[Photo: Augusta National]
It’s somehow already been 12 months since Rory McIlroy completed the career Grand Slam in an exhilarating playoff, edging out Justin Rose at Augusta National. Now the world No.2 will look to defend his title against one of the most loaded fields of the calendar year. Everyone who’s anyone will be at Augusta National… with millions more anxiously taking it in from home and dreaming about one day observing the Masters at the Masters.
No matter where you’re watching from, here are some frequently asked questions – and answers! – regarding the first men’s major of 2026.
When is the 2026 Masters?
The 2026 Masters will take place from April 9-12, although it of course extends into Monday, April 13, Australian time.
Where is the Masters played?
The Masters is played each year at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia. It’s the only one of the four men’s major championships that is played every year on the same course.
How much is a ticket to the 2026 Masters?
Augusta National would prefer you call them “badges”. The price of a series badge has increased to $US525, breaking the $500 marker for the first time in the event’s history, but the badge covers admission for all four tournament days. The lottery has already been held for this year, but keep a lookout for 2027; applications for the annual lottery are expected to open in June.
On the secondary market, Masters badges can range from anywhere between $US500 and $US1,500, depending on the day.
How can I watch the Masters?
The Masters is broadcast on TV on ESPN during the first round and second round from 3pm-7:30pm, Augusta time (that’s 5am-9:30am, AEST). On the weekend, CBS has coverage for the third round (2pm-7pm, Augusta time; 4am-9am AEST) and the final round (2pm-7pm, Augusta time; 4am-9am AEST). Amazon Prime and then Paramount Plus also will carry early day coverage throughout the week. In Australia, Foxtel/Kayo is the place to glue your eyes, and here’s what you should expect:
Round 1: Friday, April 10 – 5am-9:30am
Round 2: Saturday, April 11 – 5am-9:30am
Round 3: Sunday, April 12 – 2am-9am
Final round: Monday, April 13 – 2am-9am
Other key coverage (AEST):
Par 3 Contest: Thursday, April 9 – 4am-7am
On The Range: Available throughout the week starting Monday, April 6.
Will there be other ways to watch the Masters?
Yes, there will be live featured groups and featured holes coverage on Masters.com and the Masters app. Viewers also will be able to see every shot from every hole on Masters.com. Like last year, the website will also allow you to build a personalised feed of every shot from your favourite players. And as previously mentioned, Prime will carry early coverage of rounds one and two. Plus, Paramount Plus will carry early coverage of the third and fourth rounds.
Will there be a Par-3 Contest at the 2026 Masters?
Yes. The Par 3 Contest will start at midday on Wednesday, April 8, with streaming coverage available on ESPN+. There also will be a TV broadcast on ESPN/Foxtel/Kayo from 4am-7am on Thursday, AEST. The 2025 winner was Nicolas Echavarria. Here’s a fun factoid for you: no winner of the Par-3 Contest has gone on to win the Masters in the same year.
What is the Champions Dinner?
The Champions Dinner is held on Tuesday night of Masters week, and the only way to get a seat is to be a past champion of the Masters. It was started in 1952 by Ben Hogan. Tradition calls for the previous year’s champion to set the dinner menu each new year. This year’s meal has been chosen by Rory McIlroy and will feature a tuna dish inspired by his favourite New York City restaurant – plus, a peach and ricotta flatbread, grilled elk sliders, a wagyu filet mignon, sticky toffee pudding and lots and lots of wine.
Who founded Augusta National, and who designed it?
Gene Sarazen (left), Bobby Jones (seated) and Clifford Roberts at the Sarazen Bridge dedication during the 1955 Masters. [Photo: Augusta National]
Augusta National was founded by Bobby Jones and Clifford Roberts, with the club officially opening in early 1933. The course opened shortly after and was designed by Jones and Alister MacKenzie.
What’s the par at Augusta National, and how long is the course?
Augusta National is a par 72, and it has been lengthened considerably in recent years. The club announced one small course change made for this year’s Masters – a front tee has been altered and 10 yards officially added to the 17th hole, making it play as a 450-yard par 4. The total length of the course is now 7,565 yards (6,917 metres).
Can anyone play Augusta National?
No. Augusta National is a private club only open to members and their guests.
When was the first Masters played? And who won?
