The 90th Masters Tournament gets underway on Thursday, April 9, at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia, and once again the golf world holds its breath for four days of drama, history and the inevitable moment when a champion slips on the iconic Green Jacket.
Rory McIlroy arrives as the defending champion, having delivered a performance for the ages at the 2025 Masters, defeating Justin Rose in a sudden-death playoff to complete the career Grand Slam and end an 11-year pursuit of his first green jacket.
It was one of the most emotionally charged moments in Masters history. Now he faces the formidable challenge of back-to-back titles, something no player has achieved since Tiger Woods in 2001 and 2002.
Jack Nicklaus holds the all-time record with six Masters titles, and his 1986 victory at the age of 46 remains one of golf's most celebrated moments.
Tiger Woods sits second on the all-time list with five victories, his most recent coming in 2019 in what many considered an extraordinary career comeback.
Phil Mickelson, Nick Faldo and Gary Player have each claimed the Green Jacket on multiple occasions, cementing their names among Augusta's greatest champions.
The Masters Tournament has been held at Augusta National Golf Club since 1934, with the exception of 1943 to 1945 when the tournament was paused due to World War II.
The champion receives the Green Jacket, earns a lifetime invitation to the Masters, and receives membership on the PGA Tour for five seasons following their victory.
The lowest score in Masters history is 20-under par, set by Dustin Johnson at the 2020 Masters, which was postponed until November due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Here is the complete list of every Masters champion since the tournament began.
2025 - Rory McIlroy
The Northern Irishman ended an agonising wait for his first green jacket, defeating Justin Rose in a playoff to complete the career Grand Slam and write one of the great chapters in Masters history.
2024 - Scottie Scheffler
The World No. 1 claimed his second green jacket in three years, continuing his dominance of the global game with a commanding Augusta performance.
2023 - Jon Rahm
The Spaniard delivered a masterclass at Augusta to claim his second major championship and first green jacket, finishing wire-to-wire in stunning fashion.
2022 - Scottie Scheffler
Scheffler announced himself to the world with a four-shot victory at his breakthrough Masters, the first of what has since become multiple major titles.
2021 - Hideki Matsuyama
The Japanese star made history as the first player from his country to win the Masters, sparking scenes of national celebration back home in Japan.
2020 - Dustin Johnson
Johnson obliterated the Augusta National scoring record, finishing 20-under par in a November edition of the tournament played without fans due to the pandemic.
2019 - Tiger Woods
One of sport's greatest comeback stories. Woods claimed his fifth Masters title and 15th major in a moment that moved the entire sporting world to tears.
2018 - Patrick Reed
Reed held his nerve through a dramatic final round to claim his first and only major championship, fending off a late charge from Rory McIlroy.
2017 - Sergio Garcia
After 74 major appearances and years of heartbreak, the Spaniard finally won his first major in a playoff against Justin Rose on a Sunday Augusta will never forget.
2016 - Danny Willett
The Englishman benefited from a Jordan Spieth collapse on the back nine to claim the most unexpected green jacket of the modern era.
2015 - Jordan Spieth
The Texan dominated from wire to wire, finishing 18-under par in what appeared to be the beginning of a dynasty. His final round 70 was a masterclass under pressure.
2014 - Bubba Watson
Watson's second green jacket in three years, a powerful display of left-handed brilliance around one of golf's most demanding courses.
2013 - Adam Scott
The Australian became the first player from his country to win the Masters, holing a crucial birdie putt on the 18th in regulation before winning in a playoff against Angel Cabrera.
2012 - Bubba Watson
Watson won his first major in sudden death, manufacturing an extraordinary escape shot from the trees on the second playoff hole that left the sporting world open-mouthed.
2011 - Charl Schwartzel
The South African birdied the final four holes to steal a dramatic victory from a field that included Rory McIlroy, who held a four-shot lead with nine holes to play.
