The Masters is the first major championship of the golf calendar each year, and the 2026 edition is now underway at Augusta National Golf Club. Defending champion Rory McIlroy returns wearing the green jacket, while Scottie Scheffler leads a field of 89 players competing across four rounds from April 9-12. Here is everything you need to know about The Masters 2026.
Masters 2026 Schedule
- Thursday, April 9 — Round 1
- Friday, April 10 — Round 2 (cut after play: top 50 and ties, plus anyone within 10 shots of the lead)
- Saturday, April 11 — Round 3 (Moving Day)
- Sunday, April 12 — Final Round
Course: Augusta National Golf Club, Augusta, Georgia — Par 72, 7,565 yards
Broadcast: CBS, ESPN, ESPN+, Prime Video, Paramount+
Augusta National Golf Club - Course Guide
Augusta National is one of the most famous and exclusive golf courses in the world. Founded by Bobby Jones and Clifford Roberts in 1933, the course was designed by Alister MacKenzie on the site of a former nursery - which is why each hole is named after a tree or shrub.
Front Nine Highlights
- Hole 1 - Tea Olive (par 4, 445 yards) - A demanding opening hole with a narrow landing area and an elevated green
- Hole 3 - Flowering Peach (par 4, 350 yards) - A short par 4 with one of the most severely sloped greens on the course
- Hole 4 - Flowering Crab Apple (par 3, 240 yards) - One of the toughest par 3s in major championship golf
Amen Corner
The most famous stretch in golf - holes 11, 12 and 13 - is known as Amen Corner. This is where Masters tournaments are won and lost:
- Hole 11 - White Dogwood (par 4, 520 yards) - A long par 4 with water guarding the left side of the green
- Hole 12 - Golden Bell (par 3, 155 yards) - The shortest hole on the course, but arguably the most dangerous. A shallow green fronted by Rae's Creek, with swirling winds that make club selection agonising
- Hole 13 - Azalea (par 5, 510 yards) - A reachable par 5 for long hitters, but Rae's Creek in front of the green punishes any miscalculation
Back Nine Drama
The back nine at Augusta is where the magic happens. Holes 15 and 16 offer birdie opportunities, while the closing stretch of 17 and 18 demands precision under pressure. Some of the greatest moments in golf history have unfolded on these holes.
Round 1 Tee Times and Pairings
All times Eastern (EDT). The full field of 89 players tees off from the 1st tee in 31 groups.
Morning Wave
| Time (EDT) | Players |
|---|---|
| 7:40 AM | John Keefer, Haotong Li |
| 7:50 AM | Naoyuki Kataoka, Max Homa, Carlos Ortiz |
| 8:02 AM | Jose Maria Olazabal, Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen, Aldrich Potgieter |
| 8:14 AM | Angel Cabrera, Sami Valimaki, Jackson Herrington (a) |
| 8:26 AM | Charl Schwartzel, Max Greyserman, Ryan Fox |
| 8:38 AM | Vijay Singh, Matt McCarty, Rasmus Hojgaard |
| 8:50 AM | Kurt Kitayama, Kristoffer Reitan, Casey Jarvis |
| 9:02 AM | Bubba Watson, Nicolas Echavarria, Brandon Holtz (a) |
| 9:19 AM | Cameron Smith, Sam Burns, Jake Knapp |
| 9:31 AM | Keegan Bradley, Ryan Gerard, Nick Taylor |
| 9:43 AM | Dustin Johnson, Shane Lowry, Jason Day |
| 9:55 AM | Patrick Reed, Tommy Fleetwood, Akshay Bhatia |
| 10:07 AM | Bryson DeChambeau, Matt Fitzpatrick, Xander Schauffele |
| 10:19 AM | Hideki Matsuyama, Collin Morikawa, Russell Henley |
| 10:31 AM | Rory McIlroy, Cameron Young, Mason Howell (a) |
| 10:43 AM | Viktor Hovland, Patrick Cantlay, Alex Noren |
Afternoon Wave
| Time (EDT) | Players |
|---|---|
| 11:03 AM | Samuel Stevens, Sungjae Im |
| 11:15 AM | Andrew Novak, Tom McKibbin, Brian Campbell |
| 11:27 AM | Mike Weir, Wyndham Clark, Mateo Pulcini (a) |
| 11:39 AM | Zach Johnson, Michael Kim, Nicolai Hojgaard |
| 11:51 AM | Danny Willett, Davis Riley, Ethan Fang (a) |
| 12:03 PM | Adam Scott, Daniel Berger, Brian Harman |
| 12:15 PM | Fred Couples, Min Woo Lee, Fifa Laopakdee (a) |
| 12:27 PM | Sergio Garcia, Aaron Rai, Jacob Bridgeman |
| 12:44 PM | Harry Hall, Corey Conners, Michael Brennan |
| 12:56 PM | J.J. Spaun, Maverick McNealy, Tyrrell Hatton |
| 1:08 PM | Jon Rahm, Chris Gotterup, Ludvig Aberg |
| 1:20 PM | Jordan Spieth, Justin Rose, Brooks Koepka |
| 1:32 PM | Sepp Straka, Ben Griffin, Justin Thomas |
| 1:44 PM | Scottie Scheffler, Robert MacIntyre, Gary Woodland |
| 1:56 PM | Harris English, Marco Penge, Si Woo Kim |
(a) = amateur
Round 2 Tee Times and Pairings (Friday)
The waves flip for Round 2 — Thursday's afternoon groups go out in the morning and vice versa. Same pairings, reversed order.
