Money
Masters 2024: This Augusta badge from the first tournament in 1934 (signed by Bobby Jones) is up for auction
This badge from the very first "Augusta National Invitational Tournament" in 1934 is one of only four known to exist.
Even if you're trying to get into super-exclusive Berckmans Place or Map and Flag hospitality venues in Augusta this weekend, that won't be close to the most expensive Masters ticket you can buy in the next few days.
The Golf Auction is offering what is considered to be the absolute apex of collectible tickets—a Masters series badge from the first tournament played in 1934. Only four of them are known to exist, and the one up for auction closing Sunday also has authenticated signatures from Bobby Jones, Walter Hagen, Horton Smith and 10 other players across the front and back.
The badge has signatures from Bobby Jones, Walter Hagen, Horton Smith and 10 other players across the front and back.
The ticket, which got you into four days of preliminary events and four tournament days, cost $5.50 at the time.
The Masters wasn't even officially the Masters yet in 1934—that name wouldn't come about until 1939, five years after this "Augusta National Invitation Tournament" was played in March. The badge, which got you into four days of preliminary events along with the four tournament days, cost $5.50 at the time—the equivalent of $31.55 in today's dollars. That's a screaming bargain in comparison to the $140 face value for a single tournament round ticket this year (and the $2,000 a ticket for Saturday is going for in the aftermarket).
This collectible example will not only blow those numbers out of the water—bidding has already eclipsed $100,000—but will probably challenge the $600,000 one of the previous examples of this ticket sold for in 2022.
Buying it won't get you in to see the action this weekend, but you'll be in much, much more exclusive company if you're high bidder.