Masters Prize Money 2018: Total Purse Info for Augusta National Golf Club
Although any golf major is accompanied by a sense of excitement, the buildup to the Masters is always the most intense.
As the first major of the year, fans of the sport will get to see the finest players in the world battle it out at one of the sport's plushest venues, the Augusta National Golf Course. And for the victor, not only is there a lucrative financial reward, there's also the iconic green jacket to don.
A year ago Sergio Garcia did exactly that, finally winning one of the big four events and rubber-stamping his position as a modern great of the game. On the cusp of the 2018 tournament, there are so many storylines set to unfurl.
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Here's a breakdown of the purse available to the players this week and a closer look at what to expect over four of the most captivating days in sport.
Purse
Per Business Insider, the purse for the 2018 competition will be $11 million (£7.8 million), the same amount as it was in 2017.
While the formal breakdown of the prize money is still to be revealed, Garcia took home $1.98 million (£1.4 million) after his win last year.
Green Jacket Up for Grabs at Augusta
The field at the 2018 Masters is one of the most open in recent years, with a number of players appearing to hit top form ahead of the tournament.
One of those is the favourite with plenty of bookmakers, Rory McIlroy. The Northern Irishman can clinch a Career Grand Slam with a victory this weekend, and although his form has been a little up and down this year, he was back at his best to win the Arnold Palmer Invitational in March.
Encouragingly for fans of the four-time major winner, McIlroy's putting appeared to be in fine shape in the triumph at Bay Hill—that could be crucial if the Augusta greens are to be conquered, per the Guardian's Kevin Mitchell:
However, the 28-year-old acknowledged how difficult the Masters is going to be to win.
"No one is owed anything, due anything, it's not my turn," he said, per Ewan Murray of the Observer. "It doesn't just magically fall into your lap. I'm not due anything, I don't deserve anything, everyone starts on an even playing field on Thursday morning."
That's because there are so many players in winning form as they gear up for the first major of the year, as noted by Jason Sobel of ESPN:
One of the most impressive performers in 2017 was Justin Thomas, after he clinched the final major of the year at the PGA Championship and also the FedEx Cup.
In the recent WGC-Mexico Championship, he was runner-up to Phil Mickelson, and he won the Honda Classic in February.
This will be only the third time Thomas has taken on the Augusta course, with his previous best finish being 22nd a year ago. He has made significant strides forward since then, but there's still a sense that the 24-year-old goes under the radar, as noted by the Golf Channel's David Feherty:
Jordan Spieth certainly won't; he's already earned a Masters win and finished in second place on two other occasions. If he plays to his best over the course of the four days, there isn't a player in the field capable of living with him around Augusta.
The Open champion hasn't quite been at his best as of late, though, with his usually immaculate putting a little out of sync, per the PGA Tour Twitter account:
In addition, Mickelson, a three-time Masters winner, appears to be in the groove, while world No. 1 Dustin Johnson, having missed the tournament a year ago having slipped and hurt his back, will be determined to make amends for lost time.
And there's also a rejuvenated Tiger Woods to contend with. While he's yet to win this year, the iconic former world No. 1 is playing as well as he has done for many years. And with four green jackets in his wardrobe already, few can match his experience.
As relayed by the Golf Channel's Justin Ray, it would be fair to say Woods has commanded a lot of attention in the buildup to Day 1:
Garcia shouldn't be ruled out either after what has surely been the most memorable year of his career so far. After his win 12 months ago, the Spaniard got married and became a father for the first time.
The last man to win this competition in successive years was Woods, who donned the green jacket in 2001 and 2002.
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