April 6, 2023

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Hi, this is Michael McCarthy, senior writer for Front Office Sports. Masters week is my favorite time of the year. Amid the famous crowd roars at Augusta National Golf Club, one of the world’s best golfers will win the coveted Green Jacket — and walk into golf history. It’s no wonder The Masters has trademarked Jim Nantz’ memorable phrase: “A Tradition Unlike Any Other.” I hope you enjoy this special Masters edition.

Athletes LIV Golf Playing for Relevance at Masters [[link removed]]

Michael Madrid-USA TODAY Sports

There are no teams at the Masters — but this year, it may feel that way.

The 2023 tournament will be perhaps the highest-profile meeting to date of golfers who have joined the Saudi-backed LIV Golf and those who remained with the PGA Tour.

Seen as an existential threat to the PGA Tour not long ago, LIV finds itself struggling to remain relevant. The tour’s first event this season in Playa del Carmen, Mexico, drew fewer [[link removed]] than 300,000 average viewers on The CW, while the PGA Tour’s Honda Classic, played on the same weekend, averaged nearly 2 million on NBC.

LIV Golf claimed [[link removed]] the average figure was significantly higher — 537,000 — for its 2023 debut weekend.

A win at the Masters by a LIV player could help elevate the Tour’s stature.

The best bets to do so, per [[link removed]] DraftKings, are Dustin Johnson (+2200) and Cameron Smith (+3500), but both are serious underdogs to Scottie Scheffler (+650), Rory McIlroy (+750), and Jon Rahm (+850). LIV Golf players such as Phil Mickelson and Dustin Johnson are barred from PGA-backed events, but still meet the criteria for the Masters.

The launch of LIV spurred the PGA Tour to make significant changes, including the creation [[link removed]] of “designated events” with prize purses of at least $20 million and no cuts.

Athletes The Champion’s Pot Keeps Growing at Masters [[link removed]]

Danielle Parhizkaran-USA TODAY Network

The winner of the 2023 Masters Tournament will pocket a record-tying purse of $2.7 million.

That’s the same amount won last year by Scottie Scheffler, who’ll seek to defend his Masters title starting Thursday at Augusta National Golf Club.

Last year’s total purse was $15 million. Runner-up Rory McIlroy earned $1.62 million. The top 10 finishers earned at least $390,000.

More on the creeping inflation of Masters winner’s purses over the decades:

Tiger Woods was the first Green Jacket winner to crack the $2 million mark for finishing first. He collected $2,070,000 (before inflation) for winning his fifth Green Jacket in 2019. Back in 2001, Woods was also the first to make over $1 million for winning the tournament. He earned $1,008,000 – then took home the same amount when he repeated as champ in 2002. In 1984, Ben Crenshaw was the first Masters champion to earn a $100,000 payday. He took home $108,000 for winning in the first of his two Green Jackets. The first tournament winner, Horton Smith, won $1,500 in 1934. In today’s dollars, $32,759.33. The following eight winners earned the same amount.

Money isn’t everything. The chance to etch their name in golf history by winning the coveted Green Jacket is more important.

As the legendary Ben Hogan said, “If the Masters offered no money at all, I would be here trying just as hard.”

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A Conversation on the Future of Tech in Sports

In today’s modern media age, consumers demand content 24/7. Sports fans want — and expect — engaging content from their favorite teams, leagues, brands and players across platforms all year long.

Join Front Office Sports [[link removed]] on April 11 at 1 p.m. ET for an inside look at how teams, leagues, conferences and broadcasters utilize technology to create compelling content that attracts new viewers, reaches younger audiences and increases fan engagement.

The virtual summit [[link removed]] includes discussion with representatives from organizations across the sports industry, including the NBA, San Francisco 49ers, New Jersey Devils, Warner Bros. Discovery Sports, ACC and the University of Miami.

Grab your spot and register now [[link removed]]!

Athletes Scheffler Can Fuel Hype, Extend Money Lead with Masters Repeat [[link removed]]

Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Network

Scottie Scheffler arrives at Augusta National to defend his 2022 Masters title with momentum.

