The first of the year’s four major golf tournaments, the Masters is a fixture on the spring sports calendar, timed to culminate when azaleas are in full bloom in Georgia.
When does the Masters start?
This year’s tournament will run from Thursday, April 11 to Sunday, April 14.
The traditional Par 3 competition was held on Wednesday, April 10, attended by the families of some of golf’s best players. Since its opening in 1960, 107 holes have been drilled in the Par 3 competition in one go.
How can I watch the Masters on TV?
In the UK the Masters is broadcast exclusively on Sky Sports Golf.
The free stream is available on the Masters website, where viewers can watch each shot within minutes of it taking place.
Radio broadcast of the tournament in England is on Talksport.
In previous years the Masters was shown live or as highlights on free-to-air television in the UK. However, last year the BBC cut ties with the tournament completely.
Alternatively, you can bookmark this page and return to follow the tournament on our live blog, along with commentary and analysis from Augusta National.
Where is the Masters played?
The Masters is the only one of golf’s four majors that is played on the same course every year.
Augusta National Golf Club is located in northeastern Georgia near the South Carolina border. Augusta National is one of the most exclusive golf clubs in the world. There are understood to be only about 300 members, including Bill Gates and Warren Buffet. The only way to play the course is by invitation from a member.
However, the club’s exclusivity also has a more dangerous side. While Augusta did not allow an African American member until 1990, there were no female members until 2012, when Condoleezza Rice joined.
How much is the Masters prize money?
This year’s total purse is expected to be $18 million (£14.2 million), the same as last year. The winner receives $3,240,000 (£2.51 million), with progressively smaller prize money for each of the top 50 finishers.
The winner also receives a replica of the official trophy (which never leaves the club). The champion golfer also receives a gold medal and, most importantly, a green jacket.
There are also awards for finishing second, being the leader in amateur golf, recording the lowest score of the day, single putt on the hole, hitting an eagle, and hitting a double eagle.
How do players qualify for the Masters?
Technically speaking, players receive an invitation to play in the Masters. Unlike the US Open or Open Championship, there is no ‘open’ qualifying process.
There are 20 different ways to make sure an envelope from Augusta lands in your mailbox. The simplest way is to enter the top 50 in the world rankings on January 1.
All previous Masters champions can play if they accept the invitation, and so can players who finished in the top 12 of the previous year’s tournament.
Players who won a fully sanctioned PGA Tour event the previous season will also be booked for Augusta. The same goes for players who finished in the top four in any branch of the previous season; Big winners are guaranteed a Master seat for five years.
Players who were among the world’s top 50 players in the week before the Masters will also be invited. Masters also reserves the right to invite wildcards.
The rest of the field consists of winners of the amateur game’s most elite events. The Masters is a smaller field than the other three majors and typically draws around 90 players.
Only five or six British golfers will take part in this year’s tournament (depending on whether Danny Willett has sufficiently recovered from shoulder surgery). James Corrigan explains why so few England players come to Augusta.
Will LIV golfers be at the Masters?
Yes, but in lower numbers than last year. The main problem for LIV golfers is that tournaments in the breakaway circuit do not offer world ranking points, which is the route by which most players qualify for the Masters (see above).
LIV golfers set to take part in the 2024 Masters included Bryson DeChambeau (since he won the 2020 U.S. Open), Cam Smith (since he won the 2023 Open Championship), Brooks Koepka (since he won the PGA Championship in 2019), Jon Rahm, Patrick. Reed, Phil Mickelson, Sergio Garcia, Charl Schwartzel, Dustin Johnson and Bubba Watson (all previous Masters champions), Tyrrell Hatton and Adrian Meronk (ranked in the world’s top 50 earlier this year) and Joaquin Niemann (received a special award). Invitation).
Will Tiger Woods play?
Yes. The five-time champion arrived at Augusta to begin practice on Sunday and played an earlier round of practice over the Easter weekend.
Woods continues to recover from a car accident that nearly cost him his right leg in 2021, but his withdrawal from the second round of the LA Open in February – his first official competition in 10 months – has cast doubt on his ability to take part in the season’s first major.
What are the three toughest holes (according to 2013 champion Adam Scott)?
How to buy tickets to the Masters?
If you want to buy tickets to this year’s tournament, your time is up. Tickets will go on sale the previous year and the application deadline will be in June. Tickets are awarded by ballot and applicants are told whether they are successful or not in July.
A ticket to one of the three day training sessions costs $100 (£78.00). Tickets for one of the tournament days are $140 (£110).
Complete list of Masters winners
What are tea hours?
The start time of the third round can be found here
What are the latest rates?
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Scottie Scheffler7/5
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Bryson DeChambeau 9/2
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Maximum Homa 11/2
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Colin Morikawa 14/1
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Nicolai Hojgaard28/1
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Tommy Fleetwood 40/1
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Matt Fitzpatrick 50/1
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Tiger Forest 200/1
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Rory McIlroy 250/1
Selected odds are correct until April 13, 2024