 strokes of the lead.[70] Before 1957, there was no 36-hole cut and all of the invitees played four rounds, if desired.[71]

text: Following the cut, an additional 36 holes are played over the final two days. Should the fourth round fail to produce a winner, all players tied for the lead enter a sudden-death playoff. Play begins on the 18th hole, followed by the adjacent 10th, repeating until one player remains. Adopted in 1976, the sudden-death playoff was originally formatted to start on the first hole,[72] but was not needed for the first three years. It was changed for 1979 to the inward (final) nine holes, starting at the tenth tee, where the television coverage began.[73] First employed that same year, the Masters' first sudden-death playoff ended on the eleventh green. The current arrangement, beginning at the 18th tee, was amended for 2004 and first used the following year. Through 2017, the eleven sudden-death playoffs have yet to advance past the second extra hole. Earlier playoffs were 18 holes on the following day, except for the first in 1935, which was 36 holes; the last 18-hole playoff was in 1970, and none of the full-round playoffs went to additional holes.

text: Course[edit]

text:
The golf course was formerly a plant nursery and each hole is named after the tree or shrub with which it has become associated.[8]
The course layout in 2014:

text:
Hole
Name
Yards
Par

Hole
Name
Yards
Par

1
Tea Olive
445
4

10
Camellia
495
4

2
Pink Dogwood
575
5
11
White Dogwood
505
4

3
Flowering Peach
350
4
12
Golden Bell
155
3

4
Flowering Crab Apple
240
3
13
Azalea
510
5

5
Magnolia
455
4
14
Chinese Fir
440
4

6
Juniper
180
3
15
Firethorn
530
5

7
Pampas
450
4
16
Redbud
170
3

8
Yellow Jasmine
570
5
17
Nandina
440
4

9
Carolina Cherry
460
4
18
Holly
465
4

Out
3,725
36
In
3,710
36

Source:[1][74]
Total
7,435
72

text: Lengths of the course for the Masters at the start of each decade:

text:
2010: 7,435 yards (6,799 m)
2000: 6,985 yards (6,387 m)
1990: 6,905 yards (6,314 m)
1980: 7,040 yards (6,437 m)

1970: 6,980 yards (6,383 m)
1960: 6,980 yards (6,383 m)
1950: 6,900 yards (6,309 m)
1940: 6,800 yards (6,218 m)[1]

text:
The course was lengthened to 7,445 yards (6,808 m) in 2006. The first hole was shortened
by 10 yards (9 m) in 2009, resulting in the current length of 7,435 yards (6,799 m).

text: Course adjustments[edit]

text: As with many other courses, Augusta National's championship setup was lengthened in recent years. In 2001, the course measured 6,925 yards (6,332 m) and was extended to 7,270 yards (6,648 m) for 2002, and again in 2006 to 7,445 yards (6,808 m); 520 yards (475 m) longer than the 2001 course.[75][76] The changes attracted many critics, including the most successful players in Masters history, Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer, Gary Player and Tiger Woods. Woods claimed that the "shorter hitters are going to struggle." Augusta National chairman Hootie Johnson was unperturbed, stating, "We are comfortable with what we are doing with the golf course." After a practice round, Gary Player defended the changes, saying, "There have been a lot of criticisms, but I think unjustly so, now I've played it.... The guys are basically having to hit the same second shots that Jack Nicklaus had to hit (in his prime)".[77]

text: Originally, the grass on the putting greens was the wide-bladed Bermuda. The greens lost speed, especially during the late 1970s, after the introduction of a healthier strain of narrow-bladed Bermuda, which thrived and grew thicker. In 1978, the greens on the par 3 course were reconstructed with bentgrass, a narrow-bladed species that could be mowed shorter, eliminating grain.[78] After this test run, the greens on the main course were replaced with bentgrass in time for the 1981 Masters. The bentgrass resulted in significantly faster putting surfaces, which has required a reduction in some of the contours of the greens over time.[78]

text: Just before the 1975 tournament, the common beige sand in the bunkers was replaced with the now-signature white feldspar. It is a quartz derivative of the mining of feldspar and is shipped in from North Carolina.[79]

text: Field[edit]

text: The Masters has the smallest field of the major championships, with 90–100 players. Unlike other majors, there are no alternates or qualifying tournaments. It is an invitational event, with invitations largely issued on an automatic basis to players who meet published criteria. The top 50 players in the Official World Golf Ranking are all invited.[80]

text: Past champions are always eligible, but since 2002 the Augusta National Golf Club has discouraged them from continuing to participate at an advanced age. Some will later become honorary starters.[81]

text:
Masters Tournament Champions (lifetime)
U.S. Open champions (five years)
The Open champions (five years)
PGA champions (five years)
Winners of the Players Championship (three years)
Current Olympic Gold Medalist (one year)
Current U.S. Amateur champion and runner-up
Current British Amateur champion
Current Asia-Pacific Amateur champion
Current U.S. Mid-Amateur champion
Current Latin America Amateur champion
The first 12 players, including ties, in the previous year's Masters Tournament
The first 4 players, including ties, in the previous year's U.S. Open
The first 4 players, including ties, in the previous year's Open Championship
The first 4 players, including ties, in the previous year's PGA Championship
Winners of PGA Tour regular-season and playoff events that award at least a full-point allocation for the FedEx Cup, starting with the RBC Heritage the week after the Masters to the Shell Houston Open the week beforehand.
Those qualifying for the previous year's season-ending Tour Championship (top 30 in FedEx Cup prior to tournament)
The 50 leaders on the Final Official World Golf Ranking for the previous calendar year
The 50 leaders on the Official World Golf Ranking published during the week prior to the current Masters Tournament

