Masters ticket resale values plummet amid coronavirus concerns

Prices on the secondary market for tickets to the 2020 Masters have plummeted due to growing concerns over the coronavirus, according to Golf.com's Kevin Cunningham.

Prices for practice-round, single-day, and full-week passes on ticket sites such as StubHub and SeatGeek have dropped over 50% compared to 2018. Though tickets to the 2019 event were much more expensive than in other years, 2020 prices are still around 30% lower than last year's rates, according to Outside the Cut.

"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,” said Jesse Lawrence, founder of TicketIQ, according to Dan Wetzel of Yahoo Sports.

Though tickets are still relatively pricey, access to golf's holy ground can be purchased for as little as $383 compared to $546 last year. The cheapest Thursday-Sunday single-day ticket is currently listed on StubHub at $4,083 - over $2,000 cheaper than in 2019.

Despite the coronavirus risk, the show will go on.

"We are proceeding as scheduled for the Augusta National Women's Amateur; the Drive, Chip, and Putt National Finals; and the Masters Tournament," Augusta National chairman Fred Ridley said last week in a statement obtained by Golf Channel's Nick Menta.

Diving into the secondary market for Masters tickets is a risky endeavor at the best of times. Augusta National prohibits the resale of tickets and can identify resold tickets to deny access to the grounds. Individuals who sell their tickets can also be banned from purchasing tickets in the future.