Mark O'Meara (Stats | Bio) and Bernhard Langer have a little bit of history on their side as they enter the final round of the Masters Tournament today. Both own green jackets and both won on Easter Sunday.

O'Meara won in 1998, the most recent tournament held during Holy Week, and Langer won his second Masters on Easter in 1993 (his other win came in 1985).

Heading into today's final round, Langer is in a better position than O'Meara to win his second Easter Masters. The 46-year-old Langer shot 3-under-par 69 Saturday to move to 3-under par for the tournament. Langer is tied for fourth, three shots behind the leaders.

O'Meara fell to 2-over par after shooting 75 on Saturday.

When Langer first won the Masters in 1985, he was not a Christian. In 1993, he was.

"It was the most meaningful victory in my whole career so far. ... To a Christian, Easter Sunday means everything," Langer said.

This year marks the 14th time the Masters has fallen on Easter in 68 tournaments. Masters Sunday and Easter Sunday are a likely pair because the Masters is played the first full week of April and Easter falls on the Sunday following the Paschal full moon, which always occurs between March 22 and April 25.

Twelve champions have been crowned on the holiday. In 1966, Jack Nicklaus (Stats | Bio) needed an 18-hole playoff the day after Easter to claim his third green jacket and second in a row.

Previous Easter champions include Fuzzy Zoeller (Stats | Bio) in 1979, Tom Watson (Stats | Bio) in 1977, Gary Player (Stats | Bio) in 1974 and Arnold Palmer (Stats | Bio) 's first win in 1958. Jimmy Demaret is the only two-time Easter Masters champion, winning in 1947 and 1950.

Kirk Triplett (Stats | Bio) , who shot 3-under par Saturday to move to 2-under par for the tournament, said he'll be at church at some point today, though "some people will say this is a church out here."

Jeff Sluman (Stats | Bio) said it's tough to make it to church on the final day of the Masters because players either draw too early a tee time to make church, or so late a time they want to rest instead of getting up to go to an early service. Sluman dropped to 9-over par through three rounds after shooting 82 on Saturday.

While some point out that Augusta National Golf Club has an Easter feel to it with all the flowers, Augusta native Charles Howell had a little bit different opinion.

"It will make you say bad things, this golf course will," said Howell, who did not play well Saturday, shooting 76 to go 2-over for the tournament.

"That's not Eastery."

Easter Sunday
The final round has been played on Easter 13 times:

Year Winner 1947 Jimmy Demaret
1950 Jimmy Demaret
1955 Cary Middlecoff
1958 Arnold Palmer (Stats | Bio)
1966 Jack Nicklaus (Stats | Bio) *
1968 Bob Goalby (Stats | Bio)
1971 Charles Coody (Stats | Bio)
1974 Gary Player (Stats | Bio)
1977 Tom Watson (Stats | Bio)
1979 Fuzzy Zoeller (Stats | Bio)
1982 Craig Stadler (Stats | Bio)
1993 Bernhard Langer
1998 Mark O'Meara (Stats | Bio)
* - won Monday playoff

Reach Kristy Shonka at (706) 823-3219 or kristy.shonka@augustachronicle.com.