In the 90 years since the Masters Tournament began, the value of its purse has rocketed.
The winner of the 1934 tournament, Horton Smith, won $1,500, or around $35,000 in today's money, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics. Compare that to last year's winner, Jon Rahm, who walked away with a cool $3.24 million, a record for the tournament.
The 2024 Masters Tournament tees off in Augusta, Georgia, on Thursday and concludes on Sunday. Its total purse — expected to be $18 million, as reported by USA Today — is the same as 2023, indicating this year's winner could also leave $3.24 million richer.
Large purses are now par for the course in golf, as top-level tournaments rack up mega media rights deals and step up their game to match LIV's elaborate events. The US Open increased its prize money to $20 million last year, with the winner earning $3.6 million, while the 2024 PGA Tour has a purse of more than $400 million, Golfweek reported.
But any winner will tell you that triumphing at the Masters is far more than the healthy payout. It's the experience of conquering a notoriously challenging course, walking the same verdant fairways as Bobby Jones, Arnold Palmer, and Jack Nicklaus, and feeling the weight of that much-coveted green jacket on your shoulders. And doing it all at one of the most exclusive golf clubs in the world.
Still, a $3 million paycheck isn't bad.
Here's who has won the tournament throughout history, how they won it, and how much money they earned.