text: Most of the top current players will meet the criteria of multiple categories for invitation. The Masters Committee, at its discretion, can also invite any golfer not otherwise qualified, although in practice these invitations are currently reserved for international players.[83]

text: Changes for the 2014 tournament include invitations now being awarded to the autumn events in the PGA Tour, which now begin the wraparound season, tightening of qualifications (top 12 plus ties from the Masters, top 4 from the U.S. Open, Open Championship, and PGA Championship), and the top 30 on the PGA Tour now referencing the season-ending points before the Tour Championship, not the former annual money list.[70] The 2015 Masters added the winner of the newly established Latin America Amateur Championship, which effectively replaced the exemption for the United States Amateur Public Links Championship, which ended after the 2014 tournament. (The final Public Links champion played in the 2015 Masters.)[84]

text: Champions[edit]

text: The first winner of the Masters Tournament was Horton Smith in 1934, and he repeated in 1936. The player with the most Masters victories is Jack Nicklaus, who won six times between 1963 and 1986. Arnold Palmer and Tiger Woods have each won four, and Jimmy Demaret, Gary Player, Sam Snead, Nick Faldo, and Phil Mickelson have three titles to their name. Player was the tournament's first overseas winner with his first victory in 1961. Two-time champions include Byron Nelson, Ben Hogan, Tom Watson, Seve Ballesteros, Bernhard Langer, Ben Crenshaw, José María Olazábal, and Bubba Watson.[85]

text:
Year
Champion
Country
To par
Margin
of victory
Runner(s)-up
Winner's
share ($)

