Masters Sunday beer sales start a few hours later for a reason

AUGUSTA, Ga. ― If you want a beer at the Masters Tournament, you can have your first one bright and early as soon as the gates open each day.

Except on Sunday.

On the sabbath at Augusta National Golf Club, for the final round of the 2026 Masters, the beer taps didn’t flow until 11 a.m. local time.

More: Masters leaderboard, scores, groupings, tee times, more

According to a concession worker who asked not to be identified, she said it was in deference to a nearby church, which doesn’t end its services until that time.

The purchase of alcohol is legal in Georgia on Sunday, with the exception of dry counties.

At the Augusta National concession stands, there is no separate line for beer. The 12-ounce cups are placed on a counter near the other beverages. But not until four hours after the gates open on Sunday, as some would-be early drinkers discovered.

A patron holds a beer at the 2026 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club.

“We got here at 7 a.m.,” said Bill Tobin, of Middletown, Connecticut. “My wife (Sue) and son (Ryan) got breakfast and coffee and I tried to get a beer and they said, ‘No beer until 11.’”

On weekends or when he’s on vacation – as he is this week – Bill Tobin will partake in an early beer. He and his friend, L.B. Gray, who was with the Tobin family, have a standing 6:15 a.m. tee time at their club in Middletown.

“We wait until the back nine to start drinking so that’s about 8:30,” Tobin said.

Jeremy Burdge, who grew up in Seattle and now lives in the Netherlands, was buying two beers on Sunday at the concession stand by the entrance pavilion at 11:45 a.m.

No matter the day, he said he would never have “a cold one” before going into the nearby sprawling merchandise store, often referred to as the Pro Shop or North Golf Shop.

“If you do that, you’ll spend a lot of money,” Burdge said.

Patrons look at the Masters scoreboard at the end of the round during the third round of the 2026 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club.

The sea of green chairs around the 18th green ahead of the final round of the 2026 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club.

Jake Knapp takes a shot on the first fairway during the final round of the 2026 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club.

The 10th green during the final round of the 2026 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club.

Tommy Fleetwood lines up his shot on the fourth hole during the final round of the 2026 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club.

Ian Finnis, Tommy Fleetwood’s caddie, waits in the walkway after the fourth hole during the final round of the 2026 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club.

Patrick Reed takes a shot on the first fairway during the final round of the 2026 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club.

Collin Morikawa plays a shot from a bunker on the first hole during the final round of the 2026 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club.

Brooks Koepka high-fives Mary Bracken Green, 10, of Augusta, as he walks to the fifth tee box during the final round of the 2026 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club.

Wyndham Clark plays a shot from the pine straw on the third hole during the final round of the 2026 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club.

Scottie Scheffler and Haotong Li walk up the first fairway during the final round of the 2026 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club.

1 / 11

Photos: Masters 2026 final round Sunday at Augusta National

Patrons look at the Masters scoreboard at the end of the round during the third round of the 2026 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club.

1 / 11

Photos: Masters 2026 final round Sunday at Augusta National

Patrons look at the Masters scoreboard at the end of the round during the third round of the 2026 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club.

2 / 11

Photos: Masters 2026 final round Sunday at Augusta National

The sea of green chairs around the 18th green ahead of the final round of the 2026 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club.

3 / 11

Photos: Masters 2026 final round Sunday at Augusta National

Jake Knapp takes a shot on the first fairway during the final round of the 2026 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club.

4 / 11

Photos: Masters 2026 final round Sunday at Augusta National

The 10th green during the final round of the 2026 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club.

5 / 11

Who are the patrons picking? We asked them for a 2026 Masters winner

Tommy Fleetwood lines up his shot on the fourth hole during the final round of the 2026 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club.

6 / 11

Photos: Masters 2026 final round Sunday at Augusta National

Ian Finnis, Tommy Fleetwood’s caddie, waits in the walkway after the fourth hole during the final round of the 2026 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club.

7 / 11

Photos: Masters 2026 final round Sunday at Augusta National

Patrick Reed takes a shot on the first fairway during the final round of the 2026 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club.

8 / 11

Photos: Masters 2026 final round Sunday at Augusta National

Collin Morikawa plays a shot from a bunker on the first hole during the final round of the 2026 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club.

9 / 11

Photos: Masters 2026 final round Sunday at Augusta National

Brooks Koepka high-fives Mary Bracken Green, 10, of Augusta, as he walks to the fifth tee box during the final round of the 2026 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club.

10 / 11

Photos: Masters 2026 final round Sunday at Augusta National

Wyndham Clark plays a shot from the pine straw on the third hole during the final round of the 2026 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club.

11 / 11

Photos: Masters 2026 final round Sunday at Augusta National

Scottie Scheffler and Haotong Li walk up the first fairway during the final round of the 2026 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club.

He said before 11 a.m. might be too early for him to have a beer, “but I can appreciate there might be a lot of people who might want one before that.

“11 a.m. is a good time (any day), Burdge said. “It’s starting to get warm and you want a nice, frosty beer with your sandwich. It’s good to have a cold beer with the barbeque and then get out of the course.”

The 7 a.m. serving time for beer on Monday-Sunday is surprising to Burdge, he said.

“It doesn’t seem like a Masters thing or a Georgia thing,” he said.

Beer is not sold during the Drive, Chip and Putt contest at Augusta National, held the Sunday before the Masters practice rounds start each year.

David Westin is a recipient of the Masters Major Achievement Award and has covered every tournament at Augusta National Golf Club since 1979 for The Augusta Chronicle. He also caddied at the club for a time.

This article originally appeared on Augusta Chronicle: Masters beer sales on Sunday start later than other days of week