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.
The Northern Irishman was ahead by as many as six shots earlier in the week but was pegged back on Saturday and started the final round neck and neck with Cameron Young.
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.
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.
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.
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
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
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 |
