What is Masters week?: Augusta, Georgia's major sports championship

For sports or golf fans especially, this is a very important week.

For sports fans, golf especially, this week is important. Masters week is a traditional championship that has been held since 1934.

The Masters is a golf tournament held annually at Augusta National Golf Club. The tournament is one of four major championships in men’s professional golf and is the first of the four contested each year.

This year, Masters started on Monday, Apr. 5 and ends on Sunday, Apr. 11.

South Carolina and Georgia citizens can predict the Masters week far before the event begins, as it is known to produce an onslaught of traffic and tourists in the surrounding areas.

Given the current circumstances of COVID-19, there is a limitation on the number of spectators.

Masters is traditionally held in the first full week of April each year. This tradition has only been broken during special circumstances, even as recent as last year when COVID-19 delayed the tournament until November.

The first Masters tournament was in 1934. Amateur golfer Bobby Jones and investment banker Clifford Roberts, the founders of Augusta National Golf Club, started the Masters as a way to promote their newly formed golf club. The tournament continued to garner attention as the years went on, leading it to the renowned professional championship it is today.

The reward for the Masters is a hefty sum of money: The winner will take home $2,070,000 and the prestigious custom green jacket.

The green jacket is a sign of prestige and is only for tournament winners and Augusta National Golf Club members. You are only allowed to wear your green jacket while on the grounds of Augusta National.