Gnome no more? Rumors swirl at Augusta National about fate of wildly popular Masters souvenir

Pat Donahue, general manager and editor of the Coastal Courier newspaper in Hinesville, Georgia, also wouldn’t be surprised if 2026 marks the demise of gnome mania.

“I’d like to see them come back, but I don’t think they will because of their value on the secondary markets,” said Donahue, who was attending the Masters as a spectator but has reported on the tournament in the past. “It might be one of those things that they’ll take a look at it and go, ‘It may be time to pull them off the shelves.’ They’re becoming bigger than they were meant to be.”

Donahue expressed confidence in Augusta National’s decision-making when it comes to Masters products.

“I think they’re working on another collectible somewhere in their research and development department because they’re just that good [at marketing],” he said.

Donahue, by the way, isn’t a big gnome fan.

“I’ve never bought one and I never will. I don’t need one,” he said.

Katie Bennett, who is the band director at Highland Springs Middle School in North Augusta, doesn’t expect the gnome to return to Augusta National in 2027.

“This is 2026 and it’s year number 10, so I think they’re going to stop without telling anybody and then move on to something new,” she said.

Tamara Smith disagreed with her friend.

“My thought is yes,” she said when asked about the likelihood of a 2027 edition of the gnome. “It’s a fan favorite, so I think they’ll being it back.”

Craig Stafford of Hinesville, Georgia, who was enjoying the Masters with Donahue, wasn’t fretting about the gnome’s future.

“From the perspective of my daughters, who are 22 and 25, they would say that they (the gnomes) definitely must [return in 2027] because that’s their favorite part of the Masters,” he said. “But I’m not worried. As long as they keep the egg salad sandwich, I’m okay.”

Katelyn Dunn of Charlotte, North Carolina, didn’t have a gnome prediction to offer.