Recap of the 2026 Masters Tournament

Kaitlyn Nielsen | Sports Editor

Picture description. / Photo by 'username', licensed by Envato.com.

Social media has been overrun by white and green color-themed posts. From what to wear videos to food reviews, people are obsessed with The Master’s. A humble tournament that began in 1934 has now become a coveted event where people buy for the chance to walk on the green grasses down in Augusta, Georgia. 

The tournament was created by Bobby Jones and Clifford Roberts. Bobby Jones was a great amateur golfer who, following his retirement in 1930, wanted to create a golf course. Clifford Roberts was his hope. He was a NYC investment banker who had met Bobby Jones a couple of times during the 1920s. They had multiple conversations and really planned out the dream of having a golf course, and after consulting with other people, they decided to buy 365 acres of property called Fruitland Nurseries. After the property was built, the two decided to create a national membership for their golf club. The names Augusta National followed shortly after, and following their formal opening in January 1933, Jones and Roberts came up with the idea of the Masters. However, for the first five years of the tournament, its name was the Augusta National Invitation Tournament until it was eventually changed. 

Aside from the beginning of the tournament, what makes it so popular for fans and golfers alike? There are multiple factors that play into this tournament's success. For the golfers, the incentive is that it is part of the four men’s golf championship games. The tournaments are: The Masters in April, the PGA Championships in May, the US Opens in June, and finally, in July, The Open Championships. Playing in these tournaments takes years of dedication, playing in other tournaments, qualifying, and much more. To be a part of these tournaments is a win in itself for golfers; if you have the opportunity to win all four tournaments, you gain the title of Career Grand Slam. Aside from the title, the Masters maintains itself as an invitation-only type of tournament, with the winner being awarded a green jacket as well as a lifelong invitation. 

The golfers have their motivators, but what makes it so popular for fans and outsiders to the sport of golf? Well, it’s simple, tradition, and respect for the game. What does that mean, though?  The way the tournament has upheld its tradition is through its prices and cellphone policies. Sporting events in recent years have been known for having extremely high prices surrounding their concession stands. Having a bottle of water can cost upwards of $7, and don’t even think about alcohol prices. The Masters, however, have upheld their prices. Famous sandwiches like the pimento cheese sandwich cost $1.50, and a beer costs no more than $5. These prices being so drastically different compared to other sporting events have been noticed by fans and are a contributing factor to their love. 

With so many beloved fans coming every year to Augusta National, it has been challenging to maintain the feel of the coveted event. The way in which the owners have ensured the status of the event is by implementing two well-known policies, among many others. Those two consist of a lottery ticketing system and a no-phone policy. Now you might be questioning the no phone policy, because people go every year and post on social media all the fun events and attractions. But this policy is regarding the grounds and course of Augusta. During the tournament, Thursday through Sunday, all spectators must check their phones prior to entering. Only during practice rounds on Monday through Wednesday are people allowed to have their cellphones while on the course. While many patrons claim this move was made to maintain the atmosphere at the Masters. Others wonder if it's all a part of a larger marketing scheme. Without video content from a patron's view of the course online, it drives consumers to want to attend themselves. Which leads me to my next policy.

The way in which consumers obtain tickets is through a lottery ticketing system. Each year, individuals who are interested in attending The Masters must sign up through the official website for the chance to win. The process is very polished; only one individual is allowed to sign up per household due to all of the ticket demands. The entire lottery system reinforced the idea to fans of how coveted and important the event is; not everyone can attend. It is well known within the Masters fan club that you could be waiting for years before you are picked to attend. Furthermore, IF you get selected, depending on which round you will be attending, practice or tournament, they limit the number of tickets you can purchase. Allowing only four tickets for practice rounds and two tickets for the tournament. While this system seems unfair in some ways, it is all done to maintain the feel and atmosphere of the Masters, while also trying to maintain the amount of demand they have for attendance. 

Aside from the consumer aspect of the Master, the real reason many attend is for the golf itself. The setup of the Masters is very interesting. The entire tournament is a 72-hole game, spanning four days. However, following the completion of Friday’s game, the Top 50 of the tournament are allowed to move forward and play the weekend. 

With all that being said, why was this year's Masters so monumental? Well, this year's tournament gave a more dramatic performance and finish than in recent years. At the start, last year's winner, Rory McIlroy, was crushing the course so much that he had a six-shot lead following the end of the first two rounds. Unfortunately for the 2025 winner, his odds at a repeat seemed bleak following the third round, where he managed to lose his lead. This allowed for key contenders such as Scottie Scheffler and Justin Rose to create a tense back-and-forth battle for first place. However, on the back of the ninth hole, McIlroy was able to once again gain control of the competition with clutch shots, winning by a single stroke to finish 12 under par. The consecutive Masters wins were monumental for the player, as only a few other legends, such as Tiger Woods and Jack Nicklaus, were able to accomplish back-to-back wins. For McIlroy, though, with victory comes complications. Opponents to the repeat questioned the fairness of McIlroy's win, considering he was able to spend a large majority of his year practicing on the Augusta course. However, the discourse surrounding that controversy has been quickly dismissed as McIlroy just using the amenities of his winnings. 

Overall, the Master remains a timeless tournament for its unique blend of tradition and elite competition. From the atmosphere to dramatic finishes seen from McIlroy, it remains a defining symbol of golf at its highest level.