New Jersey’s Spotty Presence in the Masters: An Encouraging Update
By Kevin Casey
As April opens up, so does golf’s most prestigious event – the Masters Invitational. New Jerseyans, like the rest of the golf world, look forward to hearing CBS’s familiar theme music and announcer Jim Nantz’s dulcet tones, marveling at the beauty of Augusta National Golf Club, and pulling for their favorite players.
The Master’s popularity grows every year, a testimony to its legendary founder Bobby Jones’s vision and brilliant, decades-long implementation.
But watching the Masters and playing in the Masters are two different things. While the event’s stock rises among fans everywhere, New Jersey’s actual presence in the Invitational has been a story of peaks connected by one very long valley.
The pinnacle came early, almost from the Masters inception in 1934, as Garden State-related golfers made their mark in unforgettable ways through the 1950s. From the 1960s to the early 2000s, New Jersey’s impact on the Masters was marked by only occasional blips of brilliance.
Things are changing, however. Since 2020, players with New Jersey ties are not only getting into the Masters, one of them shows signs of dominating the event like few golfers ever have. Furthermore, some other young Jerseyans are lining up as backup to Scottie’s brilliance. Let’s trace this encouraging trend by revisiting the triumphs and troughs of our state’s best golfers on golf’s grandest stage.
A Great Start
New Jersey had a front-row seat in the early days of the Masters – originally the Augusta National Invitation Tournament. In 1935 Craig Wood, a New Jersey club professional at Forest Hill Field Club, Hollywood Golf Club, and Rumson Country Clubs, was the primary victim of a crushing defeat in 1935, when Gene Sarazen’s legendary double eagle on the 15th hole stole victory from Wood’s grasp.
In 1937, 25-year-old Byron Nelson – coming off a two-year stint as an assistant pro at Paramus’s Ridgewood Country Club – captured the Masters title, securing his first major. His victory, highlighted by a dazzling birdie-eagle barrage on holes 12 and 13, overshadowed New Jersey professional Ralph Guldahl, who finished runner-up.
By 1939, Guldahl was the Masters champion as well as head pro at Braidburn Country Club (now Brooklake Country Club) in Florham Park. Finishing alongside him was a host of Jersey-connected golfers, including Baltusrol Golf Club’s Johnny Farrell, New Jersey native Vic Ghezzi, Nelson, Forest Hill’s Paul Runyan, and Wood, who went on to win his first of three majors in the 1941 Masters.
By the 1950s, the New Jersey presence at Augusta was slipping. The PGA Tour’s growing allure meant fewer top golfers were taking club pro positions in New Jersey, leading to a decline in our Augusta presence.
Still, the Garden State was making noise. Skee Riegel, who later became professional emeritus at Cape May National Golf Club, nearly pulled off a win in 1951, finishing second. In 1956, Jackie Burke Jr., a former Hollywood Golf Club professional, was trailing the leader, amateur Ken Venturi, by eight strokes entering the final round. His fine Sunday golf capitalized on Venturi’s collapse to snatch a single victory for the ages.
The 1960s brought flashes of brilliance. In 1964, former Rumson professional Dave Marr drained a dramatic 25-foot birdie on the 18th green to tie Jack Nicklaus for second place, just behind Arnold Palmer. Mountain Ridge Country Club head professional Wes Ellis also had a strong showing, notching top-20 finishes in the 1965 and 1967 Masters.
By the 1970s, the New Jersey decline had become a full two-decade-long depression. Elizabeth native Jim Colbert carried the barely lit New Jersey torch with a t-4 in the 1974 Masters. Jersey fans had even less to cheer for in the ’80s. Not one contestant with Garden State ties had a significant Masters finish.
A Glimmer of Hope
The tide showed signs of reversing in the 1990 Masters. Bill Britton, a 15-year PGA TOUR player, New Jersey club professional, and recently the former golf coach at Monmouth University, finished t-7 in the 1990 Masters. In 1994, Oradell native Jim McGovern stormed into the top-5 at the Masters, fresh off a Houston Open win. McGovern is the current head professional at White Beeches Golf and Country Club and a force in our region’s senior professional circuit.
Also, in 1994, Jeff Thomas, a South Plainfield native, earned his Masters invitation by winning the 1993 U.S. Mid-Amateur Championship. Though he missed the cut, he remains the last New Jersey amateur to play at the Masters.
The New Jersey lights, while on, remained on low beam. Brad Faxon, born in Oceanport, emerged as New Jersey’s top performer from 2000-2020, tying for 10th place in the 2001 Masters behind Tiger Woods. Notably, Wykoff native and Arcola Country Club product Morgan Hoffmann finished t-28 in his 2015 Masters debut.
Lookin’ Good!
However, resiliency is a well-known New Jersey trait. As the 2020s unfolded, Garden State golfers have reclaimed Augusta glory. Scottie Scheffler, who was born in Ridgewood and took his first swings in New Jersey, has captured both the 2022 and 2024 Masters, and is ranked the number one golfer in the world. Going into the 2025 Masters, Scheffler’s game is in good form, coming off a second-place finish in his last start.
On a different level, Short Hills born and bred Max Greyserman presents another case for Garden State optimism. Greyserman earned his PGA TOUR card in 2023, which he parlayed into four top-10 finishes in a wonderful 2024 campaign. His brilliant play earned him a PGA TOUR top-50 ranking and a spot in the 2025 Masters. While not a favorite to capture this year’s green jacket, many of us expect him to play well.
Notably, Greyserman is part of a threesome of Jersey-born and raised Gen Z’ers who have stormed the PGA Tour in the past year, along with Chris Gotterup and Ryan McCormick. While Greyserman owns the sole Augusta invitation to date, don’t be surprised to see a stronger Garden State presence in the Masters in the near future.
History suggests that while the path may be uneven and a return to 1930s and ‘40s dominance is not likely, the next great Jersey moment at the Masters may be just around the corner.
For more information on New Jersey golf, go to Remarkable Stories of New Jersey Golf, www.njgolfstories.com, or contact the author directly at kevincasey36@gmail.com.