2010 - Phil Mickelson
Lefty's third green jacket and one of his most emotionally resonant victories, arriving just months after his wife Amy's battle with breast cancer.
2009 - Angel Cabrera
The Argentine won his second major in a playoff against Kenny Perry and Chad Campbell in one of the most chaotic final days in Augusta history.
2008 - Trevor Immelman
The South African produced one of the more surprising Augusta victories of the 2000s, holding off Tiger Woods to claim his first and only major.
2007 - Zach Johnson
The Iowa-born journeyman claimed the greatest win of his career, taking advantage of Augusta's par-fives playing as pars to claim a famous upset.
2006 - Phil Mickelson
Mickelson's second consecutive Masters title, his third major overall, cementing his status as one of the game's dominant forces in the mid-2000s.
2005 - Tiger Woods
The chip-in on the 16th hole in the final round is among the most iconic shots in golf history. Woods beat Chris DiMarco in a playoff to claim his fourth Masters.
2004 - Phil Mickelson
Lefty's first major, finally. After years of near misses, Mickelson birdied the 18th to win by one stroke and trigger one of the most jubilant celebrations Augusta has ever seen.
2003 - Mike Weir
The Canadian lefty became the first left-handed player and the first Canadian to win the Masters, defeating Len Mattiace in a playoff.
2002 - Tiger Woods
Three majors in a row at Augusta for Woods. His back-to-back green jackets in 2001 and 2002 represent one of the most dominant stretches in major championship history.
2001 - Tiger Woods
The beginning of the Tiger Slam. Woods completed the hold of all four major trophies simultaneously, the only player ever to achieve the feat.
2000 - Vijay Singh
The Fijian claimed his second major title, edging Ernie Els by three strokes in a measured and controlled Augusta performance.
1999 - Jose Maria Olazabal
A remarkable comeback story. Olazabal, who had been sidelined by a serious foot condition that left his career in doubt, claimed his second Masters title with extraordinary composure.
1998 - Mark O'Meara
O'Meara's first major at the age of 41, holing a brilliant birdie putt on the 18th to claim one of the most popular Augusta victories of the decade.
1997 - Tiger Woods
Tiger Woods became the youngest Masters champion when he won in 1997 at age 21 Modern Ghana, demolishing the field by 12 strokes with a record-breaking 18-under par. One of the most dominant performances in major championship history.
1996 - Nick Faldo
Faldo's third Masters title, claimed after Greg Norman, holding a six-shot lead entering the final round, collapsed spectacularly. Faldo shot 67 while Norman shot 78.
1995 - Ben Crenshaw
One of the most emotional Augusta victories. Crenshaw won just days after the death of his beloved teacher Harvey Penick, weeping on the 18th green in a moment of pure sporting poetry.
1994 - Jose Maria Olazabal
The Spaniard's first Masters title, a powerful display of iron play and putting prowess that announced him as one of Augusta's most complete performers.
1993 - Bernhard Langer
The German's second green jacket, a disciplined performance that demonstrated just how well his precise ball-striking suited the demands of Augusta National.
1992 - Fred Couples
One of the most memorable moments in Masters history — Couples' ball somehow stayed above Rae's Creek on the 12th hole, and he went on to win his first and only major.
1991 - Ian Woosnam
The Welshman birdied the 72nd hole to claim his only major by a single shot, one of the most dramatic finishes Augusta has produced.
1990 - Nick Faldo
Faldo's second consecutive Masters, this time defeating Ray Floyd in a playoff — his third major overall, and confirmation of his status as the dominant player of the era.
1989 - Nick Faldo
Faldo won his first Masters and first major on American soil in a playoff against Scott Hoch, who famously missed a short putt on the first extra hole.
1988 - Sandy Lyle
The Scotsman holed a bunker shot on the 18th to birdie the last and claim a famous victory, one of the most celebrated shots in Masters history.
1987 - Larry Mize
Mize chipped in from off the green on the second playoff hole to beat Greg Norman in one of Augusta's most stunning and heartbreaking finishes.
