Augusta, Texas, goes inside the ropes and into the lives of the ten Masters Champions from the Lone Star State. From Ben Hogan to Ben Crenshaw to Jordan Spieth, Doug Stutsman has uncovered intimate details about how Texans have shaped the history of golf's most coveted major championship.
At the 1958 Masters Tournament, a bridge dedication ceremony was held to honor Hogan and his childhood rival, Byron Nelson. Augusta National co-founder Bobby Jones served as master of ceremonies, and although his health left him unable to rise, Jones announced, "We've tried to dedicate these bridges to two men who have meant as much to this tournament as any two men ever have."
Nelson was the first Texan to taste triumph at the fourth annual Masters, while nine others-most recently Scottie Scheffler in 2022-have followed the trail that Lord Byron paved.
Ten winners; fifteen jackets. More than any other state. More than any foreign country.
Moments after capturing the 1984 Masters, Ben Crenshaw called Brent "Bubs" Buckman, his roommate from the University of Texas. "What was that like?" Buckman asked. "Walking up eighteen, knowing you had won the Masters."
"Bubs," Crenshaw said. "The hair on the back of my neck stood straight up."
Nearly forty years later, Stutsman asked Crenshaw to reflect on his first win at Augusta National.
"The hair on my neck is still standing straight up," Gentle Ben said.