Morning Wave
| Time (EDT) | Players |
|---|---|
| 7:40 AM | Samuel Stevens, Sungjae Im |
| 7:50 AM | Andrew Novak, Tom McKibbin, Brian Campbell |
| 8:02 AM | Mike Weir, Wyndham Clark, Mateo Pulcini (a) |
| 8:14 AM | Zach Johnson, Michael Kim, Nicolai Hojgaard |
| 8:26 AM | Danny Willett, Davis Riley, Ethan Fang (a) |
| 8:38 AM | Adam Scott, Daniel Berger, Brian Harman |
| 8:50 AM | Fred Couples, Min Woo Lee, Fifa Laopakdee (a) |
| 9:02 AM | Sergio Garcia, Aaron Rai, Jacob Bridgeman |
| 9:19 AM | Harry Hall, Corey Conners, Michael Brennan |
| 9:31 AM | J.J. Spaun, Maverick McNealy, Tyrrell Hatton |
| 9:43 AM | Jon Rahm, Chris Gotterup, Ludvig Aberg |
| 9:55 AM | Jordan Spieth, Justin Rose, Brooks Koepka |
| 10:07 AM | Sepp Straka, Ben Griffin, Justin Thomas |
| 10:19 AM | Scottie Scheffler, Robert MacIntyre, Gary Woodland |
| 10:31 AM | Harris English, Marco Penge, Si Woo Kim |
Afternoon Wave
| Time (EDT) | Players |
|---|---|
| 10:51 AM | John Keefer, Haotong Li |
| 11:03 AM | Naoyuki Kataoka, Max Homa, Carlos Ortiz |
| 11:15 AM | Jose Maria Olazabal, Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen, Aldrich Potgieter |
| 11:27 AM | Angel Cabrera, Sami Valimaki, Jackson Herrington (a) |
| 11:39 AM | Charl Schwartzel, Max Greyserman, Ryan Fox |
| 11:51 AM | Vijay Singh, Matt McCarty, Rasmus Hojgaard |
| 12:03 PM | Kurt Kitayama, Kristoffer Reitan, Casey Jarvis |
| 12:15 PM | Bubba Watson, Nicolas Echavarria, Brandon Holtz (a) |
| 12:32 PM | Cameron Smith, Sam Burns, Jake Knapp |
| 12:44 PM | Keegan Bradley, Ryan Gerard, Nick Taylor |
| 12:56 PM | Dustin Johnson, Shane Lowry, Jason Day |
| 1:08 PM | Patrick Reed, Tommy Fleetwood, Akshay Bhatia |
| 1:20 PM | Bryson DeChambeau, Matt Fitzpatrick, Xander Schauffele |
| 1:32 PM | Hideki Matsuyama, Collin Morikawa, Russell Henley |
| 1:44 PM | Rory McIlroy, Cameron Young, Mason Howell (a) |
| 1:56 PM | Viktor Hovland, Patrick Cantlay, Alex Noren |
Featured Groups to Watch
DeChambeau, Fitzpatrick, Schauffele (10:07 AM) — Three major champions in one group. Bryson DeChambeau's power, Fitzpatrick's precision and Schauffele's all-round game make this the most stacked morning group.
McIlroy, Young, Howell (10:31 AM) — Defending champion Rory McIlroy begins his title defence alongside the big-hitting Cameron Young and amateur Mason Howell.
Rahm, Gotterup, Aberg (1:08 PM) — Jon Rahm returns to Augusta alongside Ludvig Aberg, the young Swede who continues to rise through the game's elite.
Spieth, Rose, Koepka (1:20 PM) — Three-time major champion Jordan Spieth, the 2013 Masters runner-up Justin Rose, and four-time major winner Brooks Koepka form a formidable afternoon group.
Scheffler, MacIntyre, Woodland (1:44 PM) — World number one Scottie Scheffler anchors the penultimate group in the afternoon wave.