1986 - Jack Nicklaus
Jack Nicklaus became the oldest Masters champion when he won in 1986 at age 46 Modern Ghana, shooting a final-round 65 in one of sport's most extraordinary performances. A record sixth Masters title that remains his greatest achievement.
1985 - Bernhard Langer
The German claimed his first Masters title, one of the early signs that Augusta's global appeal was producing a new generation of international champions.
1984 - Ben Crenshaw
Crenshaw's first Masters win, the natural touch of the finest putter of his generation perfectly suited to Augusta's treacherous greens.
1983 - Seve Ballesteros
The great Spaniard's second Masters victory, a swashbuckling performance that confirmed his place among the game's all-time greats.
1982 - Craig Stadler
The Walrus won in a playoff against Dan Pohl, claiming the only major of his career with a combination of power and determination.
1981 - Tom Watson
Watson's only Masters title, a measured display from a player who would go on to win eight major championships in total.
1980 - Seve Ballesteros
The young Spaniard burst onto the Augusta stage to claim his first Masters at the age of 23, beginning a love affair between Ballesteros and the Green Jacket.
1979 - Fuzzy Zoeller
Zoeller became the only player in the modern Masters era to win on his debut, claiming the title with an irresistible brand of cheerful, carefree golf.
1978 - Gary Player
The Black Knight's third and final Masters title, won at the age of 42 after a remarkable final-round 64 which was one of the great Augusta back-nine charges.
1977 - Tom Watson
Watson's first major, defeating Jack Nicklaus by two strokes in a preview of their great rivalry that would define the sport for the next decade.
1976 - Raymond Floyd
Floyd tied the then-Masters scoring record and led wire to wire to claim one of the most dominant Augusta victories of the 1970s.
1975 - Jack Nicklaus
Nicklaus edged Johnny Miller and Tom Weiskopf in one of the greatest Masters ever played, holing a long birdie putt on the 16th to seal the win.
1974 - Gary Player
Player's second Masters, a disciplined performance that further reinforced his reputation as one of Augusta's most dangerous champions.
1973 - Tommy Aaron
The American's only major, a solid performance in a tournament remembered for the controversial scorecard error involving Roberto De Vincenzo that had denied him a chance of victory in 1968.
1972 - Jack Nicklaus
Nicklaus's fourth Masters, a dominant display that further extended his record as Augusta's greatest champion.
1971 - Charles Coody
Coody won his only major in a year when defending his form proved more elusive than capturing it, coming from behind to claim a popular victory.
1970 - Billy Casper
Casper won the Masters in a playoff against Gene Littler, the third and final major of a career that has never quite received the recognition it deserves.
1969 - George Archer
The tall Californian won his only major with an outstanding putting display on Augusta's notoriously difficult greens.
1968 - Bob Goalby
Goalby's victory was overshadowed by the sympathy extended to Roberto De Vincenzo, whose playing partner signed an incorrect scorecard that cost him a place in a playoff.
1967 - Gay Brewer Jr.
Brewer won his only major, making amends for losing a playoff at Augusta the previous year.
1966 - Jack Nicklaus
Nicklaus became the first player to successfully defend the Masters title, defeating Tommy Jacobs and Gay Brewer in a playoff.
1965 - Jack Nicklaus
Nicklaus's second Masters, a dominant 17-under par performance that set a tournament record and left the field far behind.
1964 - Arnold Palmer
Palmer's fourth and final Masters title, a fitting farewell to his Augusta dominance in an era when he was the sport's most beloved figure.
1963 - Jack Nicklaus
The Golden Bear's first Masters at the age of 23, the beginning of a record-setting love affair with Augusta National that would span more than two decades.
1962 - Arnold Palmer
Palmer's third Masters in five years, won in a playoff against Gary Player and Dow Finsterwald, underlining his era-defining dominance of the sport.
