Question: Who won the first-ever Masters?
Answer: Horton Smith won the first Masters in 1934, earning $1,500 from a $5,000 purse. While this year’s Masters purse has not yet been released by tournament officials, in 2025, the purse was $21 million with $4.2 million going to winner Rory McIlroy, highlighting the dramatic growth in prestige and prize money over time in golf history.