How does the Inexperienced Jacket ceremony work if there is a back-to-back Masters winner?

Rory McIlroy has a share of the lead heading into the ultimate spherical of the Masters, having gained the enduring competitors for the primary time 12 months in the past.

McIlroy at the 2025 Masters Tournament

Rory McIlroy is the reigning Masters champion (Picture: Getty) This text incorporates affiliate hyperlinks, we are going to obtain a fee on any gross sales we generate from it. Be taught extra

Every thing that you must know concerning the Inexperienced Jacket ceremony when there is a repeat Masters winner

The Defending Champion: Rory McIlroy is among the males to beat at Augusta Nationwide after his historic victory final spring. He has returned this yr seeking to grow to be the primary repeat winner in over twenty years.
The Conventional Handover: Below regular circumstances, the earlier yr’s champion is answerable for serving to the brand new winner into their Inexperienced Jacket. This symbolic gesture is a cornerstone of the ceremony held on the 18th inexperienced, however what occurs if somebody goes back-to-back?
The Again-to-Again Problem: A logistical puzzle arises when a golfer wins consecutive titles, as McIlroy could do, as a result of they can’t technically current the jacket to themselves. This uncommon feat has solely occurred 3 times within the lengthy historical past of the Masters.
The Nicklaus Precedent: In 1966, Jack Nicklaus was famously instructed to easily put the Inexperienced Jacket on his personal shoulders after successful his second straight title. This self-service strategy was the unique answer proposed by membership co-founder Bobby Jones.
A Shift in Protocol: By 1990, the membership determined {that a} participant dressing themselves lacked the correct degree of ritual for the event. When Nick Faldo defended his title that yr, the Augusta Nationwide chairman stepped in to carry out the honours.
The Chairman’s Obligation: The trendy rule dictates that if there’s a repeat winner, the present membership chairman should current the accolade. This ensures the ceremony stays prestigious and avoids any awkwardness for the champion.
Fred Ridley’s Function: Ought to Rory prevail, chairman Fred Ridley would be the one tasked with inserting the jacket on him. This might be a historic second for Ridley, as no chairman has carried out this responsibility since 2002.
The Awkward Scheffler Incident: Throughout final yr’s ceremony, followers famous a tense trade when Scottie Scheffler appeared to exit the stage in a short time after handing Rory the jacket. This led to widespread social media hypothesis that Scheffler was being insincere or pissed off along with his personal fourth-place end.
Scottie’s Selfless Rationalization: Scheffler later clarified the transfer by explaining he needed the highlight to stay completely on Rory’s career-defining Grand Slam. He acknowledged that he deliberately stayed out of the way in which.
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