Being victorious at the Masters is a feeling every golfer dreams of, getting to hoist the trophy and putting on the green jacket for one of the biggest tournaments in golf history.
This is an event that is played at one course and one course only. As a result, most winners come into Augusta National Golf Club with the needed experience to win on Sunday at the Masters (except for Horton Smith, Gene Sarazen and Fuzzy Zoeller in 1934, 1935 and 1979, who won on their first try, respectively).
The Masters is a place like any other as it fuels players for the first of four major tournaments during the year, now played in consecutive months.
Here’s a look at everything you need about winning the Masters.
Also read: The Masters FAQ: When, where and much more
What happens when you win the Masters
When a player wins the Masters, they not only receive a sum of money, but they also get a lifetime invite to play the Masters for as many years as they want. Basically, you could win the Masters at 25 years old and play in the event 40 years later, if you are able to.
The winner also receives the trophy, which depicts the clubhouse at Augusta National Golf Club that was first introduced in 1961. The victor also gets their name engraved on the permanent Masters trophy that remains at the club.
The Masters Champion also receives a gold medallion that is 3.4 inches in diameter and weighs 2.3 ounces, which gives a view of the Founders Circle in front of the clubhouse.
In addition to being in the Champions locker room at Augusta National Golf Club for the remainder of that player’s Masters career, the winner also receives the elusive green jacket.
Who won the Masters 2024?
In 2024, Scottie Scheffler won by four strokes over Ludvig Aberg by four strokes to win his second green jacket in three years. Scheffler recorded seven birdies in his final round to shoot 4-under 68 to become the 18th player in tournament history to win multiple Masters Tournaments and the fourth youngest, only behind Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods and Seve Ballasteros.
Scheffler is also the seventh World No. 1 to win the Masters and first since he put on the green jacket two years ago. Other Masters Champions and to be No. 1 in the Official World Golf Ranking include Dustin Johnson, Tiger Woods, Fred Couples and Ian Woosman.
Related: Winners and losers from all four days of the 2024 Masters, Final Leaderboard
Who has won the most Masters?
The player with the most Masters Championship trophies and green jackets belongs to Jack Nicklaus, who won at Augusta National six times over a 23-year stretch.
Beginning in 1963, it marked a stretch of winning the Masters three times in a four-year stretch, including becoming the first back-to-back winner in 1965 and 1966, highlighted by lapping the field and winning by nine strokes in 1965.
In 1972, Nicklaus became the second player in tournament history to win the Masters four times, joining Arnold Palmer as he was the only player in the field to shoot under par for the tournament at 2-under par.
Three years later, he had to score more than 2-under to win the Masters in 1975 as he shot 12-under par, which was fueled by a second round 5-under 67 and a 40-foot birdie putt on the 16th in the final round to seal the victory in a thriller to win a record-breaking fifth green jacket.
Although Nicklaus would not go on to win the Masters for another 11 years, it is not like he completely fell off. Understanding that it was still major tournament golf, Nicklaus record five top-10s in the following six years after his 1975 crown. Outside of a T33 in 1980 and withdrawal in 1983, the Golden Bear finished no worse than 18th before his sixth Masters win in 1986, a record that still holds to this day.
The 1986 Masters was an unforgettable one as Nicklaus fired a 7-under 65 in the final round, highlighted by an eagle-birdie-birdie streak on hole Nos. 15, 16 and 17 to defeat Tom Kite and Greg Norman by one stroke.
Related: Where Jack Nicklaus six Masters Championships ranks on the all-time major victories list
Who won the Masters 2023
In 2023, Jon Rahm defeated Brooks Kopeka by four strokes to win his first green jacket. Rahm got off to a hot start with a 7-under 65 before firing a final 3-under 69 to hoist the trophy.
Rahm became the fourth Spaniard to win the Masters 40 years after Seve Ballesteros won this event for his second green jacket in 1983.
Also read: Takeaways from each round of the Masters in 2023, including how Jon Rahm ascended to the top
Has Brooks Koepka won the Masters?
Brooks Koepka has not won the Masters, despite finishing as the runner-up in 2023. He was also the runner-up in 2019. His next best finish at Augusta National Golf Culb was a seventh-place finish in 2021.
Who won the Masters 2022
Scottie Scheffler won the Masters in 2022, capping off four wins in six starts. He used a 5-under 67 in the second round to give him the cushion he needed to hoist the trophy on Sunday for his first major victory.
Related: Golf world reacts to Scottie Scheffler winning the Masters in 2022
Who was the youngest winner of the Masters
The youngest winner of the Masters is Tiger Woods, who was 21 years, 3 months and 14 days in his first professional start at Augusta in 1997. That year, he shot 18-under par and won by 12 strokes, which is the largest margin of victory.
That was Woods’ first of five green jackets he would receive as he would go on to also become the third player in tournament history to go back-to-back in 2001 and 2002, joining Nicklaus and Nick Faldo.
Jordan Spieth is the only other golfer to win the Masters at 21 years old. However, when he won in 2015, he was five months older than Woods when he won 18 years before.
The two other golfers to win the Masters before turning the age of 25 were Ballesteros in 1980 when he was 23 years and four days, and Nicklaus in 1963 when he was 23 years, 2 months and 17 days.
