2023 Masters Recap & Highlights
The results from the 2023 Masters PGA tournament are in. From April 6 to April 9, the best of the best on the PGA tour faced off at Augusta National Golf Course in Augusta, Georgia. Going into Masters weekend, Jon Rahm was the favorite to win it all, but did he live up to expectations? Read this full Masters recap to find out.
About the 2023 Masters PGA Tournament
This year marked the 87th Masters tournament. Since its debut in 1934 as the Augusta National Invitation Tournament, the event has taken place at Augusta National. The tournament is one of the four majors of the PGA Tour. The winner of the event receives an automatic invitation to participate in the other three majors: the PGA Championship, the U.S. Open and The Open. As a result, taking home the prestigious green jacket awarded to the winner can boost any golfer's career.
In addition to scoring an invite to the other majors, the winner takes home a sizable payout. For 2023, the Masters purse was a whopping $18 million. The winner is guaranteed a payout of $3.24 million. The second place payout was set at $1.94 million, while third, fourth and fifth place prizes were established at $1.224 million, $864,000 and $720,000, respectively.
With so much money and prestige on the line, participants in the Masters golf tournament are under extreme pressure, so you never know what might take place during the tournament. This means that there's always plenty of excitement among viewers.
Complete Masters Day by Day Recap
Ahead of the weekend, Vegas had Jon Rahm as the seven to one favorite. Other major contenders included Rory McIlroy, Cameron Smith and Scottie Scheffler. Fans were also eager to see how Tiger Woods would perform throughout the Masters PGA tournament, as the legendary golfer is still on the mend after his return to golf following a serious auto accident in 2021.
Masters Round 1 - Thursday
From the start of Thursday's play, Viktor Hovland was on fire with one eagle and five birdies in the first 13 holes, though he seemed to lose steam in the final five. Jon Rahm struggled out of the gate with a double bogey on the first hole. However, he ended the round with four birdies, putting him neck and neck with Hovland at the number one spot at the end of the day.
The pair shared the position with Brooks Koepka. His appearance at the tournament made headlines long before the event began, as Koepka has joined the LIV Golf series. Last year, LIV Golf participants were unable to compete in most PGA events, but Koepka was able to enter the Masters in 2023 due to his world golf ranking.
In other news, Tiger Woods had a difficult day despite getting back-to-back birdies on holes 15 and 16. He ultimately finished the round at +2.
Masters Round 2 - Friday
Rainstorms caused two delays during Friday's tournament, leading some play to be postponed until Saturday. Brooks Koepka was the star of the day, ending up on top of the leaderboard. Jon Rahm also performed well with birdies at 8 and 9. He was just three shots behind Koepka when the tournament was called for rain.
Phil Mickelson also had a great day, finishing 3 under 69. Things also looked hopeful for Tiger Woods, who had seven pars, one birdie and one bogey before play was called. When the tournament adjourned until Saturday, he was in 50th place. If he could manage to hold onto the position, he'd be able to go on to the final 36.
While Mickelson and Woods likely felt energized after their performances on Friday, other well-known players were likely disappointed. Scottie Scheffler finished 11 back, and Rory McIlroy had multiple bogeys and failed to make the cut.
Masters Moving Day - Saturday
They call Saturday at the Masters PGA tournament moving day as it's when players move up and down the leaderboard to secure their spots in the final lineup. This year's moving day was a soggy one with buckets of rain and cold weather getting in the way of the day.
Still, Brooks Koepka and Jon Rahm didn't let the weather get in their way. Although he only got to play six holes on Saturday, Koepka managed to double his lead. Still, Jon Rahm held on and was right behind him when the tournament was paused on account of the weather.
Tiger Woods struggled during the rainy moving day. After a delay, he came back to bogey on holes 10 and 14 and then double-bogeyed at 15 and 16. When play was finally called, he was in 54th place. At that point, he was safe to make the cut if he could hang on to the position.
The Final Day - Sunday
On Sunday, all eyes were on Koepka and Rahm. At the sixth hole, Rahm managed to tie and then slowly edged forward with pars on 10, 11 and 12 and birdies on 13 and 14. Other big news from the day was the stellar performance of amateur Sam Bennett, who finished in the top 20. Jordan Spieth also made a big comeback during the second nine, putting him in the top 10. Disappointingly, Tiger Woods withdrew from the tournament on Sunday morning due to pain caused by plantar fasciitis.
Masters Leaderboard 2023 - Who Won the Masters 2023
In the end, Jon Rahm lived up to expectations, earning the green jacket and that hefty first place Masters payout. Phil Mickelson and Brooks Koepka tied for second with Jordan Spieth, Patrick Reed and Russell Henley tying for fourth behind them. Last year's winner, Scottie Scheffler, tied for 10th with Matthew Fitzpatrick, Xander Schauffele and Collin Morikawa.
Master the Art of Style on and off the Course
If you love to play golf as much as watch it, the action of Masters weekend likely has you ready to hit the course. This year, you can hit the course in style and stand out in the clubhouse at the end of your round by sporting Devereux apparel and accessories. Our limited edition Peachy capsule collection draws inspiration from the legacy of the Masters and features cardigans, tees, hats and other pieces that reflect modern streetwear style trends. Shop the Peachy collection now and get ready for the game.
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