AUGUSTA, Ga. (AP) — John James arrived at Augusta National an hour before the gates opened to patrons for the 90th Masters — all for the purpose of securing a 13 1/2-inch tall gnome.
“Had to have one,” said James, who was attending the Masters from Wyckoff, New Jersey. “It's a novelty.”
This is the 10th and perhaps final year Augusta National will sell the limited edition gnome, which features the traditional old man with a white beard in colorful golf attire. Each year's gnome is different, with the 2026 edition featuring the character dressed in khaki pants with a white-and-green striped polo shirt and blue vest holding an umbrella in one hand and a Masters-themed cup in the other.
The gnomes have become wildly popular — and increasingly valuable — over the last decade.
With only about 1,000 available each day, the gnomes regularly sell out within an hour each morning at the merchandise shop before being restocked the following day. This year's gnome sells for $59.50 plus tax and is only available at Augusta National.
It has become a big money-maker for some patrons on the resale market.
The bidding for one gnome on eBay reached $620 on Friday with two days still remaining in the auction. Another can be purchased directly for $670 plus delivery cost, but there are dozens of others listed for similar prices.
On Facebook Marketplace, some gnomes are being sold for $800.
Fueling the price is speculation this may be the final year that the gnome will be produced.
Masters chairman Fred Ridley was asked earlier in the week if this will be the final edition. He responded by saying, “I’ve been asking that question for several years, and they won’t tell me the answer. So I can’t help you.”
When asked if he'd consider selling his gnome, James laughed and said, “Maybe.”
“I mean, I just spent more than $1,000 in the gift shop, so from what I've heard the gnome might pay for all of it,” James said. “I'll have to think about it, but it's definitely an option.”
John Van Pay, who came from San Antonio, got caught up in the gnome hysteria after talking with a friend associated with the LIV tour the night before attending the Masters. He convinced his son, Bryce, to wake up early and get to the course, and limited to one per person, they each walked out of the merchandise shop with a gnome.
“Yeah, we kept hearing about this gnome, and the rumor is it's going to be the last year they produce them,” Van Pay said. “So next thing you know, we are waiting in line at 7 a.m. to buy this gnome at the shop.”
Van Pay said he plans to keep his gnome as a souvenir of his trip to the Masters, calling it “a great piece of memorabilia” and something that “is going to look great on the shelf.” The younger Van Pay is a little more torn; he's an avid memorabilia collector, mostly dealing with Funko Pop.
Bryce Van Pay recounted how he recently had a $10 trading card that exploded on the market and reached $300 in value following the release of the most recent Marvel movie, only to watch it's worth slip to $100 a few months later. Van Pay lamented not selling it when it was at its most valuable.
“The Masters gnome is a hot seller and I'm not sure if it's going to go up and down (in value),” the younger Van Pay said. “There is a lot in circulation right now (on eBay and other platforms)."
He said given the possibility this is the last gnome produced, the wiser financial decision might be to hold onto it for a while.
With that, his father jumped in and said: “Well, he's my only son, so he can sell his now and make money and have mine when I hand it down to him.”
AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf
A patron walks with a gnome near the sixth hole during a practice round at of the Masters golf tournament at the Augusta National Golf Club, Monday, April 6, 2026, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)
Patrons walk past this years gnome on the 12th hole during the first round of the Masters golf tournament at the Augusta National Golf Club, Thursday, April 9, 2026, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
LA PAZ, Bolivia (AP) — Supporters of Bolivia’s influential ex-President Evo Morales clashed with police on Monday in the capital city as they called on the president to resign, joining a nationwide protest movement fueled by the worst economic crisis in a generation.
Thousands of Morales' followers converged on the plaza outside the government headquarters as Bolivia remains paralyzed by road blockades that have strangled cities and triggered food and fuel shortages in the last two weeks.
The unrest presents the biggest challenge yet for President Rodrigo Paz, a business friendly centrist who came to power six months ago as a wave of conservative electoral wins swept the region.