2018
Patrick Reed
 United States
−15
1 stroke
 Rickie Fowler
1,980,000

2017
Sergio García
 Spain
−9
Playoff
 Justin Rose
1,980,000

2016
Danny Willett
 England
−5
3 strokes
 Jordan Spieth
 Lee Westwood
1,800,000

2015
Jordan Spieth
 United States
–18
4 strokes
 Phil Mickelson
 Justin Rose
1,800,000

2014
Bubba Watson (2)
 United States
−8
3 strokes
 Jonas Blixt
 Jordan Spieth
1,620,000

2013
Adam Scott
 Australia
−9
Playoff
 Ángel Cabrera
1,440,000

2012
Bubba Watson
 United States
−10
Playoff
 Louis Oosthuizen
1,440,000

2011
Charl Schwartzel
 South Africa
−14
2 strokes
 Jason Day
 Adam Scott
1,440,000

2010
Phil Mickelson (3)
 United States
−16
3 strokes
 Lee Westwood
1,350,000

2009
Ángel Cabrera
 Argentina
−12
Playoff
 Kenny Perry
 Chad Campbell
1,350,000

2008
Trevor Immelman
 South Africa
−8
3 strokes
 Tiger Woods
1,350,000

2007
Zach Johnson
 United States
+1
2 strokes
 Retief Goosen
 Rory Sabbatini
 Tiger Woods
1,305,000

2006
Phil Mickelson (2)
 United States
−7
2 strokes
 Tim Clark
1,260,000

2005
Tiger Woods (4)
 United States
−12
Playoff
 Chris DiMarco
1,260,000

2004
Phil Mickelson
 United States
−9
1 stroke
 Ernie Els
1,117,000

2003
Mike Weir
 Canada
−7
Playoff
 Len Mattiace
1,080,000

2002
Tiger Woods (3)
 United States
−12
3 strokes
 Retief Goosen
1,008,000

2001
Tiger Woods (2)
 United States
−16
2 strokes
 David Duval
1,008,000

2000
Vijay Singh
 Fiji
−10
3 strokes
 Ernie Els
828,000

1999
José María Olazábal (2)
 Spain
−8
2 strokes
 Davis Love III
720,000

1998
Mark O'Meara
 United States
−9
1 stroke
 Fred Couples
 David Duval
576,000

1997
Tiger Woods
 United States
−18
12 strokes
 Tom Kite
486,000

1996
Nick Faldo (3)
 England
−12
5 strokes
 Greg Norman
450,000

1995
Ben Crenshaw (2)
 United States
−14
1 stroke
 Davis Love III
396,000

1994
José María Olazábal
 Spain
−9
2 strokes
 Tom Lehman
360,000

1993
Bernhard Langer (2)
 Germany
−11
4 strokes
 Chip Beck
306,000

1992
Fred Couples
 United States
−13
2 strokes
 Raymond Floyd
270,000

1991
Ian Woosnam
 Wales
−11
1 stroke
 José María Olazábal
243,000

1990
Nick Faldo (2)
 England
−10
Playoff
 Raymond Floyd
225,000

1989
Nick Faldo
 England
−5
Playoff
 Scott Hoch
200,000

1988
Sandy Lyle
 Scotland
−7
1 stroke
 Mark Calcavecchia
183,800

1987
Larry Mize
 United States
−3
Playoff
 Seve Ballesteros
 Greg Norman
162,000

1986
Jack Nicklaus (6)
 United States
−9
1 stroke
 Tom Kite
 Greg Norman
144,000

1985
Bernhard Langer
 West Germany
−6
2 strokes
 Seve Ballesteros
 Raymond Floyd
 Curtis Strange
126,000

1984
Ben Crenshaw
 United States
−11
2 strokes
 Tom Watson
108,000

1983
Seve Ballesteros (2)
 Spain
−8
4 strokes
 Ben Crenshaw
 Tom Kite
90,000

1982
Craig Stadler
 United States
−4
Playoff
 Dan Pohl
64,000

1981
Tom Watson (2)
 United States
−8
2 strokes
 Johnny Miller
 Jack Nicklaus
60,000

1980
Seve Ballesteros
 Spain
−13
4 strokes
 Gibby Gilbert
 Jack Newton
55,000

1979
Fuzzy Zoeller
 United States
−8
Playoff
 Ed Sneed
 Tom Watson
50,000

1978
Gary Player (3)
 South Africa
−11
1 stroke
 Rod Funseth
 Hubert Green
 Tom Watson
45,000

1977
Tom Watson
 United States
−12
2 strokes
 Jack Nicklaus
40,000

1976
Raymond Floyd
 United States
−17
8 strokes
 Ben Crenshaw
40,000

1975
Jack Nicklaus (5)
 United States
−12
1 stroke
 Johnny Miller
 Tom Weiskopf
40,000

1974
Gary Player (2)
 South Africa
−10
2 strokes
 Dave Stockton
 Tom Weiskopf
35,000

1973
Tommy Aaron
 United States
−5
1 stroke
 J. C. Snead
30,000

1972
Jack Nicklaus (4)
 United States
−2
3 strokes
 Bruce Crampton
 Bobby Mitchell
 Tom Weiskopf
25,000

1971
Charles Coody
 United States
−9
2 strokes
 Johnny Miller
 Jack Nicklaus
25,000

1970
Billy Casper
 United States
−9
Playoff
 Gene Littler
25,000

1969
George Archer
 United States
−7
1 stroke
 Billy Casper
 George Knudson
 Tom Weiskopf
20,000

1968
Bob Goalby
 United States
−11
1 stroke
 Roberto De Vicenzo
20,000

1967
Gay Brewer
 United States
−8
1 stroke
 Bobby Nichols
20,000

1966
Jack Nicklaus (3)
 United States
0 !E
Playoff
 Tommy Jacobs (2nd)
 Gay Brewer (3rd)
20,000

1965
Jack Nicklaus (2)
 United States
−17
9 strokes
 Arnold Palmer
 Gary Player
20,000

1964
Arnold Palmer (4)
 United States
−12
6 strokes
 Dave Marr
 Jack Nicklaus
20,000

1963
Jack Nicklaus
 United States
−2
1 stroke
 Tony Lema
20,000

1962
Arnold Palmer (3)
 United States
−8
Playoff
 Gary Player (2nd)
 Dow Finsterwald (3rd)
20,000

1961
Gary Player
 South Africa
−8
1 stroke
 Charles Coe (a)
 Arnold Palmer
20,000

1960
Arnold Palmer (2)
 United States
−6
1 stroke
 Ken Venturi
17,500

1959
Art Wall, Jr.
 United States
−4
1 stroke
 Cary Middlecoff
15,000

1958
Arnold Palmer
 United States
−4
1 stroke
 Doug Ford
 Fred Hawkins
11,250

1957
Doug Ford
 United States
−5
3 strokes
 Sam Snead
8,750

1956
Jack Burke, Jr.
 United States
+1
1 stroke
 Ken Venturi (a)
6,000

1955
Cary Middlecoff
 United States
−9
7 strokes
 Ben Hogan
5,000

1954
Sam Snead (3)
 United States
+1
Playoff
 Ben Hogan
5,000

1953
Ben Hogan (2)
 United States
−14
5 strokes
 Ed Oliver
4,000

1952
Sam Snead (2)
 United States
−2
4 strokes
 Jack Burke, Jr.
4,000

1951
Ben Hogan
 United States
−8
2 strokes
 Skee Riegel
3,000

1950
Jimmy Demaret (3)
 United States
−5
2 strokes
 Jim Ferrier
2,400

1949
Sam Snead
 United States
−6
3 strokes
 Johnny Bulla
 Lloyd Mangrum
2,750

1948
Claude Harmon
 United States
−9
5 strokes
 Cary Middlecoff
2,500

1947
Jimmy Demaret (2)
 United States
−7
2 strokes
 Byron Nelson
 Frank Stranahan (a)
2,500

1946
Herman Keiser
 United States
−6
1 stroke
 Ben Hogan
2,500

1943–45: Cancelled due to World War II

1942
Byron Nelson (2)
 United States
−8
Playoff
 Ben Hogan
1,500

1941
Craig Wood
 United States
−8
3 strokes
 Byron Nelson
1,500

1940
Jimmy Demaret
 United States
−8
4 strokes
 Lloyd Mangrum
1,500

1939
Ralph Guldahl
 United States
−9
1 stroke
 Sam Snead
1,500

1938
Henry Picard
 United States
−3
2 strokes
 Harry Cooper
 Ralph Guldahl
1,500

1937
Byron Nelson
 United States
−5
2 strokes
 Ralph Guldahl
1,500

1936
Horton Smith (2)
 United States
−3
1 stroke
 Harry Cooper
1,500

1935
Gene Sarazen
 United States
−6
Playoff
 Craig Wood
1,500

1934
Horton Smith
 United States
−4
2 strokes
 Craig Wood
1,500

text:
In the "Runner(s)-up" column, the years are sorted alphabetically, based on the name of the country of (1) that year's runner-up or (2) the first player listed, in years that have multiple runners-up.
The sudden-death format was adopted in 1976, first used in 1979, and revised in 2004.[86]

None of the 11 sudden-death playoffs has advanced past the second hole; four were decided at the first hole, seven at the second.

Playoffs prior to 1976 were full 18-hole rounds, except for 1935, which was 36 holes.

