Masters 2026: Everything You Need to Know Before the First Tee
The 90th Masters Tournament tees off Thursday, April 9, at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia. For the first time in his career, Rory McIlroy arrives as defending champion, freed from the burden that defined his relationship with this tournament for more than a decade. The question now is whether the Northern Irishman can do what only Tiger Woods has done in the modern era — win back to back.
The Defending Champion
McIlroy's 2025 victory was one of the most dramatic in Masters history. He made a four-foot birdie putt on the 18th hole to force a playoff with England's Justin Rose, then defeated him on the first hole of sudden death. With that win, McIlroy became only the sixth golfer to complete the career Grand Slam, joining Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan, Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus, and Tiger Woods.
He has spoken openly about how different this week will feel — hosting the champions dinner Tuesday night, parking in the champions lot, and using the champions locker room. A back injury that forced him out of the Arnold Palmer Invitational in early March has introduced some uncertainty about his form. He tied for 46th at the Players Championship after a three-week layoff, and his putting statistics have slipped. But McIlroy remains one of the most focused competitors in the game when major titles are on the line.
The Man to Beat
World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler enters as the betting favorite despite a stretch of below-par form. He has not recorded a top-10 finish since tying for fourth at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am in February — his longest drought in nearly four years. He also withdrew from his most recent start in Texas as his wife, Meredith, gave birth to their second child, a boy named Remy, on March 27. Scheffler arrived at Augusta National over the weekend with Remy in a stroller.
The numbers still tell a remarkable story. Scheffler is 101-under par across his major championship career, the best all-time, and 45 strokes better than any other player since 2020. He won the Masters in 2022 and 2024. A third title would make him only the ninth golfer in history to win three or more green jackets.
The Leading Contenders
Bryson DeChambeau arrives at Augusta with genuine momentum. The LIV Golf star won back-to-back events in the league and was inside the top 10 after every round of the past two Masters. He finished tied for fifth last year and was paired with McIlroy in the final Sunday group. He has unfinished business here.
Xander Schauffele, a two-time major winner, has top-10 finishes in five of his last seven Masters starts and appears to have recovered from the rib injury that derailed his 2025 season. Cameron Young won the Players Championship for the biggest victory of his career and brings a tee-to-green game well suited to Augusta National, where he already has two top-10 finishes. Jon Rahm, the 2023 Masters champion, won his third LIV Golf event in Hong Kong in March and has five top-10 finishes in his last eight Masters starts.
Tommy Fleetwood, the reigning FedEx Cup champion, is another name to watch. He tied for third at Augusta in 2024. His eight career top-10 finishes in major championships are the most of any player in this year's field without a major title.
Notable Absences
This will be the first Masters since 1994 without either Tiger Woods or Phil Mickelson in the field. Mickelson announced he would not play due to a family health situation. Woods, 50, is absent for a second straight year, this time under far more troubling circumstances.
On March 27, Woods was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence after his Land Rover clipped a truck on a two-lane road near his Jupiter Island, Florida, home and rolled onto its side. He was not injured but failed a field sobriety test at the scene. Deputies found two hydrocodone pills in his pocket. He submitted a 0.00 breathalyzer result but declined a urine test, resulting in an additional charge. He was held for eight hours before posting bail.
Woods pleaded not guilty and subsequently announced he is stepping away from golf indefinitely to seek treatment. Augusta National chairman Fred Ridley released a statement of support, saying the club is focused on Woods' well-being. A Florida judge gave Woods permission to receive treatment outside the United States.
The Storylines Beyond the Scoreboard
Gary Woodland, who won the Houston Open after returning from brain surgery and a battle with PTSD, is one of the most compelling human-interest stories of the week. Veteran Justin Rose, 45, returns having nearly won last year's title. Jordan Spieth, the 2015 champion, holds the lowest career scoring average in Masters history among players with at least 25 rounds played.
Among the amateurs, 18-year-old Mason Howell of Thomasville, Georgia, is competing on home turf. He became the third-youngest winner of the U.S. Amateur last August, defeating Jackson Herrington 7 and 6 in the final. Brandon Holtz, 39, the U.S. Mid-Amateur champion and a real estate agent from Bloomington, Illinois, is making his first Masters start. Ethan Fang, 20, won the Amateur Championship at Royal St. George's in England last summer.
How and When to Watch
Television coverage is split between ESPN and CBS, with ESPN handling the first two rounds on Thursday and Friday, and CBS broadcasting the weekend rounds. For the first time, Amazon Prime Video will provide exclusive early coverage of the first two rounds. Paramount+ will stream early coverage of the weekend rounds.
The Par 3 Contest takes place Wednesday, April 8, and airs from 2 to 4 p.m. ET on ESPN. First-round coverage begins Thursday at 3 p.m. ET on ESPN, with Amazon Prime Video streaming from 1 p.m. ET. The final round on Sunday runs from 2 to 7 p.m. ET on CBS. Full coverage is also available via the Masters app and Masters.com throughout the week.
The 2026 Masters carries a total purse of $25 million, up from $15 million in 2025. The winner will take home $5 million, the largest first-place prize in the history of men's golf.
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