- Jon Rahm won the Masters and the famous green jacket.
- Rahm gets to hold on to it for a year, but he must ask permission to wear it in public.
Jon Rahm rallied to win the Masters and his first green jacket, but now comes the hard part — following all of Augusta National's rules for the iconic blazer.
The Masters green jacket is one of the most recognizable awards in sports, and winning one is every golfer's dream. But the tournament winners don't actually own it, and they get to keep it for only a short period.
Rahm gets to keep the jacket for only a year
The most well-known rule pertaining to the green jacket is that the winner gets to hold on to it for only a year. At the end of his year as the reigning champion, the winner must return the jacket to Augusta National, and subsequently, Rahm will be able to wear it only while at the course.
Furthermore, one anonymous past winner of the Masters told Evan Rothman of Golf that during the player's year with the jacket, any public appearances must be approved by the club.
"You have to request permission to do that," the golfer said. "You don't want it to be seen in places that don't fit in with Augusta's traditions. It's a symbol."
Rahm recently explained to Golf.com that he had to sign documents agreeing to the rules of the jacket, such as it cannot be worn with shorts or jeans, and he can't drink alcohol while wearing it.
"It's complicated," Rahm said. "The jacket can't make a public appearance without [the club] knowing. They don't like to be surprised so they need to give approval for everything. I can't be photographed with the jacket and having alcohol. It just goes on and on."
Presumably, Patrick Reed did not get permission before wearing his green jacket to Chick-fil-A in 2018.
The jacket given to Rahm on Sunday was just a placeholder
While it has become a familiar spectacle in sports to see somebody quickly engraving names on a trophy seconds after a championship is sealed, it's much more difficult to tailor a jacket for the Masters winner that quickly.
Instead, during the ceremony immediately after the tournament, a first-time winner is presented with the jacket of a member who's about the same size, according to Golf. The club then crafts a jacket for the winner that he will take home.
Rahm does not own the jacket
While the new green jacket will always be Rahm's, in the eyes of the club, it's forever its property.
The company that owns the golf course has successfully stopped jackets from reaching the auction block, arguing that they were removed from the club without permission.
In one lawsuit filed by the club in 2017, it outlined its case for ownership of the jackets in court documents seen by The Augusta Chronicle:
The jacket may not be removed from the Augusta National grounds except during the first year after it is presented, according to the lawsuit. After that first year, the jacket must be stored on Augusta National premises and can only be used on the grounds and during the annual tournament. Augusta National said it owns the jackets, and the champions have "possessory rights" when they're on Augusta National grounds.
In addition, according to a 2019 filing with the US Patent and Trademark Office, Augusta National declared that the jackets "cannot be sold or given to third parties under any circumstances."
The last green jacket successfully auctioned off was the one belonging to Horton Smith, the first winner of the Masters, in 1934. His jacket went for $682,000 in 2013.
Rahm will almost certainly never get another green jacket
And if Rahm goes on to win another Masters, he won't get a second green jacket, despite what the headlines will say. Instead, he would be presented with his first jacket again.
The Masters media guide says, "Multiple winners will have only one green jacket unless his size drastically changes."
For example, Tiger Woods has won the Masters five times, but he likely still has just one green jacket.
Rahm does get to keep a replica of the Masters trophy, which includes the names of every winner and runner-up, as well as a 3.4-inch-diameter gold medallion.