There is no other tournament quite like The Masters, which has so many unique elements it would be difficult to list them all. The Augusta National Major also consistently produces unforgettable moments in each edition, while it is arguably the most prestigious tournament around.
This year, it even had record prize money, with the payout on offer rising by $2m to $20m. However, while that is an eye-catching figure, it is one of the few areas where the tournament can’t call itself unique.
In recent years, the PGA Tour has also seen increased purses for many of its events, mainly to compete with its big-money rival, LIV Golf, and its prestigious signature events are particularly lucrative for its best players.
One of those tournaments, the RBC Heritage, is taking place this week and its prize money payout will be identical to The Masters.
Like most other signature events this year, the Harbour Town tournament will offer $20m, while the winner will receive the same amount as Scottie Scheffler earned for his Augusta National win - $3.6m.
While that might seem bizarre when you consider how much more revered The Masters is, even more odd is the fact that the first prize this week is not even the highest on the PGA Tour this season.
Scottie Scheffler won the same amount at The Masters as the winner will receive at Harbour Town
The Tour’s three player-hosted signature events, The Genesis Invitational, the Arnold Palmer Invitational and the Memorial Tournament, also have a $20m purse, but they have a different prize money distribution.
Scheffler even won one of the two we’ve had so far this year, the Arnold Palmer Invitational, which earned him $400,000 more than he took home at The Masters.
Scheffler also won the PGA Tour’s flagship event, The Players Championship, which had a purse of $25m, of which the World No.1 claimed $4.5m - $900,000 more than his prize money from the Augusta National Major.
Away from the PGA Tour, LIV Golf events offer purses $5m higher than The Masters, too, with the winner of each claiming $4m.
Of course, while there are some beloved tournaments among those PGA Tour events in particular, there are some things that money can’t buy and, while The Masters couldn’t better the RBC Heritage’s prize money this year, for its allure and unique excitement, it's still in a league of its own.