The first Masters was played in 1934. Horton Smith won by two strokes with a score of four-under 284.
How many Masters have been played?
This year will mark the 90th playing of the Masters.
What is the format of the Masters? How many players are in the field?
The Masters is a 72-hole stroke-play event contested over four days. The field is one of the smaller ones on the PGA Tour schedule, typically featuring between 85 and 95 players. This year’s event is projected to have 93 golfers competing. That could end up higher depending on the winner of this weekend’s Valero Texas Open.
How do you qualify for the Masters?
There are no qualifying tournaments for the Masters and no alternate spots in the field. Players get into the Masters by invitation only if they fulfil one of the 25 criteria, which can be found here at Masters.com. There are special exemptions given out as well, but they are rare and no were offered for 2026.
How many players make the cut at the Masters?
To make the cut after 36 holes, players must be in the top 50 places, counting ties. Previously, those within 10 strokes of the lead also made the cut, but that rules was changed as of the 2020 Masters.
What is the purse for the Masters, and how much does the winner get?
The official Masters purse is announced during Masters week. In 2025, the total purse was $US21 million, with winner Rory McIlroy receiving $US4,200,000.
How much does the runner-up get?
At the 2025 Masters, runner-up Justin Rose earned $US2.268 million after his playoff loss. The top-10 golfers all received at least $US588,000.
Does the Masters winner receive anything else?
The Masters trophy that the winner earns in addition to claiming the green jacket. [Photo: Rusty Jarrett/Augusta National]
Yes, the winner receives a sterling replica of the Masters trophy, a gold medal and the club’s famous green jacket, which was first given out in 1949.
Do you get a new green jacket if you win the Masters again?
No, a player who wins the Masters multiple times receives the same green jacket from his initial win, unless he needs to be refitted.
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In the event of a tie at the end of 72 holes, how is the winner decided at the Masters?
If players are tied after 72 holes, the winner is decided in a sudden-death playoff, beginning at the 18th hole and going to the 10th hole if necessary. If it goes to a third hole, it would go back to the 18th and then the 10th, and so on. Both holes are par 4s, with the 10th hole 30 yards longer. Just last year, McIlroy needed one playoff hole to best Justin Rose in a down-to-the-wire duel. Before 1979, tournaments that ended in a tie were decided by an 18-hole playoff.
How many sudden-death playoffs have there been in Masters history?
There have been 12 sudden-death playoffs in Masters history, and none of them have ever advanced past two holes. The last one came in 2025 between Rory McIlroy and Justin Rose.
Who won the 2025 Masters?
Photo: Augusta National
Rory McIlroy won the 2025 Masters by a single stroke, needing 73 holes to do so. The Northern Irishman led by two strokes over Bryson DeChambeau heading into the final round, but needed every last ounce of magic to hold off Rose’s closing six-under 66. With a 73 and a 11-under 277 total, McIlroy won the Masters in his 17th career start at Augusta National, and became the sixth male to complete the career Grand Slam. He also became the first player to win the Masters while making four double-bogeys during the tournament.
Is Tiger Woods playing in the Masters this year?
No, he is not. Competing was always going to be a long shot as he continues try to recover from back surgery late last year. But in the wake of his car accident (and subsequent arrest) on March 27, Woods announced that he’s stepping away from the game to get treatment for himself. Shortly after Tiger’s announcement, the club acknowledged that Woods wouldn’t not be in attendance for any events in Augusta.
When did Tiger Woods win his first Masters, and how many times has he won?
Photo: Sam Greenwood
Tiger Woods won his first Masters in 1997 at the age of 21. Even 29 years later, he remains the youngest player to ever win the Masters. He proceeded to win the event again in 2001, 2002 and 2005 before claiming his fifth career green jacket in 2019.
RELATED: Never say never – the story behind Tiger Woods’ magical fifth Masters victory
Has any player ever won back-to-back Masters?
Yes, three players have defended their titles at the Masters: Jack Nicklaus (1965-1966), Nick Faldo (1989-1990) and Tiger Woods (2001-2002).
Who has won the most Masters?
