Would golfers rather win the Masters or the Open?

Would golfers rather win the Masters or the Open? The major championships play such a defining role in the game of golf. We use these events as the judge of greatness and they stick out prominently on the calendar. You will regularly see daily countdowns posted online until the next one and what happens during these special weeks of the year shall go down in legend.

Youngsters - and even much older golfers - will hole putts with an imaginary trophy on the line, and it'll probably be a major. When you think of inspiring moments watching the game in front of the TV, you're likely seeing someone put on the Green Jacket or triumphantly raise the Claret Jug.

In the men's game, it's those quartet of championships that dominate attention, but while they all count the same, they don't come equal. 

What is the best major championship in golf?

Each April (aside from the surreal staging in November 2020), we are taken down Magnolia Lane to Augusta National. The Masters is undeniably one of the most iconic events in sport. The golf course is intimately familiar, we all have rich memories of the tournament, and the fact that it comes just as the golf season is resuming after a long winter, it's a springtime treat that is surely the most widely resonating week in golf. 

Not just golf fans pay attention to the Masters, it has an appeal that stretches across boundaries and that arguably elevates it above the rest.

It's fair to say that the PGA Championship is the least distinctive of the four - not even the hipsterest of hipsters would place it at the top - but there isn't much wrong with being the fourth most important event.

Then you have the two Opens, which have a status that is hard to replicate. If you're an American, the United States Open naturally demands attention, but the Open Championship is the oldest by a distance, the history is unsurpassed, and being played on the links courses of Britain and Ireland makes it the most unique and international of the bunch, and it possesses a grandeur that exudes from its every pore.

From my perspective, the Masters is golf's best event, but the Open is the greatest championship, which is a subtle but fundamental difference, but these are the two weeks that capture more dreams than any other.

But which would you rather win? Even us mere mortals who will never have that opportunity likely have thoughts on that, so you can anticipate that the best players in the world have exactly the same fantasies. 

Any major victory guarantees a place in history - but being a Masters champion or having your name announced as the Champion Golfer of the Year, joining the legends etched on the Claret Jug, is something extra and difficult to separate.

We recently polled golfers online and 60.5% of them said they would choose the Open over the Masters. It depends who you ask, and I thought the results would be a little closer than that, but let's take a look into the factors that could have you favouring one instead of the other.

What do you get for winning the Masters?

The glory that Rory McIlroy received after finally winning the Masters and completing the Career Grand Slam is impossible to fully quantify, but let's look at some of the things he can expect after slipping on the Green Jacket.

$4,200,000 is the financial prize for becoming the Masters champion, while the Green Jacket and replica of the Masters Trophy (which depicts the Augusta National Clubhouse) and a Masters gold medallion are the physically tangible rewards.

You also receive a five-year exemption on the PGA Tour and into each of the other three major championships, which is certainly peace of mind, but it's the gateway into both the Masters and Augusta National itself that takes things to another level.

Masters champions have a lifetime exemption into the tournament, meaning they they can keep playing as long as they desire. Arnold Palmer and Gary Player were both in their 70s when they finally stepped back, while Jack Nicklaus played until he was 65.

Even if you're not entering the tournament, all Masters champions are invited back for the Champions Dinner on the Tuesday evening, while former winners can also participate in the Par 3 Contest and even play the course with an invited guest on the Sunday before the event.

Being a Masters champion is to secure your place for a lifetime as part of the most exclusive and cherished fraternity in the game.

What do you get for winning the Open Championship?

Now then, how can the Open compete with all of that? Scottie Scheffler lifted the Claret Jug in 2025 and received $3,100,000 for doing so.

His name on one of sport's most revered trophies is eternal, and winners will receive a replica after having the jug in their possession for a year.

The Gold Medal is also awarded to the Champion Golfer, and you claim the same five-year exemptions that you do for winning the Masters. However, there is no lifetime pass into the championship, as winners these days are only exempt until the age of 55. 

But more than anything, you are part of a history that dates back to the days of Willie Park and Tom Morris, and all the legendary figures who have passed through the generations since the Open was first staged way back in 1860.

Would you rather win the Masters or the Open?

Can you really separate the two events? Winning five US Opens or PGA Championships would be an extraordinary achievement, but somehow, I reckon that most golfers would trade that for winning both the Masters and Open just once.

Perhaps it's because I'm Scottish and live in St Andrews, which has hosted the Open more times than any other venue, but while being a Masters champion sounds cool, I have to give the edge - just - to the oldest championship of them all.