At the beginning of 2011, Augusta National Golf Club and Masters Tournament Chairman Billy Payne announced the formation of the Masters Tournament Foundation – a charitable extension of the Tournament designed to annually invest in development programs for the game of golf worldwide. Said Payne, "The establishment of the Masters Tournament Foundation is central to fulfilling our responsibility of supporting the game's continuous growth around the world," Payne said. "This tradition, shaped by our Founders Bobby Jones and Clifford Roberts, is the cornerstone of the Foundation's important commitment."
The Foundation now serves as the vehicle whereby the Masters will further support its golf development goals and reach a broader audience. Efforts already include:
- Co-founding of the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship in 2009 with the Asia-Pacific Golf Confederation and The R&A
- Co-founding the Drive, Chip and Putt Championship in 2013 with the United States Golf Association and The PGA of America
- Co-Founding the Latin America Amateur Championship in 2014 with The R&A and the United States Golf Association
- Sustained significant monetary contributions to The First Tee and major golf organizations around the world.
In addition, the Masters Tournament also strives to engage and excite a global audience of existing and potential golfers of all ages. These efforts include a television broadcast distributed to more than 200 countries worldwide, the Junior Pass Program, televising Wednesday's Par 3 Contest and the advancement of digital technology offerings on Masters.com.
