The Masters is looking a bit more normal this year after a little November detour in 2020 and a tournament played without fans. This year, a reduced number of fans will return to Augusta to watch one of the most legendary tournaments in golf, which means that there will be fewer people in the possibly even more legendary Masters merchandise tent.
Last year, the Masters did something new by letting people shop online for all of their tournament-branded products. In the past, getting Masters merchandise was only possible at the tournament, so if you had a Masters hat or golf club cover, it meant that you (or at least a good friend) got it in the tent.
With the reduced in-person attendance, it means there’s still a lot of people who will want to shop online. So, this year, the Masters merchandise tent has gone hybrid, which means we can get an even better look at what’s new for the 2021 tournament.
One of the newest items this year is the pimento sandwich T-shirt. We’ve never been to the Masters, but apparently these sandwiches are a huge deal at Augusta, so much so that you could buy the cheese to be shipped to you last year.
the sandwiches got their own shirts this year pic.twitter.com/8dD5H4ooT7
— Brendan Porath (@BrendanPorath) March 29, 2021
That “Taste of the Masters” set, which comes with pimento cheese, egg salad, popcorn and more, is already sold out for this year’s shoppers.
Unfortunately, the online shop is still exclusive to patrons only, so we can’t just peruse the shop looking for birthday presents for the golf fans in our lives.
Thankfully, Yahoo Sports broke down some of the better products for sale this year.
There are your standard event souvenirs like posters (with the normal April date this year), but there are some other things that play into themes we’ve noticed in the promotional products world for a little while now.
Puzzles are gaining popularity, especially among fast food companies, and for an event like the Masters, a puzzle makes sense considering it’s just a poster with more steps.
There’s also an “Azalea” candle, named for the famous 13th hole. The candle smells like vanilla, cedar wood and amber, in addition to azalea, “to evoke the warmth and comfort of the atmosphere of the Masters.”
There’s also a garden gnome, complete with his own patron pass, branded hat and pimento cheese sandwich. Garden gnomes don’t necessarily appeal to everyone, but they’re one of those products that once you have one or two, suddenly you collect them and you will accumulate more throughout your life.
Who needs another hat? You DO however, need a Garden Gnome! It's the @Masters’ most sought-after merchandise item. https://t.co/nBkSLLiFYN
— Dave Lucas (@Dave7News) April 7, 2021
Apparently those gnomes are limited to one per customer, making them one of the most popular products in the shop.
Of course, the most coveted branded item at Augusta is always the green jacket, but even if you do get to watch the tournament in Georgia this year, you probably won’t leave with one of those. (Unless you’re Bryson DeChambeau reading this right now.)