None of the 6 full-round playoffs were tied at the end of the round; the closest margin was one stroke in 1942 and 1954.
The 1962 playoff included three players: Arnold Palmer (68), Gary Player (71), and Dow Finsterwald (77).
The 1966 playoff included three players: Jack Nicklaus (70), Tommy Jacobs (72), and Gay Brewer (78).

text: Low amateurs[edit]

text: In 1952 the Masters began presenting an award, known as the Silver Cup, to the lowest-scoring amateur to make the cut. In 1954 they began presenting an amateur silver medal to the low amateur runner-up. There have been six players to win low amateur and then go on to win the Masters as a professional. These players are Cary Middlecoff, Jack Nicklaus, Ben Crenshaw, Phil Mickelson, Tiger Woods and Sergio García.

text:
Year
Champion
Country
To par
Place

1934
Charlie Yates
 United States
+9
21

1935
Lawson Little
 United States
E
6

1936
Johnny Dawson
 United States
+6
9

1937
Charlie Yates (2)
 United States
+13
27

1938
Tommy Tailer
 United States
+10
19

1939
Chick Harbert
Charlie Yates (3)
 United States
 United States
+8
18

1940
Charlie Yates (4)
 United States
+5
17

1941
Dick Chapman
 United States
+9
19

1942
Charlie Yates (5)
 United States
+16
28

1943–45
Cancelled due to World War II

1946
Cary Middlecoff
 United States
+5
12

1947
Frank Stranahan
 United States
−5
2

1948
Skee Riegel
 United States
+5
13

1949
Charles Coe
Johnny Dawson (2)
 United States
 United States
+7
16

1950
Frank Stranahan (2)
 United States
+9
14

1951
Charles Coe (2)
 United States
+5
12

1952
Chuck Kocsis
 United States
+9
14

1953
Frank Stranahan (3)
Harvie Ward
 United States
 United States
+3
14

1954
Billy Joe Patton
 United States
+2
3

1955
Harvie Ward (2)
 United States
+2
7

1956
Ken Venturi
 United States
+2
2

1957
Harvie Ward (3)
 United States
E
4

1958
Billy Joe Patton (2)
 United States
E
8

1959
Charles Coe (3)
 United States
E
6

1960
Jack Nicklaus
Billy Joe Patton (3)
 United States
 United States
+5
13

1961
Charles Coe (4)
 United States
−7
2

1962
Charles Coe (5)
 United States
E
9

1963
Labron Harris, Jr.
 United States
+10
32

1964
Deane Beman
 United States
E
13

1965
Downing Gray
 United States
+6
31

1966
Jimmy Grant
 United States
+11
28

1967
Downing Gray (2)
 United States
+9
36

1968
Vinny Giles
 United States
E
22

1969
Bruce Fleisher
 United States
+12
44

1970
Charles Coe (6)
 United States
+4
23

1971
Steve Melnyk
 United States
+4
24

1972
Ben Crenshaw
 United States
+7
19

1973
Ben Crenshaw (2)
 United States
+7
24

1974
None made the cut

1975
George Burns
 United States
+4
30

1976
Curtis Strange
 United States
+3
15

1977
Bill Sander
 United States
+11
49

1978
Lindy Miller
 United States
−2
16

1979
Bobby Clampett
 United States
+2
23

1980
Jay Sigel
 United States
+1
26

1981
Jay Sigel (2)
 United States
+6
35

1982
Jodie Mudd
 United States
+6
20

1983
Jim Hallet
 United States
+9
40

1984
Rick Fehr
 United States
E
25

1985
Sam Randolph
 United States
+2
18

1986
Sam Randolph (2)
 United States
+5
36

1987
Bob Lewis
 United States
+21
54

1988
Jay Sigel (3)
 United States
+12
39

1989
None made the cut

1990
Chris Patton
 United States
+9
39

1991
Phil Mickelson
 United States
+2
46

1992
Manny Zerman
 South Africa
+6
59

1993
None made the cut

1994
John Harris
 United States
+17
50

1995
Tiger Woods
 United States
+5
41

1996
None made the cut

1997
None made the cut

1998
Matt Kuchar
 United States
E
21

1999
Sergio García
 Spain
+7
38

2000
David Gossett
 United States
+15
54

2001
None made the cut

2002
None made the cut

2003
Ricky Barnes
 United States
+3
21

2004
Casey Wittenberg
 United States
E
13

2005
Ryan Moore
 United States
−1
15

2006
None made the cut

2007
None made the cut

2008
None made the cut

2009
None made the cut

2010
Matteo Manassero
 Italy
+4
36

2011
Hideki Matsuyama
 Japan
−1
27

2012
Patrick Cantlay
 United States
+7
47

2013
Guan Tianlang
 China
+12
58

2014
Oliver Goss
 Australia
+10
49

2015
None made the cut

2016
Bryson DeChambeau
 United States
+5
21

2017
Stewart Hagestad
 United States
+6
36

2018
Doug Ghim
 United States
+8
50

text: Records[edit]

text: Jack Nicklaus has won the most Masters (six) and was 46 years, 82 days old when he won in 1986, making him the oldest winner of the Masters.[23] Nicklaus is the record holder for the most top tens, with 22, and the most cuts made, with 37.[71][87] The youngest winner of the Masters is Tiger Woods, who was 21 years, 104 days old when he won in 1997. In that year Woods also broke the records for the widest winning margin (12 strokes), and the lowest winning score, with 270 (−18). Jordan Spieth tied his score record in 2015.[88]

text: In 2013, Guan Tianlang became the youngest player ever to compete in the Masters, at age 14 years, 168 days on the opening day of the tournament;[89] the following day, he became the youngest ever to make the cut at the Masters or any men's major championship.[90]

text: Gary Player holds the record for most appearances, with 52. Player also holds the record for the number of consecutive cuts made, with 23 between 1959 and 1982 (Player did not compete in 1973 as he was recovering from recent surgery). He shares this record with Fred Couples, who made his consecutive cuts between 1983 and 2007, not competing in 1987 and 1994.[71]

text: Nick Price and Greg Norman share the course record of 63, with their rounds coming in 1986 and 1996 respectively.

