Woods "Masters Prize Money Leader"... What About McIlroy?

Woods Sweeps 5 Wins to Take 1st Place, Mickelson Leads with 3 Wins for 2nd, World No.1 McIlroy Still 'Winless'

Tiger Woods is posing for a commemorative photo wearing the green jacket immediately after winning the Masters last year (small photo shows his first victory in 1997).

[Asia Economy Golf Specialist Reporter Kim Hyun-jun] '9,505,400 dollars (11.66 billion won)'.

This is the prize money earned by the 'Returned Golf Emperor' Tiger Woods (USA) at the Masters. He has competed 22 times, achieving 5 wins and finishing in the 'Top 10' thirteen times. He wore the Green Jacket five times, including back-to-back wins in 1997 and 2001-2002, as well as in 2005 and last year. He ranks second after Jack Nicklaus (6 wins). This year's tournament, originally scheduled for April, was indefinitely postponed due to the spread of COVID-19 and recently confirmed to open on November 12. This is the story of Masters prize money.

It is interesting that the inaugural champion Horton Smith (USA) won a prize of 1,500 dollars (1.84 million won) in 1934. Even when adjusted for current value, it amounts to about 29,000 dollars (3.563 million won). Woods received 2.07 million dollars (2.543 billion won) last year. Over 85 years, the prize money has increased more than 1,000 times. It surpassed 100,000 dollars in 1984 and finally broke the 1 million dollar barrier in 2001. Last year, it doubled again. Woods was the one who broke the 1 million and 2 million dollar marks in 2001 and last year, respectively.

This time, he is defending his title. Augusta National Golf Club requested nearby schools to take a break from November 12 to 15, which is why the 'November Masters' is already heating up. The Masters is a driving force that revitalizes the local economy. In the small city of Augusta, with a population of only 200,000, more than 200,000 tourists flock, causing hotel accommodation fees to skyrocket. The US Golf Channel reported, "Rooms that used to cost 50 dollars per night have jumped more than 20 times to 1,000 dollars."

The second highest career prize money earner is Phil Mickelson (USA, 8.04 million dollars). He has competed 27 times, winning three times in 2004, 2006, and 2010, and finishing in the 'Top 10' fifteen times. Third place is Jordan Spieth (USA, 4.56 million dollars), who has been particularly strong at the Masters. He made his debut in 2014 with a runner-up finish, won in 2015, and was runner-up again in 2016, causing a stir. Bubba Watson (USA), with two wins in 2014 and 2016, ranks fourth (3.94 million dollars), and 2013 champion Adam Scott (Australia) is fifth (3.64 million dollars).

Justin Rose (England) attracted attention by ranking sixth (3.62 million dollars) without a win. He finished in the 'Top 10' five times, including two runner-up finishes in 2015 and 2017. He has been active since the prize money sharply increased after 2015. Fred Couples (USA), over sixty years old, made another news by ranking tenth (2.78 million dollars). He secured lifetime entry rights with his 1992 win and has stepped onto Augusta National 32 times.

World No. 1 Rory McIlroy (Northern Ireland), on the other hand, remained at 20th place (2.09 million dollars). The Masters is also the last puzzle on the way to the 'Career Grand Slam.' He collected three trophies at the 2011 US Open, 2012 PGA Championship, and 2014 The Open, and has been anxious for six years. In the 2020 season, he showed a steep upward trend with six tournaments all finishing in the 'Top 5,' including one win, but was halted by COVID-19, leaving him frustrated.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.