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Everyone says goodbye to the Masters eventually. Sandy Lyle, Ben Crenshaw, Ian Woosnam and Bernhard Langer used recent years to wave goodbye. Will 2026 be the end for an iconic Augusta National element of more recent times … the Masters gnome?

Speculation is rising that this Masters will be the final time gnomes will be on sale inside Augusta’s merchandise outlets. On face value, this hardly feels dramatic. The quirk, though, is that the household essential for any golf lover has become a victim of its own success. Augusta National has offered no comment when approached on the gnome’s future but the race feels on to collect the final batches of stock before the 14-inch ceramic doll is consigned to Masters history.

Gnomes were initially introduced in 2016, as a gift to grandees in Masters hospitality. By 2018, they were on sale to the public and in short order hugely collectible (especially the Santa version from the 2020, Covid-affected Masters). Full sets of gnomes typically sell for upwards of $20,000. Ryan Carey, a sporting auctions specialist, told Golf Digest last month he hopes to sell a 2016 gnome for $10,000. At source, Masters gnomes cost $49.50. They appear on resale sites for several multiples of that price from the start of every Masters week. You would be frightened to leave one at your front door unprotected.

The black market element of the gnome business does not appear to bother Augusta officials. Tickets change hands for small fortunes a short distance from the golf course’s gates without eyebrows being raised or sanctions applied. This all adds to the Masters appeal. Instead, the chatter among the azaleas is that those running the Masters organsiers are irked by the impact of gnome hunting on their patron experience. There is a limit to how many gnomes any individual can buy, yet even that does nothing to slow the pursuit of Augusta’s hottest commodity.

Nobody knows how many gnomes are placed on sale daily – 1,000 has been guessed – but what is clear is that they sell out within an hour. It really is quite the scene as golf fans queue for hours ahead of gates opening before stampeding - not running, that is not allowed – towards the shop for the one item that is a near certainty to boost pension pots. Masters attendees are allowed re-entry, meaning there is no need to carry the bulky gnome box around all day if you can return it to your vehicle.

Augusta of course has no reason whatsoever to care about a financial hit from the removal of their gnome phenomenon. Conservative estimates are that the Masters makes $70m in annual merchandising revenue. Making the gnomes extinct would actually enhance their underground value.

Despite Masters weather being set fair, this year’s gnome design includes an accompanying umbrella which of course even works and can be put up. The poor wee fellas may well need more protection than that to ensure a stay of execution. Theirs would be a short but wonderfully famous existence.