text: The highest winning score of 289 (+1) has occurred three times: Sam Snead in 1954, Jack Burke, Jr. in 1956, and Zach Johnson in 2007. Anthony Kim holds the record for most birdies in a round with 11 in 2009 during his second round.[88]

text: There have been only four double eagles carded in the history of the Masters; the latest was by a contender in the fourth round in 2012. In the penultimate pairing with eventual champion Bubba Watson, Louis Oosthuizen's 260-yard (238 m) downhill 4 iron from the fairway made the left side of the green at the par-5 second hole, called Pink Dogwood, rolled downhill, and in.[91] The other two rare occurrences of this feat after Sarazen's double eagle on the fabled course's Fire Thorn hole in 1935: Bruce Devlin made double eagle from 248 yards (227 m) out with a 4-wood at the eighth hole (Yellow Jasmine) in the first round in 1967, while Jeff Maggert hit a 3-iron 222 yards (203 m) at the 13th hole (Azalea) in the fourth round in 1994.[92]

text: Three players share the record for most runner-up finishes with four: Ben Hogan (1942, 1946, 1954, 1955), Tom Weiskopf (1969, 1972, 1974, 1975), Jack Nicklaus (1964, 1971, 1977, 1981)

text: Broadcasting[edit]

text: United States television[edit]

text: CBS has televised the Masters in the United States every year since 1956,[93] when it used six cameras and covered only the final four holes. Tournament coverage of the first eight holes did not begin until 1993 because of resistance from the tournament organizers, but by 2006, more than 50 cameras were used. Chairman Jack Stephens felt that the back nine was always more "compelling", increased coverage would increase the need for sponsorship spending, and that broadcasting the front nine of the course on television would cut down on attendance and television viewership for the tournament.[93][94][95] USA Network added first- and second-round coverage in 1982.[96] The Masters has been broadcast every year in high-definition television since 2000, one of the first golf tournaments to ever hold that distinction.[citation needed] In 2008, ESPN replaced USA as broadcaster of early-round coverage. These broadcasts use the CBS Sports production staff and commentators, but with ESPN personality Scott Van Pelt (succeeding Mike Tirico, who replaced Bill Macatee's similar role under USA Network) as studio host.[97][96][98]

text: In 2005, CBS broadcast the tournament with high-definition fixed and handheld wired cameras, as well as standard-definition wireless handheld cameras. In 2006, a webstream called "Amen Corner Live" began providing coverage of all players passing through holes 11, 12, and 13 through all four rounds.[99] This was the first full tournament multi-hole webcast from a major championship. In 2007, CBS added "Masters Extra," an extra hour of full-field bonus coverage daily on the internet, preceding the television broadcasts. In 2008, CBS added full coverage of holes 15 and 16 live on the web. In 2011, "Masters Extra" was dropped after officials gave ESPN an extra hour each day on Thursday and Friday. In 2016, the Amen Corner feed was broadcast in 4K ultra high definition exclusively on DirecTV—as one of the first live U.S. sports telecasts in the format.[100][101] A second channel of 4K coverage covering holes 15 and 16 was added in 2017,[102] and this coverage will be produced in high-dynamic-range video in 2018.[103]

text: While Augusta National Golf Club has consistently chosen CBS as its U.S. broadcast partner, it has done so in successive one-year contracts. Former CBS Sports president Neal Pilson stated that their relationship had gotten to the point where the contracts could be negotiated in just hours.[93] Due to the lack of long-term contractual security, as well as the club's limited dependence on broadcast rights fees (owing to its affluent membership), it is widely held that CBS allows Augusta National greater control over the content of the broadcast, or at least performs some form of self-censorship, in order to maintain future rights. The club, however, has insisted it does not make any demands with respect to the content of the broadcast.[104][105] Despite this, announcers who have been deemed not to have acted with the decorum expected by the club have been removed, notably Jack Whitaker and Gary McCord,[104] and there also tends to be a lack of discussion of any controversy involving Augusta National, such as the 2003 Martha Burk protests.[105]

text: Coverage itself carries a more formal style than other golf telecasts; announcers refer to the gallery as patrons rather than as spectators or fans. Gallery itself is also used.[106] The club also disallows promotions for other network programs, or other forms of sponsored features.[106] Significant restrictions have been placed on the tournament's broadcast hours compared to other major championships. Only in the 21st century did the tournament allow CBS to air 18-hole coverage of the leaders, a standard at the other three majors.[104] Since 1982, CBS has used "Augusta" by Dave Loggins as the event telecast's distinctive theme music. Loggins originally came up with the song during his first trip to the Augusta course in 1981.[107]

text: The club mandates minimal commercial interruption, currently limited to four minutes per hour (as opposed to the usual 12 or more); this is subsidized by selling exclusive sponsorship packages to two or three companies – currently these "global sponsors" are AT&T, IBM, and Mercedes-Benz.[106] AT&T (then SBC) and IBM have sponsored the tournament since 2005, joined at first by ExxonMobil, which in 2014 was replaced as a global sponsor by Mercedes-Benz.[108] In 2002, in the wake of calls to boycott tournament sponsors over the Martha Burk controversy, club chairman Hootie Johnson suspended all television sponsorship of the 2003 tournament. He argued that it was "unfair" to have the Masters' sponsors become involved with the controversy by means of association with the tournament, as their sponsorship is of the Masters and not Augusta National itself. CBS agreed to split production costs for the tournament with the club to make up for the lack of sponsorship. After the arrangement continued into 2004, the tournament reinstated sponsorships for 2005, with the new partners of ExxonMobil, IBM, and SBC.[109][110]

