Who Runs The Masters?

The Masters is run by Augusta National Golf Club, one of the most powerful organizations in the sport

A close up of the Augusta National logo on a green jacket
(Image credit: Getty Images)

Many golf fans may believe that The Masters, and the other three men's Majors, are run by the PGA Tour - but that isn't the case.

In fact, the PGA Tour doesn't run any of the Majors, with its flagship event being the 'unofficial fifth Major': The Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass.

The Masters is run by Augusta National Golf Club and its members. The invitational tournament dates back to 1934 and wasn't officially deemed a Major until 1960 when Arnold Palmer and journalist Bob Drum essentially coined golf's four professional Majors.

The Masters had the largest prize money of the four and has subsequently seen almost all of golf's greats win around the hallowed turf of Augusta.

Augusta National members are synonymous for their Green Jackets and you'll see them everywhere during Masters week - as it is the members who essentially run the tournament. The chairman, Fred Ridley, assigns the members with their roles for the week.

Fred Ridley after the 2022 Augusta National Women's Amateur

Augusta National chairman Fred Ridley

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Are they a starter? Who stand on first tee and announce 'Fore please, now driving: xxxx' or are they a media liaison officer? Ensuring that players are transported to the media center or mixed zone. Some will act as scorers and rules officials while some will even run the press conferences.

As The Masters has grown, so has Augusta National's stature in the game.

The club sits on the Official World Golf Ranking board and has also worked with the R&A to create some of the world's biggest global amateur tournaments. Augusta National has a huge respect for elite amateur golf, as Bobby Jones, arguably the greatest amateur golfer of all time, founded the club, designed the course and co-founded The Masters.

It's why there are always a number of amateurs in The Masters field, including the US Amateur winner and runner-up, the British Amateur Champion, the US Mid-Am winner and both the Asia Pacific and Latin America Amateur champions.

The Asia Pacific Amateur Championship and Latin America Amateur Championship were both started by Augusta and the R&A, and the club also founded the Augusta National Women's Amateur in 2019.

Rose Zhang receives the trophy from Fred Ridley after her win in the 2023 Augusta National Women's Amateur

Rose Zhang won the 2023 Augusta National Women's Amateur

(Image credit: Getty Images)

It has quickly grown into one of the biggest events in women's golf and has Major winner Jennifer Kupcho and US star Rose Zhang as past champions.

As well as events for elite amateurs, Augusta National has an eye on the junior game, too. It founded the Drive, Chip and Putt championship for junior golfers in 2013 along with the USGA and the PGA of America. The finals take place at Augusta National each year in the week before The Masters.

Elliott Heath
News Editor

Elliott Heath is our News Editor and has been with Golf Monthly since early 2016 after graduating with a degree in Sports Journalism. He manages the Golf Monthly news team as well as our large Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages. He covered the 2022 Masters from Augusta National as well as five Open Championships on-site including the 150th at St Andrews. His first Open was in 2017 at Royal Birkdale, when he walked inside the ropes with Jordan Spieth during the Texan's memorable Claret Jug triumph. He has played 35 of our Top 100 golf courses, with his favourites being both Sunningdales, Woodhall Spa, Western Gailes, Old Head and Turnberry. He has been obsessed with the sport since the age of 8 and currently plays off of a six handicap. His golfing highlights are making albatross on the 9th hole on the Hotchkin Course at Woodhall Spa, shooting an under-par round, playing in the Aramco Team Series on the Ladies European Tour and making his one and only hole-in-one at the age of 15 - a long time ago now!

Elliott is currently playing:

Driver: Titleist TSR4

3 wood: Titleist TSi2

Hybrids: Titleist 816 H1

Irons: Mizuno MP5 5-PW

Wedges: Cleveland RTX ZipCore 50, 54, 58

Putter: Odyssey White Hot OG #5

Ball: Srixon Z Star XV