What Happens After You Win a Green Jacket in the Masters Tournament as Explained by Sir Nick Faldo

Amongst all the collectible accolades in the sport of golf, one that stands above the rest is the coveted Green Jacket. Awarded to the winner of the Masters Tournament every year, the tradition and significance of the Green Jacket has unquestionably made it the most coveted prize in golf. But there’s a lot more to it than just a jacket given to the victor. And three-time Masters winner, Sir Nick Faldo, once uncovered a few of those truths for the public! So, dive in with us into the lesser-known details about the Augusta National’s most prestigious award.

The Green Jacket doesn’t leave the Augusta National Course

In 2022, Sir Nick Faldo sat down with Rick Shiels on his podcast, The Rick Shiels Golf Show, to discuss the Green Jacket. From the hidden secrets about how many jackets multiple winners receive, to opening up about the exclusive Champions Dinner and Champions Lockers, the PGA Tour veteran debunked many secrets of the Masters Tournament. The most shocking of them was about the Champions’ Green Jackets staying at Augusta National.

It is common knowledge that all Masters winners get a Green Jacket for their win. But as per the rules of the event, they don’t get to keep them. ONLY the present winner of the tournament can leave the course with his jacket. Unfortunately, that too needs to be given back the following year when they return to the tournament! Past winners don’t get to hold onto their prestigious jackets!

All the other jackets are ironed and kept in lockers

The popular myth that multiple-time Masters winners have multiple Green Jackets is just a myth. Each winner gets just one jacket. But Faldo at one point fortunately found himself with three, having experienced the event three times.

Read More – Top 10 Bizarre Rules of the Augusta National Club

All three of them had a different fit and were ironed and kept in his locker, hence the officials were waiting for him to decide which one fit him best. Unfortunately, when he did pick out his ideal one, he lost his other two and became, just like the other Masters champions, the holder of just one Green Jacket!

Masters Tournament Champions have to share lockers to keep their jackets

While the winner takes home the jacket for a whole year, past winners, unfortunately, don’t get to relive their championship day by wearing the jacket at home. All the returned jackets are neatly stored in the Champions Locker Room. “All the jackets stay there,” stated Faldo with a hint of disappointment. Although the jacket is technically the players’ property, once returned, the historic blazer never leaves the course grounds.

Whenever the champions visit or play at Augusta, they must retrieve their Green Jackets and wear them on the grounds. And of course, before leaving, it is then left behind. The lockers are also not exclusive to the pros; they share them with other champions. Faldo himself had to share his locker with South African star, Trevor Immelman.

Only the champions and the Augusta National Club’s President are allowed in the locker room

The Champions Locker Room is one of the most exclusive locations of the club. Although not big, with the room being the size of approximately “15 feet wide and 30 odd feet long,” as per Faldo, it is the safe haven of all the Masters Tournament winners. Each has their own locker there, where their iconic Green Jackets are kept, and that is where they gather their thoughts before they head onto the course when they return to the event.

Besides the past champions, no one except the president of Augusta National is allowed to enter that private space. Moreover, it isn’t just a showplace where their jackets are stored. When the champions return to the course to play at the Masters in the years that follow their win, they use those lockers and the room as a locker room.

Only the Masters Tournament champion can decide what goes on the menu of the Champions Dinner

Another famous and sought-after tradition at the Augusta event is the Champions Dinner. First carried out by Ben Hogan in 1952, the dinner is now a religious ceremony that occurs every year. On the Tuesday of Masters week, all the past champions of the event gather at Augusta National and dine together.

While this may seem like an ordinary get-together, of course, it has a twist. Only the reigning champion has a say in what’s on the menu. The menu is pre-set by the winner of the previous year’s event, and every item served that night is as per what he decides. It’s what brings the champions closer together as a group.

Players try to remain relaxed, but the room is filled with emotion

The dinner is the most exclusive tradition of Augusta National and the Masters Tournament. While players dine alongside the other Masters history makers, donning their Green Jackets and enjoying the meal the reigning champion has prepared, the players just try to relax and bond. But Faldo explained that with that sense of relaxation also came realization!

The nine-time PGA Tour winner claimed that players were often filled with emotion since they were a part of such a wholesome tradition. They felt privileged and fortunate to be a part of a historic custom that is much bigger than any individual player! “It’s pretty relaxed, but… you have to pinch yourself sometimes to think how special that is,” said the golf legend proudly. “You get a bit blasé, but it’s pretty historic.”

During the off-season, a champion can only play with other members

The final and probably most brutal blast from the 6-time major winner came with his revelation about playing at Augusta during the off-season. Golf pros sometimes just love the idea of playing a relaxing game of golf. After all, having spent weeks and weeks competing, dialing it down once in a while doesn’t sound like a terrible idea. But it doesn’t get tougher to play a non-season round than at Augusta!

Champions and golf pros can’t just walk onto its grounds and begin playing. They need to be with a member. As Faldo revealed, the pros can only play off-season rounds alongside other members, meaning they could not just go in and play a match on their own. And since the membership at the club is quite limited, Jack Nicklaus is the only champion who is a member!

Watch This Story – How Much Prize Money Did Tiger Woods Win at the 2022 Masters

Did you know about these hidden facts regarding the Masters Tournament and its traditions? Let us know in the comments below.