Who Puts The Green Jacket On A Repeat Winner? Masters tradition set for another test at Augusta
AUGUSTA, Ga. — who puts the green jacket on a repeat winner is the question hanging over the Masters as the final round unfolds at Augusta National Golf Club. The answer depends on whether the defending champion, Rory McIlroy, finishes Sunday as the winner again. If he does, the ceremony shifts from the usual champion-to-champion handoff to Augusta National chairman Fred Ridley.
What happens if the defending champion wins again?
The Masters has a long-standing tradition: the defending champion places the green jacket on the newest winner. That ceremony takes place inside Butler Cabin for the televised audience and again outside the clubhouse for patrons and members gathered on the grounds.
But who puts the green jacket on a repeat winner changes the moment the defending champion is also the player being honored. In that case, tournament tradition calls for the club chairman to put the jacket back on the defending champion. The context for this year is clear: Rory McIlroy is the defending champion, tied for the lead at 11 under with six players separated by just three shots entering the final round.
That means who puts the green jacket on a repeat winner is not a hypothetical question for history alone. It is a live possibility at Augusta National on Sunday evening, with the ceremony still in play and the field still close enough to keep the outcome unsettled.
The tradition behind the ceremony
The Masters has seen this situation before, but only three times. In 1966, Jack Nicklaus became the first player to successfully defend a Masters title. He slipped the jacket on himself while chairman Clifford Roberts watched. In 1990, when Nick Faldo won again, chairman Hord Hardin placed the jacket back on him. The most recent example came in 2002, when Tiger Woods repeated and chairman Hootie Johnson handled the ceremony.
That history shows the same answer each time the defending champion is also the winner: the chairman steps in. In 2026, that responsibility would fall to Fred Ridley if McIlroy wins again. The ceremony would still be part of the Masters’ familiar rhythm, but the person fastening the jacket would change with the result.
What the weekend setting adds
The green jacket is not the only uniform drawing attention this week. White outfits worn by caddies are also a visible part of the Masters weekend. The outfit includes a white jumpsuit, a green Masters-branded cap, and white tennis shoes. Caddies also wear the surname of the player they are working for, plus a number.
McIlroy’s caddie will wear number one because he is the defending champion. After that, caddies are assigned numbers based on the order in which they registered for the tournament. The clothing and numbering add another layer to a weekend built around order, tradition, and ceremony.
Why the answer matters now
The green jacket ceremony has been repeated for decades, both in Butler Cabin and on the course in front of patrons. It remains one of the clearest traditions at Augusta National, and the rules around it are tightly defined. A champion may take the jacket away from Augusta National for the year he is the reigning winner, but it must return in time for the next tournament.
For now, who puts the green jacket on a repeat winner remains tied to one thing: whether McIlroy closes out Sunday as champion again. If he does, Ridley becomes the key figure in the final moment, and who puts the green jacket on a repeat winner will have its answer at Augusta National.
