Never one to do things the easy way, Rory McIlroy successfully defended his Masters title by a single stroke in a tumultuous final round at Augusta National to become a six-time Major champion.
An uncertain start saw the 36-year-old fall two off the lead before the turn, but McIlroy recalibrated and charged down the back nine as each of his rivals slowly but surely fell away.
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In the end, Scottie Scheffler provided the closest challenge as he set the clubhouse target at 11-under-par.
But, despite a tour of the right-hand trees down 18 which jangled the nerves of his fans one last time, McIlroy holed out with a closing bogey to clinch the title on 12-under.
McIlroy roars with delight after winning The Masters in 2026
(Image credit: Getty Images)
As a result of his second Masters title, one of the greats of the modern game has earned a colossal $4.5 million winner’s check.
McIlroy’s prize is up $300,000 from last year after The Masters confirmed its overall payout had increased from $21 million in 2025 to $22.5 million this time around. That makes it one of the most lucrative tournaments in the sport, but still not quite the richest.
Consequently, the man from Holywood, Northern Ireland also becomes the highest earner ever at The Masters, vaulting past Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson and surpassing the $12 million mark.
The only other man to reach $10 million earned at The Masters is the player who ended second in 2026 – Scheffler. The World No.1 finished with a closing 68 (-4) to bank a cool $2.43 million as well as claiming a host of other perks as the runner-up.
Scottie Scheffler shakes hands with Haotong Li following the pair’s final round
(Image credit: Getty Images)
Going a little further down the list, everyone who finished the week inside the top-40 has scooped a payout of over $100,000.
The riches don’t stop there, either. Because even those professionals who missed the cut will take away a consolation prize of $25,000.
Below is the full prize money payout at The Masters in 2026.
THE MASTERS PRIZE MONEY BREAKDOWN
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Position
Player
Prize Money
1st
Rory McIlroy
$4,500,000
2nd
Scottie Scheffler
$2,430,000
T3rd
Justin Rose
$1,080,000
T3rd
Tyrrell Hatton
$1,080,000
T3rd
Cameron Young
$1,080,000
T3rd
Russell Henley
$1,080,000
T7th
Collin Morikawa
$725,625
T7th
Sam Burns
$725,625
T9th
Max Homa
$630,000
T9th
Xander Schauffele
$630,000
11th
Jake Knapp
$562,500
T12th
Jordan Spieth
$427,500
T12th
Hideki Matsuyama
$427,500
T12th
Brooks Koepka
$427,500
T12th
Patrick Reed
$427,500
T12th
Patrick Cantlay
$427,500
T12th
Jason Day
$427,500
T18th
Viktor Hovland
$315,000
T18th
Maverick McNealy
$315,000
T18th
Matt Fitzpatrick
$315,000
T21st
Keegan Bradley
$252,000
T21st
Ludvig Aberg
$252,000
T21st
Wyndham Clark
$252,000
T24th
Matt McCarty
$182,250
T24th
Adam Scott
$182,250
T24th
Sam Stevens
$182,250
T24th
Chris Gotterup
$182,250
T24th
Michael Brennan
$182,250
T24th
Brian Campbell
$182,250
T30th
Alex Noren
$146,250
T30th
Harris English
$146,250
T30th
Shane Lowry
$146,250
T33rd
Gary Woodland
$121,500
T33rd
Dustin Johnson
$121,500
T33rd
Brian Harman
$121,500
T33rd
Tommy Fleetwood
$121,500
T33rd
Ben Griffin
$121,500
T38th
Jon Rahm
$101,250
T38th
Ryan Gerard
$101,250
T38th
Haotong Li
$101,250
T41st
Justin Thomas
$83,250
T41st
Sepp Straka
$83,250
T41st
Jacob Bridgeman
$83,250
T41st
Kristoffer Reitan
$83,250
T41st
Nick Taylor
$83,250
46th
Sungjae Im
$69,750
47th
Si Woo Kim
$65,250
48th
Aaron Rai
$61,650
T49th
Corey Conners
$57,600
T49th
Marco Penge
$57,600
51st
Kurt Kitayama
$55,350
52nd
Sergio Garcia
$54,000
53rd
Rasmus Hojgaard
$52,650
54th
Charl Schwartzel
$51,300
All professionals who did not qualify for the final 36 holes received $25,000.
