You already know the defending champion has the honor of putting the Green Jacket on the new champion. Unless it’s a repeat winner. In such instances, the chairman of the Augusta National Golf Club (currently Fred Ridley) takes on the responsibility. Also, no, the Green Jacket presented during the ceremony is not the real one. It is chosen among many owners on hand to more or less fit the winner. Soon after, it gets swapped for a bespoke one. That’s two answers to your questions. Here are a few more.

What happens to the Green Jacket when the winner dies?

Nothing, in simplest terms.

The Green Jacket belongs exclusively to Augusta National club members and the Masters champion. These jackets remain on the club’s property, with removal prohibited except for the winner, who may take theirs home for one year before returning it. There are more rules, however.

Two-time winner Seve Ballesteros (1980, 1983) initially held onto his, as did five-time champion Tiger Woods, but both ultimately gave it back. The jacket stays at the club permanently, no matter the winner’s status. But there was an exception in the case of Billy Casper.

Casper won his first and only Masters in 1970 in an 18-hole playoff against good friend Gene Littler. He had won more titles, including 51 PGA Tour titles and three majors, but he adored the Green Jacket. He also wanted to be buried in it.

When asked how much he adored the jacket, Casper’s wife, Shirley, said, “About eight feet from our bed hangs a portrait of Bill in his green jacket.” According to the story, after he died in 2015 at age 83, Shirley contacted the Augusta National officials and told them of his wish. She received the special permission to do so.

Can a past champion lose their lifetime invite?

Win the Masters, and you’ve got a lifetime ticket to the tournament. It is a time-honored tradition. But sooner or later, every past champ calls it a day for one reason or another. A few needed a polite nudge, yet most know when to hang up the spikes, often just because of age. In fact, it’s been 17 years since a Masters champ aged 70 or older has teed up at Augusta.

Gary Player, then 74, played his 52nd and last Masters in 2009. His final cut came back in 1998 (T-46). It was the same year that a 58-year-old Jack Nicklaus finished T6. Fuzzy Zoeller and Ray Floyd bowed out in 2009, too. Floyd was holding on until the 2010 Masters at age 66. Zoeller was 58.

Since then, past champs have been calling time: Craig Stadler (2014, 60), Ben Crenshaw (2015, 63), Tom Watson (2016, 66), Mark O’Meara (2018, 61), Ian Woosnam (2021, 63), Larry Mize (2023, 64), Sandy Lyle (2023, 65), and Bernhard Langer (2025, 67).

So, past champions do get to play the Masters as long as they like. But back in the day, Augusta nearly pulled the plug entirely.

Then-chairman Hootie Johnson grew fed up with uncompetitive winners bailing after the first round, or sometimes just a few holes. That frustration birthed a controversial 2002 policy to boot former champs once they hit 65. The golf world erupted in uproar, so Augusta scrapped it in 2003 before it could take effect in 2004.

So, the champions don’t lose their lifetime invites. But, of course, in Angel Cabrera’s case, he was absent from the field for five years because he was in jail outside the country. He later got to play the 2025 Masters, a decision that drew plenty of criticism.

But people have been banned at Augusta, including Gary Player’s son, who is banned for life over guerrilla marketing. Ex-ESPN commentator Kenny Mayne also faces a lifetime ban for a different reason.

Has anyone ever sneaked into Augusta National?

Well, first of all, it’s pretty impossible to do so because of the tight security. It hardly matters whether you’re within the course or outside it.

For instance, back at the 2012 Masters, a patron (not a “spectator,” and you’ll see why) got arrested after ducking under the rope, slipping past the bodyguards, and heading to the 10th hole bunker to scoop up some sand in an empty beer cup. Big mistake.

The Oklahoma native faced disorderly conduct charges, got fingerprinted and photographed, and had his phone, wallet, Masters badge—everything—confiscated. When it was all done and dusted, the case cost him some $20,000.

And that is an answer enough to the question above.

Yet another incident occurred. In March 2021, authorities arrested a man caught on camera slipping into Augusta. Augusta National security promptly alerted police right before midnight. He admitted to deputies that he entered the grounds out of boredom, seeking “some fun,” which led to charges of criminal trespassing and obstruction.

Back in 2022, Charles Howell III, who grew up near Augusta, recalled sneaking onto the course with friends in his younger, pre-pro days. They did everything without ever getting caught.

But when asked if it could happen today, Howell replied, “…in today’s Augusta National there would be lasers, there would be cameras, there would be everything. You would never play there again, let’s say that.”

Remember, Augusta National is America’s most private golf course. We don’t recommend doing any of this.

Why are there no sponsor logos or advertisements on the course during Masters week?

It all traces back to a decision by then-chairman Clifford Roberts. In 1956, when The Masters first aired on TV, Roberts believed that limited commercials would deliver a great viewing experience while proving more effective for brands. CBS couldn’t find a sponsor willing to accept Roberts’ terms, so the first two years of coverage ran entirely commercial-free.

The precedent is said to be the Olympics, which runs basically the same way. So, it has all to do with keeping the Masters as a pure tradition; just watch golf and don’t worry about being flashed by a hundred different advertisements throughout the week.

The Masters limits ads by forgoing broadcast fees from CBS and ESPN (the tournament’s networks) in exchange for greater control over the TV production. Augusta has seven sponsors, but none of their logos appear anywhere on-site during tournament week.

Sponsors get exposure only through TV commercials, which are tightly restricted to about four minutes per hour. However, starting this year, you can watch the Masters on Prime Video for the first two rounds.

The Masters and Augusta National have their own unique brand, which revolves around preserving history and tradition.

Why are fans at Augusta National called “patrons”?

This is again one of the things started by the co-founder, Clifford Roberts. Since the Masters began in 1934, he has aimed to create a more elevated experience for spectators, whom he regarded as much more than casual fans who show up, watch the action, and go home. Rather, he viewed them as essential to the event’s core spirit.

And so he dubbed attendees “patrons,” a term that has endured, used by everyone from golf enthusiasts to media outlets when referring to spectators at the Masters. It’s simply ANGC’s preference, not a formal rule. You can also attribute it to the scarcity of tickets; getting in isn’t easy, so the elevated label fits. There are some strict rules they must follow, however.

Now, you hear everyone, including the Masters broadcasters (because they have to), call the fans “patrons.”