text: The club also sells separate sponsorship packages, which do not provide rights to air commercials on the U.S. telecasts, to two "international partners"; in 2014, those companies were Rolex and UPS (the latter of which replaced Mercedes-Benz upon that company's elevation to "global sponsor" status).[108]

text: Radio coverage[edit]

text: WestwoodOne (previously Dial Global and CBS Radio) has provided live radio play-by-play coverage in the United States since 1956. This coverage can also be heard on the official Masters website. The network provides short two- or three-minute updates throughout the tournament, as well as longer three- and four-hour segments towards the end of the day.[111]

text: International television[edit]

text: The BBC has broadcast the Masters in the UK since 1986, and it also provides live radio commentary on the closing stages on Radio Five Live. With the 2007 launch of BBC HD, UK viewers can now watch the championship in that format. BBC Sport held the TV and radio rights through to 2010.[112] The BBC's coverage airs without commercials because it is financed by a licence fee. From the 2011 Masters, Sky Sports began broadcasting all four days, as well as the par 3 contest in HD and, for the first time ever, in 3D. The BBC will only have highlights of the first two days' play but will go head to head with Sky Sports, with full live coverage on the final two days of play.[113] In Ireland, Setanta Ireland previously showed all four rounds, and now since 2017 Eir Sport broadcast all four rounds live having previously broadcast the opening two rounds with RTÉ broadcasting the weekend coverage.[114]

text: In Canada, broadcast rights to the Masters are held by Bell Media, with coverage divided between TSN (cable), which carries live simulcasts and primetime encores of CBS and ESPN coverage for all four rounds, CTV (broadcast), which simulcasts CBS's coverage of the weekend rounds, and RDS, which carries French-language coverage. Prior to 2013, Canadian broadcast rights were held by a marketing company, Graham Sanborn Media,[115] which in turn bought time on the Global Television Network, TSN, and RDS (except for 2012 when French-language coverage aired on TVA and TVA Sports) to air the broadcasts, also selling all of the advertising for the Canadian broadcasts. This was an unusual arrangement in Canadian sports broadcasting, as in most cases broadcasters acquire their rights directly from the event organizers or through partnerships with international rightsholders, such as ESPN International (ESPN owns a minority stake in TSN). In 2013, Global and TSN began selling advertising directly, and co-produced supplemental programs covering the tournament (while still carrying U.S. coverage for the tournament itself).[116][117]

text: On December 15, 2015, TSN parent company Bell Media announced that it had acquired exclusive Canadian rights to the tournament beginning 2016 under a multi-year deal. Broadcast television coverage moved to co-owned broadcast network CTV, while TSN uses its expanded five-channel service to carry supplemental feeds (including the Amen Corner feed and early coverage of each round) that were previously exclusive to digital platforms.[118][119]

text: In 53 countries, including much of Latin America, broadcast rights for the entire tournament are held by the ESPN International networks.[120]

text: Ticketing[edit]

text: Although tickets for the Masters are not expensive, they are very difficult to come by. Even the practice rounds can be difficult to get into. Applications for practice round tickets have to be made nearly a year in advance and the successful applicants are chosen by random ballot. Tickets to the actual tournament are sold only to members of a patrons list, which is closed. A waiting list for the patrons list was opened in 1972 and closed in 1978. It was reopened in 2000 and subsequently closed once again. In 2008, the Masters also began allowing children (between the ages of 8 and 16) to enter on tournament days free if they are accompanied by the patron who is the owner of his or her badge.[121]

text: The difficulty in acquiring Masters badges has made the tournament one of the largest events on the secondary-ticket market.[122] A majority of the badges for the Masters are delivered to the same group of patrons, fans, and members each year, and these perennial ticket holders sometimes decide to sell their badges through large ticket marketplaces such as StubHub, TicketCity, and VividSeats. Some of these marketplaces will allow fans to purchase a Masters badge for a single day, as opposed to the traditional 4-day pass.[123]


document_title: King cobra

question_text: how much venom can a king cobra produce

question_tokens: how much venom can a king cobra produce

root

text: King cobra

text: Taxonomy[edit]

text: The king cobra was first described and drawn by the Danish naturalist Theodore Edward Cantor in 1836, who gave it the scientific name Hamadryas hannah. Cantor had three specimens from the Sundarbans and one caught in the vicinity of Kolkata.[10] It was subordinated to the genus Ophiophagus by Albert Günther in 1864.[11]

tag: p

text: Ophiophagus hannah belongs to the monotypic genus Ophiophagus in the family Elapidae, while most other cobras are members of the genus Naja. They can be distinguished from other cobras by size and hood. King cobras are generally larger than other cobras, and the stripe on the neck is a chevron instead of a double or single eye shape that may be seen in most of the other Asian cobras. Moreover, the hood of the king cobra is narrower and longer.[4] A key to identification, clearly visible on the head, is the presence of a pair of large scales known as occipitals, located at the back of the top of the head. These are behind the usual "nine-plate" arrangement typical of colubrids and elapids, and are unique to the king cobra.