The 2026 Field
The Masters has the smallest field of any major, with 89 players receiving invitations based on specific qualification criteria:
- Past Masters champions — lifetime invitation (Olazabal, Cabrera, Schwartzel, Watson, Scott, Willett, Garcia, Couples, Singh, Weir, Zach Johnson among those teeing it up)
- Major championship winners from the previous five years
- Top finishers from the previous year's Masters
- PGA Tour winners from the current season
- Top 50 in the Official World Golf Ranking as of the week before the tournament
- Amateur qualifiers — Jackson Herrington, Brandon Holtz, Mason Howell, Mateo Pulcini, Ethan Fang and Fifa Laopakdee all earned their spots
Players to Watch
- Scottie Scheffler — The world number one and pre-tournament favourite has been the most consistent player in the game
- Rory McIlroy — The defending champion hunting back-to-back green jackets
- Xander Schauffele — A multiple major champion who thrives at Augusta's demanding layout
- Bryson DeChambeau — His prodigious length off the tee is a significant advantage at Augusta, where the course has been lengthened repeatedly
- Ludvig Aberg — The young Swede's rise continues and Augusta suits his aggressive, high-ball-flight game
- Collin Morikawa — One of the purest ball-strikers in the game, suited to Augusta's firm, fast greens
Masters Traditions
The Masters is steeped in tradition more than any other golf tournament:
- The Green Jacket - awarded to the champion in a ceremony in the Butler Cabin. The defending champion helps the new winner into the jacket
- The Champions Dinner - held on Tuesday evening of Masters week, where the defending champion selects the menu for all past champions
- The Par 3 Contest - a lighthearted nine-hole event on Augusta's par-3 course, played on Wednesday. Famously, no winner of the Par 3 Contest has gone on to win the Masters in the same year
- Patron, not spectator - Augusta National refers to its gallery members as "patrons," and the atmosphere is famously respectful and reverential
How to Follow The Masters 2026 Live
The Masters generates more excitement than any other week in golf, and following the action live adds enormously to the experience. With GolfMode, you can:
- Track every player's score hole by hole in real time
- Follow your favourite players through Amen Corner and the back nine
- Get instant notifications for eagles, aces and dramatic leaderboard changes
- Compare player stats throughout the tournament
For a complete understanding of the tour these players compete on year-round, see our PGA Tour guide.
Masters History and Records
The Masters has produced some of the most iconic moments in sporting history:
- Most wins - Jack Nicklaus holds the record with six green jackets (1963, 1965, 1966, 1972, 1975, 1986)
- Lowest 72-hole score - 268 (-20), set in 2020
- Youngest winner - Tiger Woods, who was 21 when he won his first Masters in 1997 by 12 strokes
- Oldest winner - Jack Nicklaus, who was 46 when he won his sixth Masters in 1986 in one of the greatest sporting comebacks of all time
- The "Golden Bear" charge - Nicklaus's 1986 victory, where he shot 30 on the back nine on Sunday, remains the most celebrated final round in major championship history
Understanding OWGR and Masters Qualification
The Official World Golf Ranking plays a crucial role in Masters qualification. Players ranked inside the top 50 in the world as of the week before the tournament receive an invitation. This means the OWGR race intensifies in the months leading up to April, with players on the bubble competing fiercely to secure their spot at Augusta.
Frequently Asked Questions
When is The Masters 2026?
The Masters 2026 runs from Thursday, April 9 through Sunday, April 12 at Augusta National Golf Club. The cut falls after Round 2 on Friday, with the top 50 and ties (plus anyone within 10 shots of the lead) advancing to the weekend.
How can I get tickets to The Masters?
Augusta National operates a lottery system for daily and practice round tickets. Demand far exceeds supply — the waiting list has been closed for years. The most reliable way to attend is through authorised hospitality packages, though these come at a premium.
Who is the defending Masters champion?
Rory McIlroy won The Masters in 2025, completing the career Grand Slam. He returns to Augusta in 2026 as defending champion.
Why is The Masters always at Augusta National?
Unlike the other three majors, which rotate between courses, The Masters has been held exclusively at Augusta National since its inception in 1934. This permanence is central to the tournament's identity and allows players to build course knowledge over decades.
What is the prize money at The Masters 2026?
The Masters purse has grown significantly in recent years, with the total prize fund exceeding $18 million. The champion's share is typically around $3.6 million, along with the priceless green jacket. For a full breakdown, see our Masters 2026 prize money guide.
Do LIV Golf players compete at The Masters?
Yes. The Masters has its own invitation criteria, separate from any tour. Past champions receive lifetime invitations, and players who meet other qualification criteria — such as world ranking or recent major wins — are also invited, regardless of which tour they compete on. Cameron Smith, Bryson DeChambeau, Jon Rahm, Dustin Johnson, Brooks Koepka, Patrick Reed and Sergio Garcia are all in the 2026 field.
How many players are in The Masters field?
The 2026 Masters field has 89 players — the smallest field of any major championship. This includes past champions, major winners, top-ranked players, tour winners and six amateur qualifiers.
Track The Masters 2026 live on GolfMode - download free.
Published by GolfMode Editorial. Our content is researched and fact-checked by golf journalists covering professional tours worldwide. Learn about our editorial approach.
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