In 1990 golf was crying out for a "fifth major". Looking to fill this void with a tournament that the average golfing punter could relate to, Noni Scanlon decided to hold an annual event and called it the Mongrel Masters.

Many decisions made in the early days of the Tournament remain today. Among these are the bright coloured clothing, compulsory warm beers to be consumed on the first, third and fifth holes, 5.00am tee-off time and the relaxation of golf etiquette during the Tournament.

The first Tournament was held December 31, 1990, and beginning in 1994, the Masters was scheduled each year during the Christmas-New Year week in December. That first Tournament was played at Palm Beach Golf Club with a mere five competitors and won by Tournament host Noni Scanlon at age 26. In 1991 Scanlon successfully defended his title with a field of fifteen competitors and became the first champion to be presented with the blue tweed jacket.

Johno Johnson put an end to Noni Scanlon’s streak of victories to convincingly win the 1992 Mongrel Masters. This also signaled the end of the unseeded draw. From 1993 onwards all groupings would be seeded, with the least favoured players teeing off in the early groups and the favoured players placed in the final groups. This has led to exciting and memorable finishes, with players gathering around the final hole jeering on the ultimate winner in the final group.

1993 was the first of four Championships for Ramrod Ramsey. Ramsey’s win came from the Tournament’s first and only play off with Harold P Ouvrier. He successfully retained the title in 1994, by sinking a 30 m putt of the green to record the lowest winning score ever, in front of a national television audience. Ramsey running around the final green high fiving all the spectators sharing in his victory is one of the great images of the tournament’s history.

Due to the outbreak of disease to the Palm Beach greens, the 1995 Masters had to be hurriedly relocated to another links course on Sydney’s northern beaches, Long Reef. This tournament was as dirty as a bar room brawl and the ferociousness of the sledging had never been seen before and since. With a mind like a steel trap Harold P Ouvrier emerged the victor to finally shed the “bridesmaid” tag.

Noni Scanlon in 1996 led from start to finish to wear the blue tweed jacket for the third time and Ramrod Ramsey became the first player ever to be disqualified. The pressure of the Tournament becoming unbearable for him, preferring to walk into Pittwater with his clothes on and clubs hitched across his shoulders to cool his temper rather than finishing his round.

Ramrod Ramsey redeemed himself from the previous year’s disgrace to capture title number three in 1997. This year  also saw reigning Australian Masters champion and Mongrel Masters Patron, Peter Mozzie Lonard compete for just 2 holes before sighting sanity and withdrawing from the tournament. In 1998, Ramrod Ramsey broke the Tournament’s highest winning scoring record and became the Tournament’s most successful and oldest champion.

The 1999 Mongrel Masters, the tournament's tenth birthday, saw only the fifth name to be etched onto the auld trophy, when Red Colby finally  recorded a one stroke win.

2000, the  dawn of the new millennium ,heralded  rookie Robo Robertson as the Mongrel Masters champion. Controversy  clouded this tournament with Robo emerging victor from the unfashionable first group, (being the first ever to do so) and questions lingering about the legitimacy of the accuracy of some players scores.

Irishman and former rookie of the year, Lurch Hayden, became the first international player to win the tournament in 2001. After donning the  blue tweed at the Champions Dinner , Lurch renounced his Irish heraldry and proclaimed that he would be a nationalised Australian when defending the Masters.

The thirteenth Mongrel Masters proved to be an omen for the thirteenth ranked golfer in the world, Michael Cambo Campbell. Having been a Patron of the tournament for many years, Cambo finally made his debut. Heavily handicapped to using a three wood and nine iron, Cambo proved his class by winning the 2002 Mongrel Masters by one shot from Red Colby. Cambo became the fourth rookie to win the Masters and the first person ever to play in all five majors. 

With a record field of 22 competitors, 9 of whom were rookies, 2002 also saw Long Drive Cliffy's reign as the world's worst golfer come to an end when Ramrod Ramsey finished up at the tail of the field. Ramrod became the first ever former champion to win the Bradman Award for the highest score. Defending champion Lurch Hayden recorded the most pitiful title defense ever by scoring 20 strokes more than his 2001winning total, which saw him slide down the leader board to 20th. This was a  record one year turn around not only for defending champions but for all time.

The field for 2003 was weakened by the no show of defending champion Cambo Campbell. His withdrawal meant that he was the first Masters champion not to defend his title.

Despite this setback 2003 became one of the all time classics. For the second time a play off was required to determine the winner, with Butch Boyer, Red Colby and Chad Todd all carding +7 scores. This largest field for a play off  took only one hole to determine the victor. Butch Boyer, after a wayward tee shot, was able to scramble his way to the green and win the ensuing putting duel to become the ninth and oldest Mongrel Masters champion at 40years 5months  22days.

Noni Scanlon won the 2004 Mongrel Masters after shooting a record equaling highest winning score of 8 over. This was Scanlon's fourth victory and the record M$1 million winners cheque cemented his spot as the number one career money earner for the 15th year in succession. Scanlon's win also meant that he was the first player to have won the tournament in his 20's, 30's and 40's.

It was eleven attempts in the making but in 2006 Boxcar Willey's quest for the Mongrel Masters title finally ended. Although playing in one of the earlier groups, which many believe is a soft way through to victory, Boxcar silenced those critics, as he became only the third person ever to lead the Mongrel Masters from to start to finish.

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