Masters crystal awards a unique gift for players

Kevin Chappell made an eagle the first time he ever played a round in competition at The Masters. Patrick Reed, though, needed 134 holes at Augusta National to get his first. But in each case, their reaction was the same. “I think that was the first thing I thought was oh, I get crystal, you know, not that I went to 3 under par for the tournament,â€� Chappell recalls. “It was, oh, I get crystal.â€� Reed, who was playing in his third Masters, had begun to wonder if he’d ever make an eagle on the famed Alister Mackenzie layout. But once he realized he’d broken the drought, the Texan’s thoughts wandered. “I was like, wait a second, I think I get a surprise for that,â€� Reed says with a grin. “But I had to double check cause I didn’t know if it was for eagle or just holes-in-one, and they said it was for eagles, which was awesome.â€� While not as iconic as the Green Jacket that goes to the champion, the crystal given for what the Masters media guide refers to as “outstanding featsâ€� still is a pretty nice parting gift. The custom began in 1954. Until 1963, eagles were rewarded with a pair of crystal highball glasses. From there until 2011 any player making an eagle received two crystal goblets. Now it’s highball glasses again. A vase is given to the player shooting the low round of the day and a large bowl is the award for a hole-in-one. Double eagles – there have only been four, most recently by Louis Oosthuizen in 2012 – also receive a large logoed bowl. The first albatross in the crystal “eraâ€� was made by Bruce Devlin at the eighth hole in the first round of 1967 tournament. But it was actually the second in Masters history. So chairman Clifford Roberts announced that Devlin would receive the crystal bowl – but that first one would be given retroactively to Gene Sarazan for his “Shot Heard Round the Worldâ€� in 1935. Crystal awards are also given away in Wednesday’s Par 3 Contest – a pedestal bowl to the winner, vases to any player who makes an ace and pitchers to those who get closest to the pin. The bounty arrives in the mail several months after the Masters has ended. Also in the box is a card that recognizes where the eagle or ace or double eagle was made, as well as in what round. “It’s a nice touch for an after-the-fact thing,â€� says Chappell, who holed out from the fairway at No. 7 for his second set of crystal. “So often one person leaves with the trophy, right? Or maybe second place gets a medal or whatever it is. So it’s nice to have a memory.â€� Reed agrees. “When it came in the mail and you get that crystal, it’s just kind of one of those memories you’re going to have for the rest of your life,â€� he says. Chappell, who has made an eagle in both of his Masters appearances, says he keeps the crystal in a box with his china. He’s shown it to several of his friends who are golf fanatics and even sipped a cocktail once from the highball glass. “We don’t really have a room assigned for golf memorabilia in my house, but maybe one day when kids are older, it’s stuff that they would keep along with your tournament badges and stuff like that,â€� Chappell says. Reed also has sipped from his glasses, which he also keeps in a case with the family’s other fine china. But his beverage of choice is a simple one. “Anytime you can have a drink of out one, it’s awesome,â€� Reed says. “I’ve had a lot of sweet tea out of them, which is, being a Texan and being from down south, it just feels fitting.â€� Not that just anyone gets to use one of those crystal highball glasses with the Augusta National logo on them, though. “Those are daddy’s,â€� Reed chuckles. “Daddy gets to drink out of those only.â€� Davis Love III has more Masters crystal than most, although Jack Nicklaus, with 24 eagles sets the standard. Love’s most recent crystal came for the ace he made at the 16th hole on Sunday in 2016 but Love also has 9 sets of goblets and six vases for the low round of the day. Oh, and he has silver medals and silver salvers for his runner-up finishes in 1995 and ’99. “I was hoping with my daughter and granddaughter caddying for me on the Par 3 that I was going to make a hole-in-one, win some crystal and have a moment with them,â€� Love recalls. “I waited it all the way to Sunday to get my Augusta crystal, but at least I got it.â€� Interestingly, Love’s father also received a crystal vase after he shot a 69 to lead the Masters in 1964, a tournament Arnold Palmer went on to win. Love was born the following Monday. His father’s vase was among the artifacts Love donated to the World Golf Gall of Fame when he was inducted last year. He also gave them the vase he received after closing with a 66 to finish second to Ben Crenshaw in 1995, saying at the ceremony that it was “unchangedâ€� from the one his dad won, a nod to the tradition of the game. Marc Leishman, who tied for fourth in 2013, has a vase for shooting the low round on opening day that year, as well as highball glasses for the eagle he made in 2017. “We’ve got a cabinet at home,â€� he says, adding he has never really thought about drinking from the glasses. “It’s just one of those things I put straight in there and never thought about touching. “When you get anything from Augusta National, it’s pretty cool.â€� But there could come a time when he might put the glasses to use. “Hopefully, we’ll be celebrating this year,â€� he smiled. “Drinking in the Green Jacket out of some Augusta National crystal.â€� What could be better?

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