Scheffler is first in the Official World Golf Rankings — and hasn’t ranked lower than No. 2 since before last year’s Masters. He’s also the betting favorite (+650) headed into the tournament.

Perhaps most impressive: The 26-year-old has earned $11.6 million from tournament winnings this season — the most on the PGA Tour. He can pocket $2.7 million by winning at Augusta again.

Scheffler’s two 2023 victories have served as the bedrock for those earnings: He took home $3.6 million by repeating at February’s newly elevated [[link removed]] Waste Management Phoenix Open and $4.5 million by winning at The Players Championship in March.

Repeating in Phoenix is one thing, but if Scheffler can take home his second Green Jacket in a row, he’ll join an exclusive list of some of the most hallowed names in golf history.

Jack Nicklaus (1965-66) Nick Faldo (1989-90) Tiger Woods (2001-02)

Repeating as Masters champion would continue the Tiger-like aura Scheffler has cultivated since he won a year ago — though he still has yet to take home another major title.

Stiff Competition

There will be no shortage of challengers standing in his way.

Chief among them is Jon Rahm (+850) — currently first place in the FedEx Cup standings — who was OWGR’s top-ranked player before Scheffler’s 2022 Masters victory and who briefly grabbed the top spot from Scheffler in late February.

And then there’s fan favorite Rory McIlroy (+750), who dramatically swiped the Tour Championship from Scheffler at the end of last season.

Commerce Masters Get-In Ticket Prices Top $2,700, Max Out At $90K [[link removed]]

Michael Madrid-USA TODAY Network

This year, the Masters is more exclusive than ever.

On Wednesday, tickets for the storied event at Augusta National Golf Club started at four figures and jumped to almost $90,000, according [[link removed]] to StubHub.

Get-in ticket prices for a one-day pass on Thursday, the first day of the event, started at $6,600. Friday’s session was slightly cheaper at around $2,700. Get-in prices for all four days at Augusta were just a few dollars shy of $12,000. The four-day pass topped out at a whopping $89,999.

Prices for the Saturday-Sunday session will likely fluctuate depending on how the field narrows. If, say, Tiger Woods makes it to the later rounds of the event, prices will probably skyrocket.

Right now, the Saturday-Sunday sessions are already starting at $3,450 for a two-day pass.

An Augusta Feast

After shelling out to get on the grounds, however, fans will get some financial relief with their food-and-drink options [[link removed]].

A fan could order every item on the menu — including alcoholic beverages — for $66 total. The Masters’ famous pimento cheese sandwiches are only $1.50 each.

The most expensive item on the menu: a glass of white wine for $5.

Conversation Starters From the first pitch to the final buzzer, stay in the game with Atmosphere Sports — the ultimate streaming destination for businesses that want constant sports news, live scores, and highlights. Learn more [[link removed]].* Three days after winning the NCAA title, the LSU women’s basketball team was serving [[link removed]] chicken at a Raising Cane’s in Baton Rouge. Klutch Sports has promoted [[link removed]] agent Nicole Lynn to president of football.

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Nominate the Next Generation of Stars

Rising 25 is back and it’s time to nominate an up-and-coming young professional changing the game in the business of sports!

The Front Office Sports Rising 25 Award [[link removed]], presented by Anheuser-Busch, celebrates the careers of the brightest young stars in the business of sports. To date, we’ve honored 150 individuals and we’re looking for our next group of young stars.

Nominations are open NOW through Tuesday, May 2. Winners will be announced in June.

Nominate [[link removed]] today!

Front Office Sports Today They Said What?

Syndication: The Augusta Chronicle

“If there was ever a must-win tournament for LIV golfers, it’s this. LIV Golf has lost a lot of its momentum. The PGA Tour seems to be winning this battle, and what LIV desperately needs is for one of their guys to win a major championship and show that they are on par with the PGA Tour. What better place to do it than Augusta, Georgia?”

— Front Office Sports senior writer Mike McCarthy on the pressure facing LIV golfers heading into today’s Master’s tournament. Listen to more about The Master’s in a special episode of Front Office Sports Today, featuring PGA commentator and 2008 Masters champion Trevor Immelman.

Listen and subscribe on Apple [[link removed]], Google [[link removed]], and Spotify [[link removed]].

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