What Does the Winner of The Masters Tournament Get?
Winning The Masters Tournament is an achievement that brings the winner all kinds of prestige plus a place in golf history. But what about the more tangible benefits of winning The Masters — what about the prizes?
Here is a look at the prizes earned by the golfer who wins The Masters:
Lots and Lots of Money
When Scottie Scheffler won the 2022 Masters, his first-place prize money was $2,700,000. That's a lot of money! And it was a big increase over Hideki Matsuyama's winner's check after the 2021 Masters, which was $2,070,000. Both pale to the check the 2023 champ, Jon Rahm, won. Rahm was paid $3,240,000.This is the evolution of The Masters' first-place prize money in, mostly, 10-year increments:
- 1934: $1,500 to the winner
- 1940: $1,500
- 1950: $2,400
- 1960: $17,500
- 1970: $25,000
- 1980: $55,000
- 1990: $225,000
- 2000: $828,000
- 2010: $1,350,000
- 2020: $2,070,000
His Very Own Green Jacket
The Masters champion is presented with Augusta National's iconic Green Jacket during the post-tournament ceremony. The champ gets to keep his Green Jacket — take it home with him, take it anywhere he likes — for one year. He returns it to the club when he returns for the following year's Masters Tournament. After that, his Green Jackets stays on the premises, hanging in his champions' locker, and the champ can wear it whenever he is at the club.- Who was the first Masters champion to get the Green Jacket?
- Do Masters champions get to keep the Green Jacket?
His Name on the Trophy, Plus a Trophy Replica
The permanent Masters trophy is a 132-pound whopper depicting the Augusta National clubhouse, and it resides inside the Augusta clubhouse. Each year, the winner's name is engraved on a silver band that wraps around that trophy's base. The winner is also presented, for his keeping, a much smaller replica of that trophy.A Gold Medal
Giving a gold medal to the champion of each Masters Tournament dates back to the very first in 1934, when Horton Smith became the first Masters winner and first gold-medal recipient. The medal is almost 3½ inches in diameter and weighs 2.3 ounces. The medal depicts Founders Circle and the clubhouse. The words "Augusta National" appear around the top edge of the medallion, and the words "Golf Club" are along the bottom.Lifetime Entry to Future Masters Tournaments
A golfer who wins The Masters is invited back to every Masters played for the rest of that champion's life. That means a winner will always get to go to Augusta National Golf Club during tournament week, for as long as he is able or interested in doing so. The lifetime exemption also means you can continue playing in The Masters for as long as you like, or at least until your scores get so high an Augusta National poobah taps you on the shoulder and whispers, "Maybe it's time you stopped playing."Entry Into 'The Masters Club' (That Means Champions Dinner)
The Champions Dinner takes place every year on Tuesday of Masters week, a gathering open only to winners of the tournament. The defending champion gets to pick the menu for the dinner (and pay for it!). The attendees of the Champions Dinner — that group of winners — is formally referred to as "The Masters Club." Every Masters champion becomes a member of that club, and can attend the annual Champions Dinner.- When did The Masters' Champions Dinner begin, and who started it?
- 40+ years of Champions Dinner menus
Guaranteed Starts in Other Majors for 5 Years
The Masters champion receives 5-year exemptions into the other three professional majors — the PGA Championship, U.S. Open and British Open. This guarantees the Masters winner gets to play those majors for the next five years, even if he otherwise fails to meet another major's qualification criteria during that time.PGA Tour Membership for 5 Years
Most of the golfers in The Masters field don't actually need an exemption for five years of PGA Tour membership — they are among the best players in golf already, after all. But guaranteed membership is always nice. And if someone who is not yet a PGA Tour member, or someone who has struggled in the past to keep his card, were to win, this exemption would be a huge deal for them.Extra Points in World Rankings, FedEx Cup, Other Point Standings
Winning a major (not just The Masters) is always worth more world rankings points to a golfer, and more FedEx Cup points, as well. It's also worth more points in other rankings, such as the Ryder Cup point standings. In all of these ranking systems, extra emphasis is given to the biggest tournaments such as The Masters.Honorary Membership in Augusta National
No, winning The Masters does not make the golfer a member of Augusta National Golf Club. But it does get the golfer honorary membership, which is a nice feather in one's cap. It also means the golfer shouldn't have any trouble arranging a game at Augusta National if he's in the area at other times of year.Related articles:
