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Every year, golf fans around the world tune in to watch the world’s best players take on Augusta National Golf Club at the Masters. But, who was the first player to win the event?
To find that out, you have to go back to 1934, where you’ll find that Horton Smith was the first man to win the Masters.
Smith beat Craig Wood by one shot in the inaugural Masters event, and would go on to also win the third edition of the Masters in 1936. Smith would play every Masters from 1934 through to 1963, the year he died.
• Who won the first Open Championship?
Horton Smith also featured in five Ryder Cups throughout his career.
Controversy
Following his death, Horton Smith lent his name to an award that was handed out by the PGA of America. However, when details of his controversial past came to light, that award was stripped and renamed the PGA Professional Development Award.
Smith served as the PGA President during the 1950s, and was a proponent of a “Caucasian-only” policy that was included in the PGA of America bylaws from 1934 to 1961.
• Who won the first PGA Championship?
In an incident in January 1948, Smith informed two black entrants of the San Diego Open that they would not be competing in the event, due to the colour of their skin.
The rule was removed in 1961, two years before Smith’s death.
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