The Masters 2026 - beginner's guide: All you need know ahead of Rory McIlroy's title defence at Augusta National
When is The Masters? What time does coverage start? How can I watch all the action? How do players make the cut? All you need to know and key TV times for the first major of the year, taking place exclusively live on Sky Sports, including Featured Groups, Amen Corner feed and much more
Monday 6 April 2026 14:56, UK
Who is playing in The Masters and why is it such an important date in the sporting calendar? Here's our beginner's guide, covering all you need to know about the first golf major of the year at Augusta National, exclusively live on Sky Sports Golf...
What is The Masters and how do I watch?
The Masters is one of the four major championships in men's professional golf and is truly unique in the sense that it is the only one to be held at the same location every year, the world-famous Augusta National golf course.
First played in 1934, this year's tournament will be the 90th in its history - with Sky Sports bringing you more coverage than ever before from Augusta National.
- Rory McIlroy's Grand Slam success: Essential reading
- When are the majors and key events in 2026?
- The Masters: Latest news ahead of Augusta
- Get Sky Sports or stream golf with no contract
Wall-to-wall coverage from the tournament begins at 2pm on Thursday, with Featured Group action and regular updates from around the course available on Sky Sports Golf until the global broadcast window begins at 6pm.
The same timings will apply on Friday, before an earlier start kicks in for the weekend - with coverage starting at 4.30pm ahead of full coverage getting under way at 5pm and lasting until long after the final putt is holed.
The notorious Amen Corner stream will also be available, focusing on the famous three-hole stretch from the 11th, with that Featured Group offering also available on the Sky Sports+ channel.
A feed of the fourth, fifth and sixth holes will go live each day as soon as the opening group reach that part of the course and another stream covers the 15th and 16th holes, with Featured Groups also available on Sky Sports+.
Who makes up The Masters field?
The top 50 in the world at the end of the previous calendar year earn an invite, as do those inside the top 50 during the week before the tournament takes place, while previous winners hold a lifetime exemption and any other major winners from the last five years are also included in the field.
The top 12 and ties from last year's Masters are allowed to return, as are the top four and ties from the other three majors in 2025, with every winner of PGA Tour events that award a full-point allocation towards the season-ending Tour Championship also getting a spot.
A new exemption category for this year's contest has seen additional invites given to winners of six national Opens - the Genesis Scottish Open, Spanish Open, Japan Open, Hong Kong Open, Australian Open and the South African Open.
The last three winners of The Players and all qualifiers for last season's Tour Championship earn an invite, plus the champions of five of the world's biggest amateur titles, while The Masters committee can also invite a player who has not qualified.
Invites are given to the two finalists of the US Amateur and the winner of The Amateur Championship, along with the winners of the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship, Latin America Amateur Championship, the US Mid-Amateur and the NCCA Division 1 Men's Individual Champion.
There are currently 91 players - as of April 4 - set to tee it up at Augusta National.
Which players could be in contention?
Rory McIlroy returns as defending champion after completing a career Grand Slam at last year's tournament, and while there will undoubtedly be less pressure on the Northern Irishman, he'll start as one of the favourites.
World No 1 Scottie Scheffler will be looking to reclaim the title he won in 2022 and 2024, but arrives in relatively poor form, having finished outside of the top 20 at his last two tournaments.
The most likely contender from LIV Golf has to be Bryson DeChambeau, who has just won successive titles in South Africa and Singapore. 2023 champion Jon Rahm also appears to be in good nick having lost a play-off to DeChambeau in Johannesburg.
Tommy Fleetwood and Ludvig Åberg will both be chasing a first major title, while their European Ryder Cup team-mate Matt Fitzpatrick arrives in fine form having finished second at The Players before winning the Valpsar Championship.
Last year's runner-up Justin Rose already has a PGA Tour win to his name this season, and after missing successive cuts, appeared to have regained some form when he finished T13 at The Players.
From an American perspective, Cameron Young was victorious last month at The Players, while two-time major champion Xander Schauffele is in good form and has recorded five top-10 finishes in his last seven appearances at Augusta.
Why will Tiger Woods not be playing?
Five-time champion Tiger Woods will be absent from Augusta for a second successive year.
