Masters winner's prize money by year history: Winner share went from $1,500 in 1934 to $3.6M in 2026.
Since it first started in 1934 until last year, the first-place prize money at the Masters has increased more than 226,000 percent.
It sort of boggles the mind in those terms but the numbers are the numbers: When Horton Smith won the what was then called the Augusta National Invitation Tournament, he was awarded a prize of $1,500. In 2025, when Rory Mcllroy won the Masters Tournament, he earned $3,600,000.
The money has changed quite dramatically over the 88 years of the tournament. The total purse and first-place money for the 2025 Masters has not been announced yet but the winner's share has gone up for three consecutive years. In all, the top prize has increased 53 of those 88 years.
How Masters winner share, prize money payouts have increased through the years
1934: $1,500
The inaugural event featured a $5,000 purse and $1,500 winner's share, which went to Smith. Those amounts stayed the same for the first five playings of the tournament.
1946: $2,500
The Masters to be played after three-year hiatus during World War II saw Herman Keiser take home a $2,500 prize.
1958 - $11,250
Arnold Palmer took home the first five-figure payday.
1984: $108,000
Masters money reached six figures in the mid-80s with Ben Crenshaw the first to claim that milestone. A 60-foot birdie putt on No. 10 highlighted his final-round 68.
1989: $200,000
Just five years later and the top prize had nearly doubled, with Nick Faldo winning the first of his three green jackets.
1998: $576,000
The first time the winner got more than a half a million dollars is when Mark O'Meara won the Masters in his 15th attempt, which was a then-record for most appearances before a victory.
2001: $1,008,000
Tiger Woods is the first Masters champ to clear a million bucks for winning at Augusta National.
2019: $2,070,000
Woods was also the first to earn a check for more than $2 million at Augusta.
2023: $3,240,000
Jon Rahm is the Masters first $3 million man.
2025: $4,200,000
Rory McIlroy
Masters Prize payout history: first-place winner prize money share year-by-year, 1934-2026.
2026 Rory McIlroy — $22,500,000 — $4,500,000
2025 — Rory McIlroy — $21,000,000 — $4,200,000
2024 — Scottie Scheffler — $20,000,000 — $3,600,000
2023 — Jon Rahm — $18,000,000 — $3,240,000
2022 — Scottie Scheffler — $15,000,000 — $2,700,000
2021 — Hideki Matsuyama — $11,500,000 — $2,070,000
2020 — Dustin Johnson — $11,500,000 — $2,070,000
2019 — Tiger Woods — $11,500,000 — $2,070,000
2018 — Patrick Reed — $11,000,000 — $1,980,000
2017 — Sergio Garcia — $11,000,000 — $1,980,000
2016 — Danny Willett — $10,000,000 — $1,800,000
2015 — Jordan Spieth — $10,000,000 — $1,800,000
2014 — Bubba Watson — $9,000,000 — $1,620,000
2013 — Adam Scott — $8,000,000 — $1,440,000
2012 — Bubba Watson — $8,000,000 — $1,440,000
2011 — Charl Schwartzel — $8,000,000 — $1,440,000
2010 — Phil Mickelson — $7,500,000 — $1,350,000
2009 — Angel Cabrera — $7,500,000 — $1,350,000
2008 — Trevor Immelman — $7,500,000 — $1,350,000
2007 — Zach Johnson — $7,418,464 — $1,305,000
2006 — Phil Mickelson — $7,000,000 — $1,260,000
2005 — Tiger Woods — $7,000,000 — $1,260,000
2004 — Phil Mickelson — $6,000,000 — $1,117,000
2003 — Mike Weir — $6,000,000 — $1,080,000
2002 — Tiger Woods — $5,600,000 — $1,008,000
2001 — Tiger Woods — $5,600,000 — $1,008,000
2000 — Vijay Singh — $4,600,000 — $828,000
1999 — Jose Maria Olazabal — $4,000,000 — $720,000
1998 — Mark O’Meara — $3,200,000 — $576,000
1997 — Tiger Woods — $2,700,000 — $486,000
1996 — Nick Faldo — $2,500,000 — $450,000
1995 — Ben Crenshaw — $2,200,000 — $396,000
1994 — Jose Maria Olazabal — $2,000,000 — $360,000
1993 — Bernhard Langer — $1,700,000 — $306,000
1992 — Fred Couples — $1,500,000 — $270,000
1991 — Ian Woosnam — $1,350,000 — $243,000
1990 — Nick Faldo — $1,250,000 — $225,000
1989 — Nick Faldo — $1,000,000 — $200,000
1988 — Sandy Lyle — $1,000,000 — $183,800
1987 — Larry Mize — $867,100 — $162,000
1986 — Jack Nicklaus — $785,000 — $144,000
1985 — Bernhard Langer — $700,793 — $126,000
1984 — Ben Crenshaw — $612,900 — $108,000
1983 — Seve Ballesteros — $500,000 — $90,000
1983 — Seve Ballesteros — $500,000 — $90,000
1982 — Craig Stadler — $367,152 — $64,000
1981 — Tom Watson — $362,587 — $60,000
1980 — Seve Ballesteros — $359,949 — $55,000
1979 — Fuzzy Zoeller — $299,625 — $50,000
1978 — Gary Player — $262,402 — $45,000
1977 — Tom Watson — $280,477 — $40,000
1976 — Raymond Floyd — $200,000 — $40,000
1975 — Jack Nicklaus — $242,750 — $40,000
1974 — Gary Player — $229,549 — $35,000
1973 — Tommy Aaron — $224,825 — $30,000
1972 — Jack Nicklaus — $204,649 — $25,000
1971 — Charles Coody — $125,000 — $25,000
1970 — Billy Casper — $125,000 — $25,000
1969 — George Archer — $100,000 — $20,000
1968 — Bob Goalby — $100,000 — $20,000
1967 — Gay Brewer — $165,000 — $20,000
1966 — Jack Nicklaus — $100,000 — $20,000
1965 — Jack Nicklaus — $100,000 — $20,000
1964 — Arnold Palmer — $130,000 — $20,000
1963 — Jack Nicklaus — $112,500 — $20,000
1962 — Arnold Palmer — $110,000 — $20,000
1961 — Gary Player — $110,000 — $20,000
1960 — Arnold Palmer — $87,000 — $17,500
1959 — Art Wall Jr. — $75,000 — $15,000
1958 — Arnold Palmer — $60,000 — $11,250
1957 — Doug Ford — $45,000 — $8,750
1956 — Jack Burke Jr. — $30,000 — $6,000
1955 — Cary Middlecoff — $25,000 — $5,000
1954 — Sam Snead — $25,000 — $5,000
1953 — Ben Hogan — $20,000 — $4,000
1952 — Sam Snead — $20,000 — $4,000
1951 — Ben Hogan — $15,000 — $3,000
1950 — Jimmy Demaret — $12,000 — $2,400
1949 — Sam Snead — $11,000 — $2,750
1948 — Claude Harmon — $10,000 — $2,500
1947 — Jimmy Demaret — $10,000 — $2,500
1946 — Herman Keiser — $10,000 — $2,500
1942 — Byron Nelson — $5,000 — $1,500
1941 — Craig Wood — $5,000 — $1,500
1940 — Jimmy Demaret — $5,000 — $1,500
1939 — Ralph Guldahl — $5,000 — $1,500
1938 — Henry Picard — $5,000 — $1,500
1937 — Byron Nelson — $5,000 — $1,500
1936 — Horton Smith — $5,000 — $1,500
1935 — Gene Sarazen — $5,000 — $1,500
1934 — Horton Smith — $5,000 — $1,500
____
0 Comments