Revealed: The astonishing influence of Rory McIlroy’s Masters victory on the recognition of the game – with demand for tickets exploding since his well-known win at Augusta in 2025

Ticket demand for the Masters has trebled since Rory McIlroy’s astonishing victory last year, according to new research.

While broadcast figures for golf have undulated since the peak years of Tiger Woods, there has been a huge surge across the past 12 months from those scouring secondary ticketing markets to attend tournaments.

That is especially pronounced at the Masters, where there has been a 202 per cent jump in search activity on viagogo in the wake of McIlroy’s dramatic play-off victory over Justin Rose to secure his career grand slam.

Given the stringent crackdown on resold tickets in recent years at Augusta National, it is unlikely that such boom will please the green-jacketed membership, with face-value prices hiked from $160 to deep into four and five figures.

The increased interest has evidently been seen across the board at the majors. Searches for the PGA Championship are up 336 per cent, with large jumps seen at the US Open (165 per cent) and Open Championship (43 per cent).

Rory McIlroy finally completed the grand slam in 2025 after ending his wait for the Green Jacket at Augusta

‘It was an epic year for golf, full of dramatic storylines and head-to-head battles,’ said Shaun Stewart, vice president of global partnerships at viagogo.

‘With Rory McIlroy completing the career Grand Slam, Scottie Scheffler displaying a dominance to match Tiger Woods in his peak, and Europe pulling off a stunning Ryder Cup win on American soil, interest our data shows that interest levels are skyrocketing.

‘Searches for Masters tickets alone have more than tripled year-on-year, and interest is up across every major tournament on our platform, from The Open to the US Open to LIV Golf. The 2026 major season could be one for the ages and ticket demand suggests people don’t want to miss it.’