When April rolls around, there is only one thing on the mind of avid golf watchers around the world, and that is the Masters. The only major where the venue does not alter annually, the Masters holds a special place in golf history.
Additionally, as the first major of the calendar year, it yields extra excitement and suspense, as the world’s best convene for a four-day battle in paradise.
2026 will be the 90th edition of this great event since its inception in 1934. Horton Smith was the first winner that year, and since then, the Masters has produced 57 different victors.
But who could forget last year’s tournament, when Northern Irishman Rory McIlroy produced perhaps the most dramatic final round ever played before securing his long-anticipated Grand Slam in a playoff against Englishman Justin Rose.
It was a Masters for the ages, and one that will be remembered for decades to come. It will be arduous to surpass the greatness of McIlroy’s feat, but this event has a proclivity for drama and tension every year.
Nearly seven years have now passed since Tiger Woods’ memorable 2019 triumph, a fifth Masters title, which most deemed outside the realm of possibility considering what he has gone through physically in the last decade and a half.
Who will stake their claim and perhaps earn their first Green Jacket, an iconic symbol of the sport, and something to treasure for eternity?
The Masters Preview 2026: The Details
- Dates: April 9-12, 2026
- Course: Augusta National
- Par: 72
- Length: 7,555 yards
- Prize purse: $21,000,000 (2025)
- Defending champion: Rory McIlroy (-11)
The Masters Preview: Useful links
- Who is in the field for the 2026 Masters Tournament?
- Who’s had a hole-in-one at the Masters?
- Hole-by-hole guide to Augusta National
- Who has won the Masters Tournament?
- A brief history of the Masters Tournament
- The Masters TV Guide
- The weather forecast at the Masters
- Can you name every Masters winner in our quiz?
Everything you need to know about the 2025 Masters
Check out our comprehensive coverage of the 2026 Masters with all the key notes and facts as we prepare for the action to get underway on Thursday, April 9.
Where is the Masters played?
The Masters is played at Augusta National in Augusta, Georgia. It was established in 1934 and it was designed by Bobby Jones and Alister Mackenzie. The club was founded by Jones and Cliff Roberts in 1932.
How do golfers qualify for the Masters?
The Masters holds a tradition whereby any winner of the tournament is eligible for a lifetime exemption, until the individual decides they are no longer able to withstand the competitive edge or playing ability.
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There are plentiful routes to qualify for the Masters, and the club added more ways to get into the field through National Opens worldwide last August, including the Scottish, Spanish, Japan, Hong Kong, Australian and South African Opens.
Other ways to qualify incorporate major winners from the previous five years, the top 50 in the Official World Golf Ranking and winning a PGA Tour event in the year prior, among others.
Find out more HERE in our piece dedicated to Masters qualification.
The Masters preview: What are the odds for the 2026 Masters?
Below is a list of the top 20 players in the betting for the Masters:
Scottie Scheffler – 7/2
Rory McIlroy – 11/2
Ludvig Aberg – 14/1
Bryson DeChambeau – 14/1
Xander Schauffele – 16/1
Jon Rahm – 16/1
Collin Morikawa – 20/1
Justin Thomas – 22/1
Tommy Fleetwood – 22/1
Robert MacIntyre – 28/1
Viktor Hovland – 28/1
Brooks Koepka – 33/1
Hideki Matsuyama – 33/1
Jordan Spieth – 33/1
Tyrell Hatton – 40/1
Joaquin Niemann – 40/1
Patrick Cantlay – 40/1
Justin Rose – 40/1
Shane Lowry – 40/1
Will Zalatoris – 50/1
Is Tiger Woods playing in the Masters?
Tiger Woods’ participation in the 2026 Masters remains up in the air. Since rupturing his Achilles in March last year, Woods has not participated in a single professional event.
He co-founded TGL, the virtual golf league that got underway at the start of 2025. Woods is captain of the Jupiter Links team, but has been largely absent from the spotlight, both on and off the course, since his injury.
Woods may never be able to compete in a major again, but, knowing his grit and determination to come back from previous injuries, it is impossible to rule him out completely.
Who won the Masters in 2025?
Rory McIlroy won a memorable Masters tournament last year, edging out Justin Rose in a sudden-death playoff with a birdie on the 18th hole.
The pair were tied at 11-under after 72 holes, following a polarising final round from McIlroy, which included extraordinary iron shots but also comical course mismanagement while in the lead.
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Rose started the day seven shots back of the lead but fired a superb 66 prior to McIlroy’s struggles to be tied at the top. But fate was in the Northern Irishman’s favour, as he captured his fifth major championship, and first in 11 years.
You can check out all the past winners of the tournament here.
Before that, you can test your knowledge by taking on our quiz. Can you name all the winners of the tournament? Try it out here.
Is there a cut at the Masters?
The Masters prides itself on owning the smallest field of all the majors, and adheres to keeping the number of entrants under 100. Nonetheless, there is still a cut after the second round on Friday, in which the top 50 and ties make it through to the weekend.
The top 50 ad ties rule has been in place since 2020, where the previous notion of anyone being within ten shots of the leader making the cut was removed.