text: Description[edit]

text: The skin of king cobra is dark olive or brown with black bands and white or yellow crossbands. The head is black with two crossbars near the snout and two behind the eyes. Adult king cobras are 3.18 to 4 m (10.4 to 13.1 ft) long. The longest known individual measured 5.85 m (19.2 ft).[3] Its belly is cream or pale yellow.[12] It has 17 to 19 rows of smooth scales. Ventral scales are uniformly oval shaped. Dorsal scales are placed in an oblique arrangement.[13] Males have 235 to 250 ventral scales, while females have 239 to 265. The subcaudal scales are single or paired in each row, numbering 83 to 96 in males and 77 to 98 in females.[citation needed]

text: Juveniles are shiny black with narrow yellow bands (can be mistaken for a banded krait, but readily identified with its expandable hood). The head of a mature snake can be quite massive and bulky in appearance, though like all snakes, it can expand its jaws to swallow large prey items. It has proteroglyph dentition, meaning it has two short, fixed fangs in the front of the mouth, which channel venom into the prey like hypodermic needles. The average lifespan of a wild king cobra is about 20 years.[12]

text: King cobras are sexually dimorphic in size, with males reaching larger sizes than females, which is an unusual trait among snakes whose females are usually larger than males. The length and mass of the snakes highly depend on their localities and some other factors.[citation needed]

text: The king cobra typically weighs about 6 kg (13 lb). The longest known specimen was a captive one at the London Zoo, and grew to around 18.5 to 18.8 ft (5.6 to 5.7 m) before being euthanised upon the outbreak of World War II. The heaviest wild specimen was caught at Royal Island Club in Singapore in 1951, which weighed 12 kg (26 lb) and measured 4.8 m (16 ft), though an even heavier captive specimen was kept at New York Zoological Park and was measured as 12.7 kg (28 lb) at 4.4 m (14.4 ft) long in 1972.[citation needed] Some viper species, such as the eastern diamondback rattlesnake and the Gaboon viper, often much shorter in length but bulkier in build, rival the king cobra in average weight.[14]

text: Distribution and habitat[edit]

text: The king cobra is distributed across the Indian subcontinent, Southeast Asia, and the southern areas of East Asia (where it is not common), in Bangladesh, Bhutan, Burma, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Nepal, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam and southern China.[1] In India it has been recorded from Goa; Western Ghats of Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu; east coastline of Andhra Pradesh and Odisha; Sundarban mangroves; Himalayan foothills from Uttrakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, northern parts of West Bengal to most of the north-east region and Andaman Islands. Type locality Sundarbans. [15]It lives in dense highland forests,[2][16] preferring areas dotted with lakes and streams. King cobra populations have dropped in some areas of its range because of the destruction of forests and ongoing collection for the international pet trade. It is listed as an Appendix II animal within CITES.[17]

text: Behavior[edit]

text: A king cobra, like other snakes, receives chemical information via its forked tongue, which picks up scent particles and transfers them to a special sensory receptor (Jacobson's organ) located in the roof of its mouth.[2] This is akin to the human sense of smell. When the scent of a meal is detected, the snake flicks its tongue to gauge the prey's location (the twin forks of the tongue acting in stereo); it also uses its keen eyesight; king cobras are able to detect moving prey almost 100 m (330 ft) away. Its intelligence[18] and sensitivity to earth-borne vibration are also used to track its prey.

text: Following envenomation, the king cobra swallows its struggling prey. King cobras, like all snakes, have flexible jaws. The jaw bones are connected by pliable ligaments, enabling the lower jaw bones to move independently. This allows the king cobra to swallow its prey whole, and swallow prey much larger than its head.[2]

text: King cobras are able to hunt throughout the day, but are rarely seen at night, leading most herpetologists to classify them as a diurnal species.[2][19]

text: Feeding ecology[edit]

text: The king cobra's generic name, Ophiophagus is a Greek-derived word that means "snake-eater". Its diet consists primarily of other snakes, including rat snakes, pythons, and even other venomous snakes such as various members of the true cobras and the krait.[19][20] Its most common prey is the rat snake, and it also hunts Malabar pit viper and hump-nosed pit viper by following the snakes' odour trails.[21]

text: When food is scarce, it also feeds on other small vertebrates, such as lizards, birds, and rodents. In some cases, the cobra constricts its prey, such as birds and larger rodents, using its muscular body, though this is uncommon.[2][20] After a large meal, the snake lives for many months without another one because of its slow metabolic rate.[2]

text: Defense[edit]

text: When confronted, this species quickly attempts to escape and avoid confrontation.[6][22] However, if continuously provoked, the king cobra can be highly aggressive.[6][12]

text: When alarmed, it rears up the anterior portion (usually one-third) of its body when extending the neck, showing the fangs and hissing loudly.[4][12] It can be easily irritated by closely approaching objects or sudden movements. When raising its body, the king cobra can still move forward to strike with a long distance[12] and people may misjudge the safe zone. This snake may deliver multiple bites in a single attack,[5] but adults are known to bite and hold on. It is secretive and tends to inhabit less-populated forested regions and dense jungle,[4][12] thus many victims bitten by king cobras are actually snake charmers.[4]

text: Some scientists believe that the temperament of this species has been grossly exaggerated. In most of the local encounters with live, wild king cobras, the snakes appear to be of rather placid disposition, and they usually end up being killed or subdued with hardly any hysterics. These support the view that wild king cobras generally have a mild temperament, and despite their frequent occurrence in disturbed and built-up areas, are adept at avoiding humans. Naturalist Michael Wilmer Forbes Tweedie felt that "this notion is based on the general tendency to dramatise all attributes of snakes with little regard for the truth about them. A moment’s reflection shows that this must be so, for the species is not uncommon, even in populated areas, and consciously or unconsciously, people must encounter king cobras quite frequently. If the snake were really habitually aggressive, records of its bite would be frequent; as it is they are extremely rare."[23][24]

text: If a king cobra encounters a natural predator, such as the mongoose, which has resistance to the neurotoxins,[25] the snake generally tries to flee. If unable to do so, it forms the distinctive cobra hood and emits a hiss, sometimes with feigned closed-mouth strikes. These efforts usually prove to be very effective, especially since it is much more dangerous than other mongoose prey, as well as being much too large for the small mammal to kill with ease.

