Woods’ resurgence skies Masters ticket resale prices
AUGUSTA, Ga. — Masters Tournament ticket prices are up 276 percent on the secondary market as Tiger Woods enters the tournament as the world’s top-rated golfer for the first time since 2010.
Four-day badges for the golf season’s first major tournament at Augusta National Golf Club in Georgia are listed for an average of $13,820 on the secondary market, according to ticket aggregator TiqIQ, up from $3,675 last year and more than double the average each of the past three Masters.
The cheapest available four-day badge, whose face value is $250, is listed at $12,200, according to the website.
The increase is a result of Woods’ recent success, including three tournament victories this season, and the completion of the National Collegiate Athletic Association men’s basketball tournament final 140 miles away in Atlanta. That event, capped by Louisville’s 82-76 victory over Michigan last night, typically draws wealthy sports fan and executives.
“When Tiger is doing well, ticket prices and everything around golf does a little bit better,” TiqIQ spokesman Chris Matcovich said in a telephone interview.
The Augusta National ticket policy states that the club is the only authorized seller. Those attempting to enter with a ticket purchased elsewhere “may be excluded from attendance to the tournament,” according to the event’s spectator guide.
Most Masters tickets are sold to the same people year after year. A small number are available through a lottery, creating an aura of exclusivity Matcovich said always limits the amount available on the resale market. This morning there were less than 25 tickets listed through the site.
“With their raffle system, you’re not guaranteed to get tickets ever again in your lifetime,” Matcovich said. “A lot of people take advantage of it and don’t feel like re-selling.”
The cheapest single-day tickets on the secondary market are $2,126 for the final round on April 14, according to TiqIQ. All single-day tickets carry a face value of $75.
Woods, 37, returned to No. 1 spot in the Official World Golf Ranking last month for the first time since October 2010, a year after a car accident outside his Florida home led to revelations of serial adultery and his divorce. He’s won six of his last 20 PGA Tour starts, including his eighth Arnold Palmer Invitational title in March.