1961 - Gary Player
South African Gary Player became the first non-American player to win the Masters Wikipedia, opening the door for the tournament's transformation into a truly global event.
1960 - Arnold Palmer
Palmer birdied the final two holes to pip Ken Venturi by a single stroke in one of Augusta's most dramatic finishes, cementing his status as the crowd's favourite.
1959 - Art Wall Jr.
Wall won his only major with a display of precision and composure that belied the drama of the week's closing stages.
1958 - Arnold Palmer
Palmer's first Masters and first major championship, the beginning of a relationship with Augusta that would define the golden age of American golf.
1957 - Doug Ford
Ford holed out from a bunker on the 72nd hole to claim a famous victory, one of the most dramatic finishes in the tournament's early history.
1956 - Jack Burke Jr.
Burke came from eight shots behind in the final round, the greatest final-round comeback in Masters history, to claim his only major.
1955 - Cary Middlecoff
The dentist turned golfer won his second major by seven strokes, one of the most commanding Masters victories of the 1950s.
1954 - Sam Snead
Snead defeated Ben Hogan in an 18-hole playoff to claim his third Masters title, adding to one of the great major hauls in golfing history.
1953 - Ben Hogan
Hogan's only Masters title, part of his extraordinary calendar year in which he won three of the four majors available to him.
1952 - Sam Snead
Snead's second Masters, a commanding display from one of the most naturally gifted ball-strikers the game has ever produced.
1951 - Ben Hogan
Hogan's precision ball-striking was never more evident than in his Masters victories, this first title confirming his arrival as the dominant force in American golf.
1950 - Jimmy Demaret
Demaret's third and final Masters, making him the first three-time champion in the tournament's history.
1949 - Sam Snead
Snead's first Masters victory, the beginning of a remarkable Augusta record for one of golf's most gifted natural athletes.
1948 - Claude Harmon
The club professional and teacher to generations of touring professionals claimed the most surprising Masters victory of the 1940s.
1947 - Jimmy Demaret
Demaret's second Masters victory, his colourful personality and natural talent making him one of the most popular players of the era.
1946 - Herman Keiser
Keiser's only major, claimed in the first Masters played after the war, as Augusta returned to hosting the tournament it had established as golf's most prestigious event.
1943, 1944, 1945 - No Tournament
The Masters was suspended during World War II, with Augusta National used for other purposes during this period.
1942 - Byron Nelson
Nelson won an 18-hole playoff against Ben Hogan, two titans of the era meeting on the grandest stage, to claim his second and final Masters title.
1941 - Craig Wood
Wood's only Masters and only major, a popular victory for a player who had been runner-up in all four majors before finally breaking through.
1940 - Jimmy Demaret
Demaret's first Masters title, the flamboyant Texan bringing his distinctive personality to Augusta for the first of three green jacket victories.
1939 - Ralph Guldahl
Guldahl's back-to-back US Open victories made him the dominant player of his era, and he added the Masters in 1939 to complete one of the great collections of that decade.
1938 - Henry Picard
Picard won his only major at Augusta, a solid performance from one of the most respected players and teachers of his generation.
1937 - Byron Nelson
Nelson's first Masters title, the gentle Texan beginning his association with Augusta that would see him return many times as one of the tournament's honorary starters in his later years.
1936 - Horton Smith
Smith claimed his second Masters title two years after winning the inaugural edition, cementing his status as Augusta's first great champion.
1935 - Gene Sarazen
Sarazen holed a four-wood for an albatross on the 15th hole in the final round, the "Shot Heard 'Round the World", to tie Craig Wood before winning in a 36-hole playoff. One of the most famous moments in golf history.
1934 - Horton Smith
The Masters Tournament began in 1934, with Horton Smith becoming the first champion Modern Ghana, winning with a 4-under par score and taking home a prize of $1,500.
Nine decades on, the tournament he inaugurated has become the most celebrated event in world golf with the winner this year set to take home an astounding $3.6 million.