Frequently Asked Questions About The Masters
How do you get tickets for the Masters?
"Masters Tickets can be applied for via The Masters Tournament website."
How much are Masters Tickets?
"The Masters Tournament Tickets cost $75 per day for Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday's Practice Days. The Tournament Days of Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday are $115 per day."
When can you apply for Masters Tickets?
"Firstly, you need to register on The Masters Tournament website, be over 21 years old and only 1 application is allowed per household. The ballot for tickets is highly competitive with people waiting decades for tickets."
What golf courses can you play near Augusta?
"Playing Augusta National is just a dream for most but there are some great courses nearby, West Lake Country Club and The River Club are within 15 minutes from Augusta while The Oconee, The National, The Preserve, The Landing and Great Waters at Reynolds Lake Oconee are just an hours drive away."
Where should I stay for The Masters?
"Whilst many golfers stay in Augusta itself for The Masters, there are many great locations within easy reach. Aiken in South Carolina is around 30 minutes away, whilst Columbia, also in South Carolina is around 60 minutes from Augusta National. Other options include Athens in Georgia which is around 90 minutes drive from Augusta."
Can you take your phone in to The Masters?
"Mobile phones and other electronic devices are strictly prohibited on the grounds at all times. Cameras are permitted during practice round days but not during the tournament rounds."
Can you bring your own chair to the Masters?
"Masters chairs are sold in the merchandise tent but you can bring your own collapsible chair that does not have armrests. Something that is uniqiue to The Masters is the fact that you can place your chair next to a green or tee box and leave it, that is your position secured for the day."
The 2022 Masters - a recap
Scottie Scheffler claimed a 3-shot victory over Rory McIlroy to claim The 86th Masters Tournament and his 1st Major Championship.
While Tiger Woods returning to professional golf took the majority of the headlines, it was Scheffler's calm performance under pressure that took the plaudits as he closed out to win The Green Jacket at Augusta National.
Australian Cameron Smith started with two birdies to reduce Scheffler's lead to just 1 but after a chip-in birdie 3 on the par-4 3rd hole, Scheffler never looked back, holing crucial putt after crucial putt and answering any question asked of him.
Rory McIlroy set the clubhouse lead on -7 having completed his final round of 64 including a stunning holed bunker shot on the 18th for birdie.
Scheffler could even afford to finish with a 4-putt double-bogey on the 18th and still walk off with a 3-shot victory over McIlroy courtesy of 4 birdies in his final round with a solitary bogey on 10 and double on 18. Scheffler took home $2.7 million as the winner.
The 2021 Masters - a recap
Hideki Matsuyama became the first Japanese male golfer to win a Major in claiming the Green Jacket at The Masters Tournament.
His score of 10 under par was enough to claim a one-shot victory over Masters debutant Will Zalatoris. Matsuyama held off challenges on the final day from past Masters Champion Jordan Spieth, Xander Schauffele, Jon Rahm, Justin Rose and Marc Leishman. Hideki was able to claim his maiden Major title despite bogeying 3 out of the last 4 holes in his final round of 73 (one over par). The back nine at Augusta National provided yet more drama with plenty of bogies, birdies and even a triple bogey as the contest for the 2021 Masters looked like it was going to move from Matsuyama's grasp.
Perhaps the biggest drama was found on the 15th and 16th holes. The par-5 15th hole has been a regular birdie opportunity for the players but Matsuyama found himself full of adrenaline and saw his approach fly the green finding the water beyond the green. The resulting bogey was bettered by a birdie by Xander Schauffele who reduced Matsuyama's lead to just one shot. Game on. Up stepped Xander to the par-3 16th hole. With the pin in its traditional Sunday position on the left half of the green. The shot, as many fans have watched over the years, is just a little long and right of the flag with a bank ready to feed the ball back towards the hole. Xander stepped up, an 8-iron selected for the 180 yard shot. The sound didn't sound crisp. The tuft of turf that lifted up suggested it was a little fat. To Schauffele's shock it bounced short on the fringe and bounced left to find the water. The resulting triple bogey left Matsuyama with an extended lead and was able to finish bogey, par, bogey and still claim victory over Will Zalatoris who had already posted a two under par round of 70 for a -9 tournament total.
