Masters 2026: Why the ticket market has suddenly dried up
For years, Masters tickets were all over the secondary ticket market. Now, they've almost completely vanished.
AUGUSTA, Ga — The hopeful patron, a veteran of many visits to the Masters over the years, joined the queue filing into the gates of a pristine Augusta National Golf Club. As he scanned his badge, he heard an unfamiliar beep, and moments later, a security guard quietly ushered him into a room just off the club’s immaculate entryway. After a few polite but unmistakably pointed questions, the patron understood what had happened.
The badge he’d been gifted had been purchased off ebay, and the seller had unwisely posted a photo of the entire badge — unique identifying numbers and all — in the listing. Augusta National investigators had noted the badge’s number, and when it came up, security protocols kicked in. The patron was told that his day at Augusta National was over before it had even begun.
He was ushered, politely but pointedly, toward the exit. And as the patron and a security guard walked through the wave of golf-shirted, sundress-wearing beautiful people flowing into Augusta National, the guard placed a hand on the patron’s shoulder, “Is that necessary? ” the soon-to-be-former patron said.
“You’d be surprised,” the guard replied, “how many people try to run at this point. ” Masters tickets — or, in Augusta National’s parlance, badges — are American sports’ most tantalizing lure, at the same time both accessible to anyone and also incredibly difficult to obtain. Each year, the Masters holds a lottery for badges, offering anyone with a unique mailing address the potential opportunity to purchase a prized badge for next year’s tournament.
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