The Champion’s Pot Keeps Growing at Masters

The winner of the 2023 Masters Tournament will pocket a record-tying purse of $2.7 million.

That’s the same amount won last year by Scottie Scheffler, who’ll seek to defend his Masters title starting Thursday at Augusta National Golf Club.

Last year’s total purse was $15 million. Runner-up Rory McIlroy earned $1.62 million. The top 10 finishers earned at least $390,000.

More on the creeping inflation of Masters winner’s purses over the decades:

• Tiger Woods was the first Green Jacket winner to crack the $2 million mark for finishing first. He collected $2,070,000 (before inflation) for winning his fifth Green Jacket in 2019.
• Back in 2001, Woods was also the first to make over $1 million for winning the tournament. He earned $1,008,000 – then took home the same amount when he repeated as champ in 2002.
• In 1984, Ben Crenshaw was the first Masters champion to earn a $100,000 payday. He took home $108,000 for winning in the first of his two Green Jackets.
• The first tournament winner, Horton Smith, won $1,500 in 1934. In today’s dollars, $32,759.33. The following eight winners earned the same amount.

Money isn’t everything. The chance to etch their name in golf history by winning the coveted Green Jacket is more important.

As the legendary Ben Hogan said, “If the Masters offered no money at all, I would be here trying just as hard.”