But one major factor that’s changed over the 92 years since the inaugural tournament is the payout for the winner.
“I play golf for a living. There’s nurses and teachers and they’re the ones that should be getting paid a lot more,” McIlroy said. “So, I just wouldn’t feel right at all saying that I get underpaid for playing a game for a living.”
Looking back, iconic golfer Arnold Palmer—namesake for the popular lemonade-iced-tea drink—was the first Masters winner to go home with a five-figure payout in 1958, according to Golfweek. By 1984, the winner’s payout reached six figures, but it wasn’t until 2001 that a Masters winner earned more than $1 million from the tournament: that honor went to Tiger Woods.
Although Ben Hogan earned just $3,000 for winning the 1951 Masters and $5,000 for the 1953 tournament, he famously said it was more about the game than the money.
A version of this story was originally published on Fortune.com on April 8, 2025.
