The final round of the 2024 Masters commenced on Sunday morning, concluding a tournament characterized by unpredictable weather and a significant moment in history. Top golfers from around the world vied for the championship title and the extraordinary prize on offer this year.
Renowned golfer and defending Masters champion Tiger Woods kicked off the last leg of the tournament with his 100th round at this major event.
Among the contenders favored to win were 27-year-old players Scottie Scheffler and Collin Morikawa. Both athletes compete on the PGA Tour and boast impressive track records. Scheffler, who has held the world No. 1 ranking for over two years, clinched victory at the 2022 Masters, his inaugural major championship win. Morikawa made his mark on the PGA Tour by making 22 consecutive cuts at the start of his professional career, a feat second only to Woods' record of 25. He went on to secure two major championships in his debut season.
The Masters Tournament is a prestigious event held annually at the Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia. Established in 1934, this tournament is one of the four major championships in men's professional golf. It traditionally kicks off the golf season in the first week of April, followed by other major events like the PGA Championships, the U.S. Open, and the Open Championship in the subsequent months.
As of the latest update, Scheffler and Morikawa are leading the pack on the 2024 Masters leaderboard heading into the final round on Sunday. They are set to tee off in the afternoon as the last pairing of the day. Other contenders like Xander Schauffele, Bryson DeChambeau, Max Homa, and Ludvig Åberg are also in the running for the coveted green jacket, awarded to the Masters champion each year. Excitement is building as these talented golfers compete for glory at this prestigious tournament.
Jon Rahm Defends Masters Title
Spanish golfer Jon Rahm, the 29-year-old who won the Masters tournament last year, returned to the course Sunday to defend his title, although his performances during the preceding rounds this weekend meant he was no longer competing to win. Woods had fallen out of contention, too, by the tournament's last day. After making his 24th consecutive cut on Friday, which was a new record at the championship, the star golfer went on to shoot a personal worst during the next and third round. At 48, Woods is a decorated golfing champion with five previous wins at the Masters. He teed off Sunday morning with the 23-year-old amateur Neal Shipley, commencing his 100th Masters round.
Whichever golfer emerges ahead of the rest once Sunday's round has finished will receive a huge cash prize in addition to the traditional green jacket, which is bestowed every year onto the Masters winner who then returns it the following year for the next Masters champion. The overall purse for the 2024 Masters is $20 million, setting a new record-high and jumping $2 million from last year's prize fund.
The champion this year will receive $3.6 million from the purse, which is also a new record and up from the $3.2 million payout that Rahm received for his Masters win in 2023. What remained of the total $18 million purse in that case was divided among 50 golfers who participated in the tournament, with their individual scores determining how much prize money they were eventually awarded.