Security forces pushed back protesters who tried to break police ranks with canisters of tear gas before they could reach Congress or the presidential palace. Dynamite blasts rumbled, forcing staffers and lawmakers to evacuate. “Homeland or death, we will win!” demonstrators chanted, ripping shop doors off their hinges and setting fire to looted sofas used as barricades.
The public prosecutor announced 90 arrests.
“They can march if it’s peaceful, but we will take action if they commit crimes,” said Deputy Interior Minister Hernán Paredes.
Paz's shock victory last year highlighted Bolivians' disillusionment with two decades of political domination by Morales’ Movement Toward Socialism, or MAS, party, as the country reeled from its worst economic crisis in 40 years. But his victory over more right-wing candidates also revealed the nation's unwillingness to support drastic austerity measures.
As Bolivia's first elected conservative leader since 2006, Paz has sought to balance belt-tightening with the need to placate Morales' powerful allies who could disrupt his presidency.
To rein in a massive budget deficit, he eliminated fuel subsidies that represented a pillar of the MAS economic model. But he maintained social welfare programs and offered new benefits to informal workers to blunt the blow of inflation.
That wasn't enough for many Bolivians. The protest movement began with the national labor union demanding wage hikes. Then farmers furious about poor quality fuel joined. Then miners strapped for dynamite piled on pressure. Now loyalists of Morales want Paz gone.
“Small things have been accumulating — the wage issue, the economic crisis, dirty gasoline that people say is ruining their cars, diesel shortages," said Veronica Rocha, a Bolivia political analyst. “There’s a huge portion of the population that feels orphaned politically. They don’t trust anyone anymore, and because of that, anything can happen.”
Paz accuses Morales of orchestrating the unrest to undermine his administration. Road blockades have long been a main weapon of social movements tied to Morales that claim to represent Bolivia’s rural Indigenous majority.
Over the past 16 days, the protest tactic has stranded around 5,000 trucks on highways, leaving supermarket shelves empty and hospitals without some medical supplies. Critics say it's a perverse way to protest economic pain — business chambers report the blockades cause over $50 million in losses a day.
Paz has negotiated with some protest groups, reaching deals in recent days with striking miners and teachers who agreed to end their demonstrations. He deployed thousands of police and military officers across La Paz to try to break the blockades over the weekend.
But the crisis continues, worrying the wider region. Eight allied Latin American governments, from Chile to Costa Rica, released a joint statement rejecting “any action aimed at destabilizing the democratic order.” Neighboring Argentina said it would start a weeklong humanitarian airlift to alleviate shortages in the country.
The United States, now rebuilding relations with Bolivia after years in which Morales defined the country in opposition to Washington, said it supported Paz’s efforts “to restore order for the peace, security and stability of the Bolivian people.” The State Department issued an alert this week urging U.S. citizens traveling to Bolivia to be vigilant.
Morales marshaled the latest march from his hideout in Bolivia's remote tropics. He has been holed up in the highlands for the past year and a half, evading an arrest warrant on charges relating to his sexual relationship with a 15-year-old girl. He says the allegations are politically motivated.
Right-wing politicians have seized on the protests to demand authorities arrest Morales, who was held in contempt of court last week after he failed to appear for a trial.
But Morales' enduring influence “is only one piece of the puzzle,” Rocha said. "If the government wants to survive politically, it will have to make drastic changes.”
DeBre reported from Ushuaia, Argentina.
Follow AP’s coverage of Latin America and the Caribbean at https://apnews.com/hub/latin-america
A protester returns a tear gas canister to police during an anti-government protest in La Paz, Bolivia, Monday, May 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Juan Karita)
A protester returns a tear gas canister to police during an anti-government protest in La Paz, Bolivia, Monday, May 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Juan Karita)
Military police stand outside the government palace while anti-government protests take place in La Paz, Bolivia, Monday, May 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Juan Karita)
Police stand guard behind a fence during anti-government protests near the government palace in La Paz, Bolivia, Monday, May 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Juan Karita)
A miner launches a firecracker at police during an anti-government protest in La Paz, Bolivia, Monday, May 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Juan Karita)