THE MASTERS PRIZE MONEY THROUGH THE YEARS
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Year
Total Purse
Winner’s Payout
Champion
2026
$22,500,000
$4,500,000
Rory McIlroy
2025
$21,000,000
$4,200,000
Rory McIlroy
2024
$20,000,000
$3,600,000
Scottie Scheffler
2023
$18,000,000
$3,240,000
Jon Rahm
2022
$15,000,000
$2,700,000
Scottie Scheffler
2021
$11,500,000
$2,070,000
Hideki Matsuyama
2020
$11,500,000
$2,070,000
Dustin Johnson
2019
$11,500,000
$2,070,000
Tiger Woods
2018
$11,000,000
$1,980,000
Patrick Reed
2017
$11,000,000
$1,980,000
Sergio Garcia
2016
$10,000,000
$1,800,000
Danny Willett
2015
$10,000,000
$1,800,000
Jordan Spieth
2014
$9,000,000
$1,620,000
Bubba Watson
2013
$8,000,000
$1,440,000
Adam Scott
2012
$8,000,000
$1,440,000
Bubba Watson
2011
$8,000,000
$1,440,000
Charl Schwartzel
2010
$7,500,000
$1,350,000
Phil Mickelson
2009
$7,500,000
$1,350,000
Angel Cabrera
2008
$7,500,000
$1,350,000
Trevor Immelman
2007
$7,418,464
$1,305,000
Zach Johnson
2006
$7,000,000
$1,260,000
Phil Mickelson
2005
$7,000,000
$1,260,000
Tiger Woods
2004
$6,000,000
$1,117,000
Phil Mickelson
2003
$6,000,000
$1,080,000
Mike Weir
2002
$5,600,000
$1,008,000
Tiger Woods
2001
$5,600,000
$1,008,000
Tiger Woods
2000
$4,600,000
$828,000
Vijay Singh
1999
$4,000,000
$720,000
Jose Maria Olazabal
1998
$3,200,000
$576,000
Mark O’Meara
1997
$2,700,000
$486,000
Tiger Woods
1996
$2,500,000
$450,000
Nick Faldo
1995
$2,200,000
$396,000
Ben Crenshaw
1994
$2,000,000
$360,000
Jose Maria Olazabal
1993
$1,700,000
$306,000
Bernhard Langer
1992
$1,500,000
$270,000
Fred Couples
1991
$1,350,000
$243,000
Ian Woosnam
1990
$1,250,000
$225,000
Nick Faldo
1989
$1,000,000
$200,000
Nick Faldo
1988
$1,000,000
$183,800
Sandy Lyle
1987
$867,100
$162,000
Larry Mize
1986
$785,000
$144,000
Jack Nicklaus
1985
$700,793
$126,000
Bernhard Langer
1984
$612,900
$108,000
Ben Crenshaw
1983
$500,000
$90,000
Seve Ballesteros
1982
$367,152
$64,000
Craig Stadler
1981
$362,587
$60,000
Tom Watson
1980
$359,949
$55,000
Seve Ballesteros
1979
$299,625
$50,000
Fuzzy Zoeller
1978
$262,402
$45,000
Gary Player
1977
$280,477
$40,000
Tom Watson
1976
$200,000
$40,000
Raymond Floyd
1975
$242,750
$40,000
Jack Nicklaus
1974
$229,549
$35,000
Gary Player
1973
$224,825
$30,000
Tommy Aaron
1972
$204,649
$25,000
Jack Nicklaus
1971
$125,000
$25,000
Charles Coody
1970
$125,000
$25,000
Billy Casper
1969
$100,000
$20,000
George Archer
1968
$100,000
$20,000
Bob Goalby
1967
$165,000
$20,000
Gay Brewer
1966
$100,000
$20,000
Jack Nicklaus
1965
$100,000
$20,000
Jack Nicklaus
1964
$130,000
$20,000
Arnold Palmer
1963
$112,500
$20,000
Jack Nicklaus
1962
$110,000
$20,000
Arnold Palmer
1961
$110,000
$20,000
Gary Player
1960
$87,000
$17,500
Arnold Palmer
1959
$75,000
$15,000
Art Wall Jr.
1958
$60,000
$11,250
Arnold Palmer
1957
$45,000
$8,750
Doug Ford
1956
$30,000
$6,000
Jack Burke Jr
1955
$25,000
$5,000
Carry Middlecoff
1954
$25,000
$5,000
Sam Snead
1953
$20,000
$4,000
Ben Hogan
1952
$20,000
$4,000
Sam Snead
1951
$15,000
$3,000
Ben Hogan
1950
$12,000
$2,400
Jimmy Demaret
1949
$11,000
$2,750
Sam Snead
1948
$10,000
$2,500
Claude Harmon
1947
$10,000
$2,500
Jimmy Demaret
1946
$10,000
$2,500
Herman Keiser
1942
$5,000
$1,500
Byron Nelson
1941
$5,000
$1,500
Craig Wood
1940
$5,000
$1,500
Jimmy Demaret
1939
$5,000
$1,500
Ralph Guldahl
1938
$5,000
$1,500
Henry Picard
1937
$5,000
$1,500
Byron Nelson
1936
$5,000
$1,500
Horton Smith
1935
$5,000
$1,500
Gene Sarazen
1934
$5,000
$1,500
Horton Smith