Jack Nicklaus slips on the green jacket after winning the Masters for the sixth time in 1986. [Photo: Leonard Kamsler/Popperfoto]
Jack Nicklaus has won the Masters a record six times (1963, 1965, 1966, 1972, 1975, 1986). Tiger Woods has won it five times (1997, 2001, 2002, 2005, 2019). Arnold Palmer won it four times (1958, 1960, 1962, 1964).
What is the scoring record at the Masters?
Dustin Johnson broke the previous scoring record held by Tiger Woods and Jordan Spieth (18-under 270) when he shot a 20-under 268 total at the November 2020 Masters.
What is the largest margin of victory at the Masters?
Tiger Woods’ victory in 1997 was by 12 strokes, which is the largest margin in Masters history.
What’s the highest winning score of the Masters?
The highest winning score of the Masters is one-over-par 289. Three players have won at one-over: Sam Snead (1954), Jack Burke Jnr (1956) and Zach Johnson (2007).
Has anyone ever won the Masters wire-to-wire?
Jordan Spieth is the last Masters winner to go wire-to-wire en route to victory. [Photo: Ezra Shaw]
Yes, five players have won the Masters wire-to-wire: Craig Wood (1941), Arnold Palmer (1960), Jack Nicklaus (1972), Raymond Floyd (1976) and Jordan Spieth (2015).
Has an amateur ever won the Masters?
No, an amateur has never won the Masters.
What’s the closest an amateur has ever come to winning the Masters?
Three amateurs have finished runner-up at the Masters: Frank Stranahan (1947), Ken Venturi (1956) and Charles Coe (1961).
Does the low amateur receive an award?
Yes, each year, the lowest amateur to make the cut is awarded the Silver Cup, which was first given in 1952. In 1954, they also began presenting a silver medal to the second-lowest amateur. If no amateur makes the cut (like in 2025), there is no low amateur for that given year. The most recent low amateur was Neal Shipley in 2024. He was 12-over for the tournament and finished T-53.
What is the amateur scoring record at the Masters?
The amateur scoring record is seven-under-par (281), shot by Charles Coe in 1961.
Who is the youngest player to ever compete in the Masters?
The youngest player to ever play in the Masters is China’s Tianlang Guan, who competed in the event in 2013 at age 14, having qualified by winning the 2012 Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship. He’s also the youngest player to ever make the cut in a major championship.
Will the Augusta National Women’s Amateur be played?
Photo: Richard Heathcote
Yes, the Augusta National Women’s Amateur, which started in 2019, is already underway, with its final round on Saturday, April 4. This is the seventh edition of this event. Last year’s ANWA was won by Spain’s Carla Bernat Escuder who shot a tournament-record 12-under 204, edging out Asterisk Talley by one stroke.
Will the Drive, Chip and Putt Competition be played?
Yes, the Drive, Chip and Putt Final, first held in 2013, is back again. It will be held on Sunday, April 5, and will include 80 boys and girls, ages 7-15, competing in different age groups.
What is Magnolia Lane?
Magnolia Lane is the main driveway leading from Washington Rd to Augusta National’s clubhouse. It’s called Magnolia Lane because there are Magnolia trees lined on each side all the way up to the clubhouse.
What is Amen Corner?
Amen Corner is the name for a three-hole stretch of the course beginning with the par-4 11th hole, and including the par-3 12th and par-5 13th. The term was coined by author Herbert Warren Wind when he used it in a 1958 Sports Illustrated article, specifically referring to the approach shot on the 11th, the entire 12th hole and the first two shots on the 13th. This “corner” of the golf course is where some of the tournament’s most historic moments have taken place.
What is Rae’s Creek?
Rae’s Creek is a creek that cuts through the south-eastern corner of Augusta National, flowing along the back of the 11th green, front of the 12th green and ahead of the 13th tee.
What is the Crow’s Nest?
The Crow’s Nest is a cabin on the property of Augusta National open to any amateur in the Masters field who wants to stay there.
What is Butler Cabin?
Butler Cabin is a cabin on the property where the winner of the Masters is presented with the green jacket by Augusta National chairman Fred Ridley, with the previous year’s champion helping the new winner slip on his prize. The field’s low amateur to make the cut is also present during the presentation, with CBS TV’s Jim Nantz helping with the ceremony.
How many people attend the Masters?
One of the many pieces of information Augusta National doesn’t make public is the attendance size of the Masters.