Matsuyama has now cemented his place in golfing history, a player who has performed fantastically on the PGA Tour for many years following a stellar amateur career.
The 2020 Masters - a recap
The rescheduled 2020 Masters was won by Dustin Johnson in emphatic style. Johnson's -20 total was not only a record for The Masters Tournament but also enough to claim a 5 shot victory from Australia's Cameron Smith and South Korea's Im Sung-Jae.
Prior to the event, the narrative was very much about how Bryson deChambeau's new found distance gains off the tee would turn the tournament into a one-horse race. The reality was very different. Bryson struggled, finishing the tournament on -2 with 63-year old, 2-time Masters Champion Bernhard Langer beating him by a shot, despite an average drive of 50-yards shorter.
This tournament will stand out in memory as it was the first time The Masters Tournament had been held in November, having been postponed due to COVID-19. Despite the change in season, the course looked its incredible self with lush greens framed by the flora that is synonymous with this corner of Georgia which graces our TV screens each year.
Johnson completed his wire-to-wire (leading or tied for the lead from the 1st round to the final round) victory with a round of 68 (-4), which was the tied lowest round on Sunday. This in itself was a remarkable feat given the changing conditions and pressure which had been placed upon his shoulders.
This was Johnson's 1st Masters title and 2nd Major Championship. As a South Carolina native, born in Columbia around an hour from Augusta National Golf Club, this victory was all the more sweeter and emotional for one of this era's most consistent and successful golfers. With over 20 PGA Tour victories and his 1st Green Jacket, Johnson will continue to wow crowds for years to come with his incredible ball-striking and scoring.
The 2019 Masters - a recap
Was The 2019 Masters Tournament the best ever?
Tiger Woods claimed his 5th Green Jacket, winning by 1 shot from Dustin Johnson, Brooks Koepka & Xander Schauffele. Woods' final round total of -13 included rounds of 70, 68, 67 & 70 which saw him win a Major from behind for the first time in his career. His 5th Masters title was also his 15th Major win which sees him climb to within 3 of Jack Nicklaus' record Major haul.
Woods' victory was courtesy of yet more drama on the back nine of Augusta National. Italy's Francesco Molinari held the lead through 11 holes before the par-3 12th claimed another victim as his tee-shot ended up in Rae's Creek. A birdie on the 13th saw Molinari tie for the lead once more before clipping a pine cone with his approach to the 15th which saw him find water once more.
Woods finished strongly with birdies on 13, 15 and 16 which was enough for a two-shot cushion playing the last hole. After finding himself out of position off the tee, he played short and right of the green which allowed a simple bogey and a victory which saw celebrations that Augusta National hasn't seen before. The chants of "Tiger, Tiger" certainly suggested that the crowd had got their favourite winner and the likes of Langer, Poulter, Thomas and Fowler all waiting to congratulate Tiger on his victory, suggested he was the choice of the pros as well. Following Tiger's victory in the 2019 Masters, he'll certainly be considered the golfer to beat in 2020 as he attempts to equal Jack Nicklaus' record total of 6 Masters victories.
The 2018 Masters - a recap
The expectation prior to the 2018 Masters was possibly higher than ever before with so many of golf’s best players in top form, not to mention the return of Tiger Woods. Rory McIlroy was eyeing his career grand slam, Phil Mickelson was out to prove the old guard still have it and Sergio Garcia was out to defend his green jacket from last year!
It certainly wasn’t short of drama, even before the official tournament started, patrons were provided with one of the most entertaining par-3 contests ever. Not only did Jack Nicklaus watch his grandson hit an ace on the 9th hole but Tony Finau, a debutant at Augusta, also hit a hole-in-one. The drama doesn’t end there though, in his celebrations Finau dislocated his ankle and proceeded to pop it back into place and continue playing.
The first round saw Tiger Woods shoot a solid 73 while Sergio Garcia shocked the golfing world when he took 13 shots to complete the 15th hole, which he eagled last year on way to victory. The leader going into Friday was Jordan Spieth, who shot a magnificent 66 to show that his love affair with Augusta National was far from over.