To see the full explainer on the cut rules at the Masters, take a look at our piece here.
Could there be a playoff to decide the winner?
If there are two or more players tied at the top after four rounds, then the Masters will be decided on a playoff.
Again, unlike the other major tournaments, the Masters does things differently. It is the only major championship that features a sudden-death playoff. The 18th and 10th holes are alternated until a winner is found.
The playoff in 2025 was the first one since 2017. Incidentally, Justin Rose was also defeated in that instance, when Spaniard Sergio Garcia won his first and only major championship.
2012 was another memorable playoff, which was characterised by Bubba Watson’s rope hook from the trees down the right side of the 10th as he went on to beat Louis Oosthuizen to the title on the second playoff hole.
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There have been a total of 18 playoffs in Masters history, although the sudden-death rule was not implemented until 1976.
For more on the exact rules to decide the winner of the competition, check out our piece on the playoff rules here.
Has the Masters ever not finished on a Sunday?
There have been five occasions where the tournament has overran, due to weather delays, with the most recent of those coming back in 1983.
41 years ago, play didn’t even take place on Friday due to the weather conditions. Therefore, the last three rounds were all moved back a day, leading to a Monday finish.
You can check out the full story of 1983, and the other four Monday finishes at the Masters, here.
Can LIV Golf players play at Augusta National?
Yes, they can, as long as they qualify in one of the categories named above. Past champions who play on the circuit include Jon Rahm, Dustin Johnson, Patrick Reed, Sergio Garcia, Charl Schwartzel, Bubba Watson and Phil Mickelson, who will all be looking to put the Green Jacket on once more. Tyrrell Hatton, Bryson DeChambeau, Cameron Smith, Brooks Koepka, Carlos Ortiz and Tom McKibbin are also exempt.
You can see the full list of exempt LIV Golfers here.
Which manufacturers have performed the best at Augusta?
There are plenty of major club brands, and they have all had some form of success over the years at the Masters. The likes of Titleist, Callaway and TaylorMade have all been used en route to victory.
For a more in-depth look at the statistics, take a look at our piece here.
How to get tickets to the Masters
There are a few ways to get tickets to the Masters. One is via the ballot which opens shortly after the end of the prior year’s event. The draw that picks out who is eligible is usually done in the spring and results come in July.
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Find out more about how you can go to the Masters here
Do left-handers have an advantage at Augusta?
There has been a narrative in recent years that suggests that left-handed golfers have a distinct advantage playing Augusta National. By far in the minority, lefties have won at a disproportionate rate in the 21st century. Since 2002, left-handers have won the Masters more times than all of the other three majors combined. But why is this?
The trend stems from the shot-shaping demand of the Augusta layout. With several right-to-left dogleg holes, it suits the shotmaking of lefties to feel comfortable both off the tee and in approach shots. The undulation and angles that personify the course lend themselves to left-handers, more so than the contrary.
Phil Mickelson has won the tournament three times, first in 2004, and then in 2006 and 2010. Mike Weir won the year prior to Phil’s first in 2003. And Bubba Watson won twice in three years between 2012-2014. Six lefty victors in a span of just 11 years.
Put simply, the left-handed fade from right-to-left, which is commonly required around Augusta, is easier to control and manipulate compared to a right-hander hitting a right-to-left draw, which induces less spin.
A fade for left-handers is useful on holes such as the tee shots on the 2nd, 4th, 9th, 10th, and 13th tee shots.
What are the perks for the winner of the Masters?
Not only will the man who wins the tournament be forever known as a Masters Champion, but there are plenty of perks for the winner as well (along with the prize money we’ve already mentioned!)
The winner dons the famous Green Jacket, and receives both the stunning silver trophy and a gold medal.
If you win at Augusta, you receive a lifetime exemption and will be invited back to the Masters every year. You also get invited into the exclusive Champions Dinner and the Champions Locker Room…
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You can check out all of the perks that the winner receives here.
What is Amen Corner?
Amen Corner at Augusta is made up of the 11th, 12th and 13th holes and these three holes are the real showpieces on the layout.
11 is more than 500 yards for the professionals, while everyone knows about the infamous 12th hole.
Rae’s Creek comes into play on the par 5 13th, which is a sharp dog-leg left and has seen some miraculous shots, including that amazing 4-iron from Phil Mickelson on his way to winning in 2010.
For more on what Amen Corner is and why it has been called that, check out our full piece here.
How many hole-in-ones have there been at the Masters?
There have only been 34 aces in the 90-year history of the Masters Tournament, and most of those have come at the famous 16th hole.
To find out the full list of players who have managed to score a hole-in-one at Augusta, please click here.
Can I play Augusta National?
There are ways of getting on to the hallowed turf and being able to put yourself to the test on one of the world’s most famous golf courses.
However, it is pretty difficult!
NOW READ: How can you play Augusta National?
NOW READ: What is the cut rule at the Masters?
NOW READ: What is the Butler Cabin at Augusta?
Are you excited to see Augusta National in all its glory once again? Who do you think will take the title? Find the Masters preview useful? Let us know with a post on X, formerly Twitter!