The Masters is one of golf’s most prestigious tournaments, and winning the green jacket forever enters you into a special club. A new champion will be crowned this weekend, and it could be a previous winner, but it also could be someone adding a new name to the list. Let’s take a look at the most recent winners.
2000 – Vijay Singh
After spending the early parts of his career overseas, Vijay Singh became a real force on the PGA Tour in the late 1990s. The 2000 Masters, which he won by three strokes over Ernie Els, was the second of three majors the Indonesian would win in his career.
2001 – Tiger Woods
Tiger Woods, then 21, decimated the field to win his first green jacket in 1997. He would take a couple of years to win his second jacket in 2001. This win was a bit tougher than in 1997, as Woods finished ahead of David Duval by two shots.
2002 – Tiger Woods
Before 2002, only two golfers had ever successfully defended a Masters win: Jack Nicklaus in 1966 and Nick Faldo in 1990. Woods joined the illustrious list by coming out on top at the 2002 Masters, finishing three strokes ahead of South African Retief Goosen.
2003 – Mike Weir
Canadian player Mike Weir had a career year in 2003, winning the Bob Hope Classic, the Nissan Open and the Masters all in the span of two and a half months. His Masters win came in a playoff over Lee Mattiace. For good measure, Weir also finished T3 at the 2003 U.S. Open.
2004 – Phil Mickelson
Many fans may not remember, but there was a time when people wondered if Phil Mickelson would ever win a major. He won his first in 2004 at Augusta at the age of 33. Lefty would hold off a hard-charging Ernie Els by one shot to win the green jacket.
2005 – Tiger Woods
After a two-year gap, Tiger Woods again roared back to win his fourth career Masters. He and Chris DiMarco went back and forth all weekend until Woods was able to dispatch him in a playoff. Amazingly, it would be 14 years until Woods’ next Masters win.
2006 – Phil Mickelson
Phil Mickelson had to put the green jacket on Tiger Woods in 2005 and Tiger returned the favor in 2006. Mickelson would win his second Masters title after taking the lead in the third round and shooting a 69 in the final round to win by two strokes over Tim Clark.
2007 – Zach Johnson
The Masters is traditionally a tournament where long hitters thrive, but Zach Johnson was able to take advantage of some tough weather to take the 2007 tournament at +1. Beating out Retief Goosen, Rory Sabbatini and Tiger Woods, Johnson’s score of 289 tied him for the highest winning score ever.
2008 – Trevor Immelman
South African Trevor Immelman went wire to wire at the 2008 Masters, leading from the first through the final round. No one played all that well during the final round, and despite shooting a 75 in that last round, Immelman topped Tiger Woods by three shots.
2009 – Angel Cabrera
Angel Cabrera shot the lowest final round during the 2008 Masters and continued his fine play into the 2009 tournament. The enormously likeable Argentinian had to work for his second major championship, defeating Chad Campbell and Kenny Perry in a playoff.
2010 – Phil Mickelson
Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods, Arnold Palmer, Jimmy Demaret, Sam Snead, Gary Player, and Nick Faldo are the players who have won three or more Masters championships. Phil Mickelson, a student of golf history, joined them by winning the 2010 Masters by three shots.
2011 – Charl Schwartzel
In 2011, Charl Schwartzel became the third South African to win the Masters after Gary Player and Trevor Immelman. Schwartzel saved his best for last, shooting a 66 in the final round to finish two strokes ahead of Jason Day.
2012 – Bubba Watson
A player from Bagdad, Florida, who could drive the heck out of the ball, Bubba Watson was a crowd favorite at the 2012 Masters. A 68 in the tournament’s final round tied Watson with Louis Oosthuizen, and the American won the Masters in a playoff.
2013 – Adam Scott
Adam Scott had an outstanding career, and his only major championship win came at the 2013 Masters. He impressively dispatched former champion Angel Cabrera to take the title in a playoff. The following year, Scott became the world’s number one-ranked player.
2014 – Bubba Watson
Bubba Watson came into the Masters much differently than he did in 2012. Now an established star, Watson played just like he had two years ago, shooting a 69 in the last round to beat out Jonas Blixt and Jordan Spieth and win his second major.
2015 – Jordan Spieth
21-year-old prodigy Jordan Spieth shot a 64 in the first round of the 2015 Masters and he didn’t look back, playing strong golf all weekend. He led in each round of the tournament and finished the event four shots ahead of Justin Rose and Phil Mickelson.
2016 – Danny Willett
An eight-time winner on the European Tour, Danny Willett only has one win on the PGA Tour. It’s a massive one, though, as Willett won the 2016 Masters. For much of the event it looked like Jordan Spieth would repeat as champion, but Willett had an outstanding final round to win the event by three strokes.
2017 – Sergio Garcia
A star from his first days as a professional golfer, Sergio Garcia came up short at some many major tournaments. He was finally able to break through at the 2017 Masters. It took some work to do so as he beat out Justin Rose in a playoff to win the event.
2018 – Patrick Reed
Patrick Reed is a controversial player who also has immense talent. He nearly won the PGA Championship in 2017 before becoming a major champion at the 2018 Masters. Reed took the lead in the second round and would hold on to defeat Rickie Fowler by one shot.
2019 – Tiger Woods
By 2019, injuries has sapped so much from Tiger Woods and while he continued playing, it looked like his major winning days were over. But the most talented player the game has ever seen put together a remarkable weekend in 2019 to win by one shot.
2020 – Dustin Johnson
With his booming game off the tee, the Augusta National is a really good fit for Dustin Johnson’s game. He showed just how well it fit in 2020 when he set a new course record with a score of 268, winning the tournament by five strokes over Cameron Smith and Sungjae Im.
2021 – Hideki Matsuyama
There has been plenty of fantastic Asian golfers over the years, but in 2021, Hideki Mastuyama became the first Asian born player to win the Masters and the first Japanese-born player to win any major. He did so by beating out Will Zalatoris by one stroke.
2022 – Scottie Scheffler
Scottie Scheffler moved fast upon turning pro in 2018. By 2020, he was the PGA Tour’s Rookie of the Year and by 2022 he had captured his first major, the 2022 Masters. Thanks in part to that win he also reached a number 1 world ranking in 2022.
2023 – Jon Rahm
Jon Rahm began to really become a force on the PGA Tour in the early 2020s, winning the 2021 U.S. Open. In 2023, the Spaniard added a second major title by winning the 2023 Masters by four strokes over Phil Mickelson and Brooks Koepka.
2024 – Scottie Scheffler
Scottie Scheffler proved just how good he was at the 2022 Masters; during the 2024 Masters, he proved that he was the best player in the world. The 2024 Masters were a coronation for Scheffler, who would win nine times for the year.
