The Forgotten Majors of Augusta National

Did you know that the Champions Tour and the U.S. Senior Open were started in 1980, the Senior Players Championship in 1983, the Senior Open Championship in 1986 and the Tradition in 1989?

So how did the Senior PGA Championship beat them all by 43 years?

The Senior PGA Championship was founded in 1937 (only five years after ANGC opened its doors) and was the brainchild of two of Augusta National’s founding members, Alfred Severin Bourne and Bobby Jones. Both Bourne and Jones saw the value of a Major dedicated to the golf stars of years past- golfers who were over the age of 50.

Alfred Severin Bourne, heir to the Singer Sewing Machine Fortune, a founding member of ANGC and one of the five men who saved Augusta National from Foreclosure, once again led the charge. A.S. Bourne put his own money behind the concept and worked with Tiffany and Co to commission a trophy for new championship. Bourne spent $1500 (the equivalent of $33,000 in 2024)  to donate one of the largest silver trophies in all of golf history.

In 1937 the inaugural Senior PGA Championship was held at none other than Augusta National Golf Club - one could argue it was the 5th ever Major hosted at Augusta National and the only one of two majors at Augusta that were hosted in the month of December. The inaugural Senior Major was won by two-time major champion, Jock Hutchison.

In December of 1938 Augusta National again played host to the Senior PGA Championship which was won by 1908 U.S. Open Champion, Fred McLeod.

While these two senior majors hosted by ANGC have been mostly forgotten, what followed 25 years later still reverberates at Augusta every April. In 1963 Augusta National’s Senior PGA Championship winners of 1937 & 1938 became the first two honorary starters of the Masters Tournament. A tradition which lives on every April in Augusta.

While their two Augusta National majors are mostly forgotten the legacy of the honorary starter lives on today.

Auction Spotlight: Senior PGA Gold Medal

From the forgotten majors of ANGC to the found 1937 Senior PGA Championship Gold Medal.

In 2021 the Golf Auction auctioned off Jock Hutchison’s 1937 Senior PGA Championship Gold Medal which was played at Augusta National Golf Club. The medal sold at auction for $16,002.

In my personal opinion a really good deal for the eventual buyer. This medal symbolizes not only the foresight of Bobby Jones and Alfred Bourne who saw forty years into the future and the draw of a Major Championship for players over the age of 50, but a gold medal for a first time a major, not called the Masters was played at Augusta National.

There is a Hostage Situation at Augusta National!

On October 22, 1983 sometime around 2:30 PM Eastern a frantic call was made to the Augusta Police Department. According to the caller, there was an active hostage situation at Augusta National Golf Club and Ronald Reagan was on the property.

The call in many ways was unnecessary, you don’t plow through the gates of Augusta National with a weapon and the intent to find the President and not have the Secret Service heavily involved. But the call didn’t underscore the shock and audacity of the act itself.

President Ronald Reagan was in fact at Augusta National, but luckily for the country, he was on the 16th hole when Charlie Harris stormed into the pro shop with his .38 caliber pistol insisting to see the President face to face. A hostage situation quickly developed when Charlie held six people against their will. Two of which were on the President’s staff and the other four were employed by the club.

Within minutes, Reagan and his Secret Service detail were apprised of the hostage situation. The very real threat came just a mere 31 months after John Hinckley’s attempted assassination, which nearly took the Presidents life. Within minutes of learning of this dire threat at Augusta, the President was moved off site to a secure location.

Charlie Harris’ horrible drunken idea of forcing himself into an impossible situation where he had hoped to talk to the President about the loss of his job, the breakdown of his family and the thousands of Steel Workers who had just been laid off in Pennsylvania led to ANGC’s clubhouse being surrounded by Secret Service agents with automatic weapons, grenades and sniper rifles. Two hours and five minutes after the entire mistaken ordeal had started, Charlie Harris dropped his pistol and willfully surrendered to the Secret Service. Fortunately for all involved none of the hostages were injured.

What happened next is just as curious.

Despite Harris’ intent to see President Reagan with a loaded .38 pistol and in the very best case scenario hold the President hostage, he was not charged with a Federal Crime. Instead he was charged and found guilty of false imprisonment.

Charlie Harris- the man who drove his pick-up truck through the gate of ANGC with a .38 pistol, with the intent of forcing a meeting with the President (which would be at the very least kidnapping) and instead held 6 people hostage, spent a grand total of five years in a Georgia state prison.

When Charlie made that fateful decision to storm ANGC, President Reagan had likely just finished playing Amen Corner, nearly 6 years later in 1987, Charlie Harris had his prayers answered when he gained his freedom.

To his credit, Charlie Harris found his sobriety and Christianity in prison. Upon his release his friends and family attested that he remained a new man who caused nobody any harm again until he passed away at the age of 67 in 2007.

The worse decision of his life, may have in fact helped save it.

The Elevations of Augusta National

During this year’s telecast of the Master Tournament you will certainly hear the broadcasters talk about the elevation changes of Augusta National. Lucky for you, the first ever Augusta National Invitational program included a series of illustrations that shed light on how the terrain of the course changes from hole to hole. I include them here for your review.

Please note that the course used to play the nines in reverse so the the 1st is actually the 10th hole and so on. Enjoy!!!

An Ode to Augusta National’s Original Artwork

If you know me well enough you know I have a great affinity for golf history, golf course architecture and golf art.

In 1932 Dr. Alister Mackenzie delivered a hand drawn routing of ANGC that was also hand painted by his wife. The original map is a work of golf art.

To express my love for Augusta National, I designed these Nike Air Jordan I Golf Shoes to pay tribute to that beautiful routing plan which delivered one of the world’s most beloved golf courses.

Thank you for taking the time to read our free weekly newsletter dedicated to the history of the game of golf. If you enjoy it, please let your friends know that they should subscribe too. Again it’s completely free of charge!

Yours in Golf History,

Connor T.