Woods was charged with driving under the influence (DUI) after being involved in a car crash in Florida on March 27, where he admitted to looking at his phone as his speeding Land Rover clipped the back of a truck and rolled onto its side.
A sheriff's officer report described Woods' eyes as 'bloodshot and glassy', his pupils dilated and hydrocodone pills - used to treat severe pain - in his pocket at the scene, while body camera footage - released on April 2 - showed him arrested at the roadside.
Woods has entered a not guilty plea, taking the case to a jury trial, although has since announced he will be "stepping away" from golf for a "period of time" to seek treatment and focus on his health.
Before the incident, it had been unclear whether the 50-year-old would have been fit enough to participate at Augusta, where he was last victorious in 2019.
Woods' first appearance of the year in TGL - the indoor competition he and Rory McIlroy are founders of - on March 24 had raised hopes he would feature at The Masters, but his future in the professional game has now been left uncertain.
Who makes the cut and what are the cut rules?
The halfway cut at The Masters is different to any of the majors, with only the lowest 50 and ties after 36 holes getting through to the weekend.
There have been plenty of changes to how the tournament uses a cut through the years, with the old '10-shot rule' that saw you make the cut if within 10 strokes of the halfway lead no longer existing.
Who won The Masters last year?
It finally happened! Rory McIlroy completed a career Grand Slam, and in the most dramatic of circumstances.
Having won the other three majors by the end of 2014, McIlroy had waited more than a decade to become the sixth man to complete the remarkable feat.
McIlroy begun the final round two shots clear, and recovered from making a double bogey at the first to establish a four-shot lead with nine holes to play.
However, a stunning charge from Justin Rose and a rollercoaster back-nine for McIlroy left the Northern Irishman needing to make a par at the 18th to seal victory.
A missed six-foot par putt resulted in a play-off, but McIlroy steadied himself to make a birdie at the same hole he had just bogeyed, cueing hugely emotional scenes on the 18th green.
Two-time champion Patrick Reed ended up third, while Scheffler was fourth. DeChambeau was alongside McIlroy in the final group but struggled to a three-over final round, leaving him tied for fifth with Sungjae Im.
What is on McIlroy's Champions Dinner menu?
After claiming his first Masters win, Rory McIlroy earned the honour of selecting the menu for the annual Champions Dinner served on tournament week at Augusta National.
The reigning Masters champion historically chooses the meals served to fellow winners in the Augusta clubhouse on the Tuesday evening before the serious action begins Thursday morning.
McIlroy will cater to fans of 1990 Chateau Lafite Rothschild and 1989 Chateau d'Yquem, so too sticky toffee pudding fanatics and grilled elk slider scranners.
The 36-year-old's menu includes a first course of yellowfin tuna carpaccio, followed by an option of other wagyu filet mignon or seared salmon - accompanied by traditional Irish Champ - before being rounded off by sticky toffee pudding for dessert.
He may also represent the first player to include brussels sprouts in his selection. Couple that with bacon-wrapped dates, and it is a bold move.
McIlroy revealed how his mother Rosie had previously served him bacon-wrapped dates, while he and his wife Erica have enjoyed a dish of yellowfin tuna carpaccio at their favourite restaurant in New York.
What is the prize money and how much does the winner get?
The prize money breakdown for 2026 is yet to be confirmed, but it is expected to remain similar to last year, in which McIlroy banked a then record $4.2m (approximately £3.17m).
The total prize money for the field was $21m (£15.87m), with all professionals making the cut earning a minimum of $51,000 (£39,000).
Where is Augusta National and what's it like to visit as a fan?
The Masters is held at Augusta National golf course in Augusta, Georgia in the United States. Founded by Bobby Jones and Clifford Roberts, the course was designed by Jones and Alister MacKenzie and opened for play in 1932. Since 1934, it has played host to The Masters tournament.
Mobile phones are strictly banned from the course, with even cameras banned outside of practice days. Anyone caught with any offending items is asked to leave the course. If a patron needs to make an emergency call, there are phone banks located around the course they can use.
Some of the other rules include patrons not being allowed to lie down on the grounds, while running is also forbidden. In terms of dress code, backward-facing hats are a strict no-no, jeans are not allowed and shoes must be worn at all times - with high heels and flip flops on the no list.
