AUGUSTA, Ga. — The masters payout 2026 is now set, and the winner at Augusta National will take home $4. 5 million if the lead holds through Sunday. Augusta National announced on Saturday that this year’s championship will carry a $22. 5 million overall purse, up from $21 million last year. The masters payout 2026 is the highest in golf’s four majors this year, with the top four finishers each guaranteed at least $1 million.
Masters payout 2026 details at Augusta National
Rory McIlroy entered the third round on Saturday with a six-stroke lead over Patrick Reed and Sam Burns while chasing a second straight Masters title. If he finishes the job, he will collect $4. 5 million, which is $300, 000 more than the $4. 2 million he earned last year. The runner-up is set for $2. 43 million, third place for $1. 53 million, and fourth place for $1. 08 million.
Players who do not make the cut will still receive $25, 000. That detail matters because the purse structure extends compensation beyond the leaders and gives the field a clear financial floor, even before the final round is complete. The masters payout 2026 also arrives in a year when the other three major championships have not yet announced their prize funds.
How the purse stacks up
The Masters’ $22. 5 million purse tops the other major championships on a current-year basis, based on the prize funds that have been announced. In 2025, the PGA Championship offered $19 million, The Open Championship offered $17 million, and the U. S. Open offered $21. 5 million. Last month, Cameron Young won $4. 5 million for capturing THE PLAYERS Championship, which carried a $25 million overall purse.
What the numbers mean on Sunday
The size of the purse adds another layer to a title chase already centered on history. McIlroy is seeking to become only the fourth player to win back-to-back championships at Augusta National and the first since Tiger Woods in 2001-02. If he closes out the tournament, the masters payout 2026 will deliver one of the largest checks in the sport while also reinforcing how heavily the event now shapes the financial stakes at the game’s biggest stage.
With the final round still to come, the key question is whether McIlroy can protect his lead and secure the winner’s share of the masters payout 2026. If he does, Augusta National’s record-setting purse will become the headline number attached to a championship that already carries major historical weight.