text: A good defence for anyone who accidentally encounters this snake is to slowly remove a shirt or hat and toss it to the ground while backing away.[26]

text: Growling hiss[edit]

text: The hiss of the king cobra is a much lower pitch than many other snakes and many people thus liken its call to a "growl" rather than a hiss. While the hisses of most snakes are of a broad-frequency span ranging from roughly 3,000 to 13,000 Hz with a dominant frequency near 7,500 Hz, king cobra growls consist solely of frequencies below 2,500 Hz, with a dominant frequency near 600 Hz, a much lower-sounding frequency closer to that of a human voice. Comparative anatomical morphometric analysis has led to a discovery of tracheal diverticula that function as low-frequency resonating chambers in king cobra and its prey, the rat snake, both of which can make similar growls.[27]

text: Reproduction[edit]

text: The female is gravid for 50 to 59 days, after which she builds a nest, lays 12 to 51 eggs and guards it during the incubation period of about 51 to 79 days. The hatchlings are 31 to 73 cm (12 to 29 in) long and weigh 18.4 to 40 g (0.65 to 1.41 oz).[3]

text: The king cobra is unusual among snakes in that the female is a very dedicated parent. For the nest, the female scrapes up leaves and other debris into a mound, and stays in the nest until the young hatch. She guards the mound tenaciously, rearing up into a threat display if any large animal gets too close.[28] Inside the mound, the eggs are incubated at a steady 28 °C (82 °F). When the eggs start to hatch, the female leaves the nest. The baby king cobra's venom is as potent as that of the adults. They may be brightly marked, but these colours often fade as they mature. They are alert and nervous, being highly aggressive if disturbed.[4]

text: Venom[edit]

text: The venom of the king cobra consists primarily of neurotoxins, known as the haditoxin,[29] with several other compounds.[19][30] Its murine LD50 toxicity varies from intravenous 1.31 mg/kg[31] and intraperitoneal 1.644 mg/kg[31] to subcutaneous 1.7—1.93 mg/kg.[32][33][34]

text: This species is capable of delivering a fatal bite and the victim may receive a large quantity of venom with a dose of 200 to 500 mg [4][35][36] up to 7 ml.[12] Engelmann and Obst (1981) list the average venom yield at 420 mg (dry weight).[33] Accordingly, large quantities of antivenom may be needed to reverse the progression of symptoms developed if bitten by a king cobra.[5] The toxins affect the victim's central nervous system, resulting in severe pain, blurred vision, vertigo, drowsiness, and eventually paralysis. If the envenomation is serious, it progresses to cardiovascular collapse, and the victim falls into a coma. Death soon follows due to respiratory failure. Bites from a king cobra may result in a rapid fatality[4][5] which can be as early as 30 minutes after the envenomation.[5][37] The king cobra's envenomation was even recorded to be capable of killing elephants within hours.[38]

text: Two types of antivenom are made specifically to treat king cobra envenomations. The Red Cross in Thailand manufactures one, and the Central Research Institute in India manufactures the other; however, both are made in small quantities and, while available to order, are not widely stocked.[39] Ohanin, a protein component of the venom, causes hypolocomotion and hyperalgesia in mammals.[40] Other components have cardiotoxic,[41] cytotoxic and neurotoxic effects.[42] In Thailand, a concoction of alcohol and the ground root of turmeric is ingested, which has been clinically shown to create a strong resilience against the venom of the king cobra, and other snakes with neurotoxic venom.[43][44] Proper and immediate treatments are critical to avoid death. Successful precedents include a client who recovered and was discharged in 10 days after being treated by accurate antivenom and inpatient care.[37]

text: Snakebites from this species are rare, and most victims are snake handlers.[4] Not all king cobra bites result in envenomation, but they are often considered of medical importance.[45] Clinical mortality rates vary between different regions and depend on many factors, such as local medical advancement. A Thai survey reports 10 deaths out of 35 patients received for king cobra bites, whose fatality rate posed (28%) is higher than those of other cobra species.[46] Department of Clinical Toxinology in University of Adelaide gives this serpent a general untreated fatality rate of 50–60%, implying that the snake has about a half chance to deliver bites involving nonfatal quantities of venom.[32]

text: Conservation[edit]

text: The species is classified as Vulnerable by the IUCN due to pressure from harvesting for meat, skin and use in traditional medicine, and because of increasing loss of habitat to deforestation.[1] In India, king cobras are placed under Schedule II of Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 (as amended) and a person guilty of killing the snake can be imprisoned for up to 6 years.[47]

text: Cultural significance[edit]

text: A ritual in Myanmar involves a king cobra and a female snake charmer. The charmer is a priestess who is usually tattooed with three pictograms and kisses the snake on the top of its head at the end of the ritual.[8][20] Members of the Pakokku clan tattoo themselves with ink mixed with cobra venom on their upper bodies in a weekly inoculation that potentially might protect them from the snake, though no scientific evidence supports this.[20][48]

text: Cobra stones or gems or pearls are believed to develop from the cobra's hood.[49]