As the weekend neared, Friday was yet another dramatic day with Spieth dropping shots and falling down the leaderboard while Patrick Reed zoomed to the top of the leaderboard, closely followed by Rory McIlory, Jon Rahm and even newcomers Li Hatotong and Tony Finau (yes, Tony Finau). As moving day arrived, we saw 2017 Masters champion, Sergio Garcia miss the cut, left to rue his disastrous opening day. Saturday saw golf fans realise Tiger Woods wasn’t going to be in contention and saw Patrick Reed continue at the top of the leaderboard, but closely followed by 2016 Ryder Cup foe Rory McIlory who shot a magnificent 65 to ensure he was in the final grouping on Sunday at The Masters.
Sunday at The Masters is always special and 2018 didn’t disappoint. Tiger Woods finished his Augusta comeback with a 69, to the delight of the patrons and what would be a sign of things to come as he continued to improve ahead of his Tour Championship victory in September, while Paul Casey nearly broke records with a magnificent 65, including two bogeys on 17 and 18. The main event however soon lost its edge as McIlroy started horrifically and failed to mount any real final day challenge and still chasing that career grand slam. With Reed seemingly running away with it, both Jordan Spieth and Rickie Fowler both did themselves justice, with the former shooting a 64 with nine birdies to show why he can never be discounted at Augusta. With a lot to do on Sunday to catch the leading pack, Fowler did just that by shooting a brilliant 67 and getting the crowd going with a strong finish, although despite beating Reed by four shots on the final day, it wasn’t to be enough as Patrick Reed was the man donning the coveted green jacket at the end of play.
The 2017 Masters - a recap
The 2017 Masters was one that went right down to the wire with Spain's Sergio Garcia triumphing over England's Justin Rose in a sudden-death playoff after tieing on -9 after 72 holes. Garcia's birdie on the 1st playoff hole was enough to secure his maiden Major victory and joining the likes of Seve Ballesteros and Jose Maria-Olazabal as Spanish winners of the famed Green Jacket.
Garcia's win was a popular one, considered by many to be the best-player-never-to-have-won-a-major, the win was his 1st in 74 attempts. With 3 previous top-10's at Augusta, Garcia had shown form but many would've backed Rose who has enjoyed success in recent years at The Masters. He finished in a tie for 2nd in 2015 trying to chase a record-breaking Jordan Spieth as well as a tie for 10th in 2016 but was left to rue a missed chance in 2017 as Garcia claimed the title. The win went onto add extra significance for Sergio who named his first-daughter who was born in 2018 Azalea, the name of the 13th hole at Augusta National.
The Masters, it seems, never fails to deliver and in all likelihood will be the tournament to watch.
The Masters was started by Clifford Roberts and Bobby Jones, who designed Augusta National with legendary course architect Alister MacKenzie, but at first one of the world's most famous and beautiful golf courses was nothing more than 365 acres of simple farming land. Due to the foresight of Bob Jones and Clifford Roberts, Fruitlands Nurseries purchased the land for $70,000 in 1931 and it is now home to the revered Augusta National Golf Course.
After the course was completed, its creators came up with the idea of organizing an annual tournament drawing all the best players from across the world. For the first five years of the tournament, it was called the Augusta National International Tournament but in 1939, its name changed to The Masters.
In line with the other majors, winning the Masters gives a golfer several privileges which make his career more secure. Masters champions are automatically invited to play in the other three majors (the U.S. Open, The Open Championship, and the PGA Championship) for the next five years, and earn a lifetime invitation to the Masters. They also receive membership on the PGA Tour for the following five seasons and invitations to The Players Championship for five years. In 2015 the prize fund was US$10 million.
European players collected eleven victories in twenty years in the 1980s and 1990s, by far the strongest streak they have had in any of the three majors played in the United States since the early days of the U.S Open. Jack Nicklaus became the oldest player to win the Masters in 1986 when he won for the sixth time at age 46. In 1997, headlines were made around the world when Tiger Woods won the Masters by twelve shots at age twenty-one. Jose Maria Olazabal was the last European to win the Masters in 1999.
Like many other courses, Augusta National's championship set-up has been lengthened in recent years. In 1998, it measured approximately 6,925 yards from the Masters tees but in 2006 it was almost 500 yards longer at 7,445 yards. As well as the course being extended, the teeing positions have been altered. Some experts predict that Augusta may now play as many as three shots more following the changes, which would be approved by Jones and Roberts, whose vision was to challenge the best players in the game of golf.
Augusta National Golf Club
