Masters Ticket Prices Face Sharp Decline Amid Virus Risk

It’s incredibly difficult to score tickets to the Masters Tournament – and even those who do end up buying a ticket usually end up spending thousands just for one seat. However, amid the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, tickets are being sold for incredibly low prices.

TicketIQ notes that the average ticket price of a badge for a Thursday opening round was $3,616 in 2016, followed by $3,211 in 2017 and $4,475 in 2018. Fans had to either know someone or get lucky by winning tickets from a ticket lottery, unless they were willing to shell-out loads of money. Now, this year’s lowest price is $1,458 on StubHub and just $1,080 on SeatGeek, Yahoo Sports reports.

Jesse Lawrence, the founder of TicketIQ, told Yahoo! that these prices reflect patrons’ uncertainty regarding the coronavirus. This year, the virus has begun to spread globally, leaving 120,000 infected and 4,300 people dead worldwide, CBS News reports.

“With fears growing about the coronavirus, and the plummeting stock market, get-in prices for the tournament are down 30 percent and at a five-year low,” Lawrence said.

In addition to opening round passes, a badge for Monday’s practice round has significantly decreased on StubHub from $650 to $400, along with Tuesday from $735 to $480, Wednesday from $1,270 to $650, and Thursday from $2,515 to $1,458. Nonetheless, the Masters is still slated to go on as planned for the time being. The championship tournament will take place from April 9 to 12 at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia.

The Masters aren’t alone; other sports events – like the BNP Paribas Open and Ivy League NCAA Conference Tournament – have been cancelled over growing coronavirus concerns, and some teams are even holding events without an audience. In the concert world, major events are being cancelled or postponed. Just this week, Stagecoach and Coachella have been postponed to October, while Ultra and SXSW have been cancelled entirely. Tours are also on-the-rocks, as many artists are considering whether or not to hold gigs.

See the updating list of cancelled concerts here.