Augusta is gearing up for the 2024 Masters, and the current champ, Jon Rahm, will be hoping for back-to-back titles. If he wins the title again, he’ll join a list of just three players to win back-to-back Masters in 70 years.
When the 2024 Masters tees off on the 11th of April, several players will believe they’re in with a shout of winning the famous trophy and wearing the green jacket.
Last year’s winner, Rahm, is one of the players who’ll be hoping to win the Masters. His 2023 victory was his first Masters win and made him the fourth Spaniard to win the tournament. Rahm finished the tournament four strokes clear of Brooks Koepka and Phil Mickelson.
If Rahm can make it back-to-back Masters wins, he’ll join a list of just three players to win it two years in a row since the first Masters in 1934.
Last Back-To-Back Masters Winner
The last back-to-back winner was the legendary Tiger Woods. Woods won his first Masters title in 1997, aged 21. Four years later, in 2001, Woods claimed his second tournament win and made it back-to-back Masters, winning the title in 2002.
By winning the 2001 Masters, Woods became the first-ever player to hold all four trophies of the four professional majors. In doing so, he won what became known as the Tiger Slam.
After winning back-to-back titles, Woods went after a third consecutive title in the 2004 Masters. Woods couldn’t do what no other player has done before and make it three straight wins, finishing tied for 15th.
Woods managed to win two more Masters, one in 2005 and famously in 2019. In total, Woods has five titles, bettered only by Jack Nicklaus who has a record number of six Masters.
Who Else Has Won Back-To-Back Masters?
Woods is joined by two other greats of the games as players to win back-to-back masters. The first golfer to win back-to-back Masters is the man who has more Masters than anyone else, Nicklaus.
The American won his first of six Masters in 1963. Two years later, in 1965, he won the first part of his back-to-back. This victory was one of the most dominant in the history of the Masters, with Nicklaus nine strokes ahead of second place.
His 1966 win wasn’t as straightforward. Nicklaus finished tied with Tommy Jacobs and Gay Brewer but won the playoff to claim the green jacket for a second consecutive year.
After becoming the first player to win back-to-back titles, Nicklaus won the Masters again in 1972, 1975, and 1986. The six-time Masters winner is regarded as one of the greatest golfers of all time.
The other man to win back-to-back Masters is the English golfer, Nick Faldo. Faldo is one of only two English winners and one of only three players to win two in a row.
Faldo’s first win came in 1989 when he beat Scott Hoch in a sudden-death playoff. Hoch looked set to win but missed a 2-foot birdie on the first extra hole. Faldo went on to win the second playoff hole, putting a 25-footer under pressure.
The following year, Faldo once again had to go to a sudden-death playoff and again won on the second extra hole. This time, he beat Raymond Floyd to claim back-to-back titles.
Will Rahm Become The Fourth?
Although he’s not the favourite going into the tournament, Rahm has every chance of making it back-to-back wins. The Spaniard will want to get off to a good start and then pray luck is on his side.
Scottie Scheffler is the favourite coming into the tournament. He’s the world number one and recently won The Players Championship, making it two PGA tournament wins in 2024 and eight in total. He’s also a past winner of the tournament, winning in 2022.
Other players in with a shout of winning this year include Rory McIlroy, Koepka, Jordan Spieth, and Will Zalatoris. With such a great line up of players taking to the grass, Rahm will need to be at his best to make two in a row.
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