But while patrons may have rules to follow, they are far from short-changed in terms of the plentiful and affordable food and drink options available. The Pimento Cheese sandwich - a staple at Augusta - costs the small matter of $1.50!
Anything else I need to know?
Although golfing terminology largely remains the same as any other tournament, you may come across a few words and phrases during The Masters that may not be as familiar...
Amen Corner - Refers to the three-hole stretch from the 11th to 13th at Augusta National, seen as the most difficult section of the course - and available as one of the bonus feeds throughout the week live on Sky Sports.
Azaleas - These are one of most famous plants on display at Augusta National and during The Masters. All the course's holes are named after trees or shrubs present at the golf course and one of the spots where azaleas are most prevalent is alongside the 13th hole, which bears its name.
Butler Cabin - Placed near the 18th hole, this is where The Masters winners are presented with their Green Jacket. Jack Nicklaus was the first, in 1965, to conduct his post-victory interview from inside this building.
Champions Dinner - The winner of last year's tournament hosts an exclusive dinner for all previous Masters champions, and chairman Fred Ridley, on the Tuesday night of the week of the Masters. Rory McIlroy has curated a mouth-watering menu after his first Augusta National win.
Crow's Nest - Located above the library and champions locker room, up a steep set of stairs and on the third floor of the Augusta National clubhouse, this a famous hideaway reserved only for amateurs competing at the tournament. Players to have stayed in the Crow's Nest as amateurs who later went on to win The Masters include Jack Nicklaus, Ben Crenshaw and Tiger Woods.
First and second nine - Rather than the 'front nine' or 'back nine' being used to describe the split in holes at Augusta National, they refer to holes one to nine as the 'first nine' and 10 to 18 as the 'second nine'. It's a small difference, sure, but adds to the unique prestige of the place.
First cut - Augusta has what is referred to as the 'first cut' and 'second cut' of grass when players miss the fairway, as opposed to the rough you would find at other golf courses.
Green Jacket - The concept of a 'Green Jacket' was first introduced in 1937 to help differentiate Augusta National members from other patrons. Since Sam Snead's victory in 1949, the winner of every Masters tournament has been rewarded one, with the jacket presented to the new champion by the winner of the previous year's tournament.
Hogan Bridge - This bridge takes players over Rae's Creek and to the green on the par-three 12th hole as part of Amen Corner. It is named after Ben Hogan, to mark his record-setting low score of 274 for his four rounds at the 1953 tournament.
Honorary Starters - Most years at The Masters, a group of legendary golfers are invited to hit the ceremonial tee shots on the first hole to signal the start of the tournament.
Magnolia Lane - This is perhaps the most famous driveway in all of America, welcoming the competing golfers to Augusta National in the most spectacular way. The road is 330 yards long, lined with magnolia trees on each side.
Patrons - This is what the people in attendance at The Masters are referred to, not fans or spectators.
Pine straw - The lush fairways and pristine greens may well be the best-known features of Augusta National, but covering the ground between many of the holes and at the base of a number of trees is pine straw, which makes for some tricky lies for players from time to time.
Rae's Creek - This is the daunting stretch of water that famously guards the 12th and 13th greens. At its widest inside Augusta National, the creek runs 60 feet wide and four feet deep. It is surrounded by golf's most colourful backdrop of blooming azaleas and dogwoods.
Sarazen Bridge - The first bridge at Augusta to be named after a player, done so to commemorate Gene Sarazen's 'shot heard round the world'. It was unveiled in 1955 to mark the 20th anniversary of Sarazen's famous albatross at the 15th hole which is where the bridge resides.
Tea Olive - This is the name of the opening hole at Augusta National. In keeping with the tradition the naming of holes on the course, Tea Olive - a shrub native to eastern Asia - can be found on the right of the fairway and at the rear of the green. No Masters golfer has ever birdied the first hole in all four rounds.
Who will win The Masters? Watch the opening major of the year this April exclusively live on Sky Sports. Live coverage of the opening round begins on Thursday April 9 from 2pm on Sky Sports Golf. Get Sky Sports or stream with no contract on NOW.