List of Masters Winners
| Year | Name | Score |
| 1934 | Horton Smith | 284 (-4) |
| 1935 | Gene Sarazen | 282 (-6)* |
| 1936 | Horton Smith | 285 (-3) |
| 1937 | Byron Nelson | 283 (-5) |
| 1938 | Henry Picard | 285 (-3) |
| 1939 | Ralph Guldahl | 279 (-9) |
| 1940 | Jimmy Demaret | 280 (-8) |
| 1941 | Craig Wood | 280 (-8) |
| 1942 | Byron Nelson | 280 (-8)* |
| 1943-1945: Masters cancelled due to WWII | ||
| 1946 | Herman Keiser | 282 (-6) |
| 1947 | Jimmy Demaret | 281 (-7) |
| 1948 | Claude Harmon | 279 (-9) |
| 1949 | Sam Snead | 282 (-6) |
| 1950 | Jimmy Demaret | 283 (-5) |
| 1951 | Ben Hogan | 280 (-8) |
| 1952 | Sam Snead | 286 (-2) |
| 1953 | Ben Hogan | 274 (-14) |
| 1954 | Sam Snead | 289 (+1)* |
| 1955 | Cary Middlecoff | 279 (-9) |
| 1956 | Jack Burke Jr | 289 (+1) |
| 1957 | Doug Ford | 283 (-5) |
| 1958 | Arnold Palmer | 284 (-4) |
| 1959 | Art Wall Jr. | 284 (-4) |
| 1960 | Arnold Palmer | 282 (-6) |
| 1961 | Gary Player | 280 (-8) |
| 1962 | Arnold Palmer | 280 (-8)* |
| 1963 | Jack Nicklaus | 286 (-2) |
| 1964 | Arnold Palmer | 276 (-12) |
| 1965 | Jack Nicklaus | 271 (-17) |
| 1966 | Jack Nicklaus | 288 (E)* |
| 1967 | Gay Brewer Jr. | 280 (-8) |
| 1968 | Bob Goalby | 277 (-11) |
| 1969 | George Archer | 281 (-7) |
| 1970 | Billy Casper Jr. | 279 (-9)* |
| 1971 | Charles Coody | 279 (-9) |
| 1972 | Jack Nicklaus | 286 (-2) |
| 1973 | Tommy Aaron | 283 (-5) |
| 1974 | Gary Player | 278 (-10) |
| 1975 | Jack Nicklaus | 276 (-12) |
| 1976 | Raymond Floyd | 271 (-17) |
| 1977 | Tom Watson | 276 (-12) |
| 1978 | Gary Player | 277 (-11) |
| 1979 | Fuzzy Zoeller | 280 (-8)* |
| 1980 | Seve Ballesteros | 275 (-13) |
| 1981 | Tom Watson | 280 (-8) |
| 1982 | Criag Stadler | 284 (-4)* |
| 1983 | Seve Ballesteros | 280 (-8) |
| 1984 | Ben Crenshaw | 277 (-11) |
| 1985 | Bernhard Langer | 282 (-6) |
| 1986 | Jack Nicklaus | 279 (-9) |
| 1987 | Larry Mize | 285 (-3)* |
| 1988 | Sandy Lyle | 281 (-7) |
| 1989 | Nick Faldo | 283 (-5)* |
| 1990 | Nick Faldo | 278 (-10)* |
| 1991 | Ian Woosnam | 277 (-11) |
| 1992 | Fred Couples | 275 (-13) |
| 1993 | Bernhard Langer | 277 (-11) |
| 1994 | Jose Maria Olazabal | 279 (-9) |
| 1995 | Ben Crenshaw | 274 (-14) |
| 1996 | Nick Faldo | 276 (-12) |
| 1997 | Tiger Woods | 270 (-18) |
| 1998 | Mark O’Meara | 279 (-9) |
| 1999 | Jose Maria Olazabal | 280 (-8) |
| 2000 | Vijay Singh | 278 (-10) |
| 2001 | Tiger Woods | 272 (-16) |
| 2002 | Tiger Woods | 276 (-12) |
| 2003 | Mike Weir | 281 (-7)* |
| 2004 | Phil Mickelson | 279 (-9) |
| 2005 | Tiger Woods | 276 (-12)* |
| 2006 | Phil Mickelson | 281 (-7) |
| 2007 | Zach Johnson | 289 (+1) |
| 2008 | Trevor Immelman | 280 (-8) |
| 2009 | Angel Cabrera | 276 (-12)* |
| 2010 | Phil Mickelson | 272 (-16) |
| 2011 | Charl Schwartzel | 274 (-14) |
| 2012 | Bubba Watson | 278 (-10)* |
| 2013 | Adam Scott | 279 (-9)* |
| 2014 | Bubba Watson | 280 (-8) |
| 2015 | Jordan Spieth | 270 (-8) |
| 2016 | Danny Willett | 283 (-5) |
| 2017 | Sergio Garcia | 279 (-9)* |
| 2018 | Patrick Reed | 273 (-15) |
| 2019 | Tiger Woods | 275 (-13) |
| 2020 | Dustin Johnson | 268 (-20) |
| 2021 | Hideki Matsuyama | 278 (-10) |
| 2022 | Scottie Scheffler | 278 (-10) |
| 2023 | Jon Rahm | 276 (-12) |
| 2024 | Scottie Scheffler | 277 (-11) |