THE FIRST OF MANY

The 2018 Masters Tournament marks the 25th anniversary of a significant event in golf equipment history and the emergence of one of the biggest names in the modern game.

This year’s Masters marks the 25th anniversary of a significant event in golf equipment history and the emergence of one of the biggest names in the modern game.

On April 11, 1993, Bernhard Langer, somewhat fortuitously dressed in green pants and a yellow shirt, won his second green jacket and the first major title with a putter bearing Scotty Cameron’s name.

The now ultra-famous putter maker had previously made putters for numerous manufacturers before setting out on his own and creating ‘Cameron Golf International’ in 1992, and Langer’s win with his ‘Classic 1’ model at Augusta National began his ascent to the top of his craft. One that has seen Scotty Cameron putters, which became part of the Acushnet Company and Titleist in 1994, earn an impressive 35 more major titles since.

Of those major wins, 14 belong to Tiger Woods, who will be celebrating a putter-based milestone of his own at Augusta this year, where Woods will make his first appearance in Georgia since 2015 and will use his own historic Scotty Cameron putter at Augusta for the first time since 2010.

Tiger’s Newport 2 is responsible for 13 of his major wins, his 1997 Masters title coming courtesy of a Cameron Teryllium TeI3 Newport, and has played an important role in Cameron’s own success.

After first going in the bag in 1999, Woods swapped the putter out for another model for the first time at the 2010 Open Championship, with speculation that Nike’s decision to stand by him during his scandal influenced his move to use a number of the company’s putters on a full-time basis starting in 2011.

The arguably most successful club in the history of golf made its return at the 2016 Hero World Challenge.

“The day that we (Nike) were no longer a part of the hard goods side,” Woods said after being asked when the Cameron putter went back in the bag.

Cameron will undoubtedly check in with Woods and his famous flatstick on the grounds of Augusta National this year, and will perhaps do likewise with Langer to reminisce about the pair’s silver anniversary.

The German is set to tee it up in the tournament for the 35th time. After employing a unique putting grip to wield the Cameron to victory in 1993, having already begun his career-long battle with the yips, Langer has proven in recent times he can still create headlines with his putting, which will certainly be the case if the 60-year-old winds back the clock at Augusta this year.