Rory McIlroy returns to Augusta National as the defending Masters champion as the first major of the year gets underway at one of golf’s most iconic venues, with the world’s best players competing for the coveted Green Jacket.
McIlroy completed his career Grand Slam on a hugely dramatic Sunday in 2025, and is now looking to become the first player in 24 years to successfully defend the title, joining the likes of Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods and Nick Faldo in achieving back-to-back victories.
He leads a field packed with stars, including Scottie Scheffler, Cameron Young, Ludvig Åberg and Tommy Fleetwood from the PGA Tour, alongside LIV Golf representatives such as Bryson DeChambeau and Jon Rahm.
Widely regarded as one of the highlights of the sporting calendar, the Masters brings together an elite field at pristine Augusta, and here is your essential guide to following the four days.
– Rory McIlroy: First time I’m focused on ‘enjoying’ the Masters
When and where is The Masters?
The Masters runs from Thursday, April 9 to Sunday, April 12 and marks the first major championship of the year, steeped in tradition and regarded as one of the most prestigious events in golf.
It is held annually at Augusta National Golf Club, an iconic par-72 course known for its pristine presentation, lightning-fast greens and azalea-lined fairways. Unlike the other majors, the Masters never changes venue, adding to its unique character and history.
One of the defining stretches of the course is Amen Corner — holes 11, 12 and 13 — where tournaments can be won or lost. The par-three 12th, played over Rae’s Creek, is especially notorious for its swirling winds and unforgiving green, making it one of the most recognisable and challenging holes in the sport.
How to watch in the UK
Subscribers in the UK can watch the action on Sky Sports Golf, who are live from Augusta from Monday onwards with preview shows and a Par 3 contest before the first round begins on Thursday.
Main coverage begins at 2 p.m. on Thursday and Friday and 4.30 p.m. over the weekend, although the wall-to-wall action won’t be available until 6 p.m. and 5 p.m. on those days, when the global broadcast window opens.
In the intervening period — and throughout The Masters — viewers can view feeds from Feature Groups, Holes 4, 5 and 6, Amen Corner, and 15 and 16 on Sky Sports+.
Much of the action will also be simulcast live on Sky Sports Main Event.
All times in BST
Monday, April 6
On The Range: 5 p.m. – Sky Sports Golf
Live from The Masters: 7 p.m.- Sky Sports Golf
Tuesday, April 7
Live from The Masters: 2 p.m.- Sky Sports Golf
Wednesday, April 8
Live from The Masters: 2 p.m.- Sky Sports Golf
The Masters Par 3 contest: 5 p.m. – Sky Sports Golf
Thursday, April 9
Round 1: 2 p.m. – Sky Sports Golf
Friday, April 10
Round 2: 2 p.m. – Sky Sports Golf
Saturday, April 11
Round 3: 4.30 p.m. – Sky Sports Golf
Sunday, April 12
Round 4.30 p.m. – Sky Sports Golf
Why can’t I watch all of The Masters live?
The first tee shot at The Masters typically happens at around 12.30 p.m. BST — but while Sky Sports is ‘live’ from The Masters at 2 p.m., the main tournament broadcast covering the entire field does not start until 6 p.m.
The limitation comes down to how The Masters is broadcast globally. Unlike other majors, there’s a set global broadcast window at Augusta National, which determines when full, continuous television coverage is made available to rights holders.
Broadcasters are restricted to showing selected live feeds — such as featured groups, Amen Corner and specific holes — until that window opens.
This is less of an issue on Saturday and Sunday when the leaders tee off later in the day, but often frustrating for fans on the opening days when the star players have likely all teed off before full coverage is available.
The Masters does offer additional live coverage through its official website and app, including multiple featured streams and player tracking. However, the full live broadcast feed available in some regions is subject to geo-restrictions and is not accessible in the UK.
These arrangements reflect Augusta’s broader approach to the tournament. The club is known for maintaining a number of traditional rules — including a ban on mobile phones for patrons — and keeps tight control over how the event is presented, with the aim of preserving its character and presentation.
Prize money
The prize money is typically announced during Masters week.
Tee times
The tee times will be released on Tuesday, but the full field for The Masters is as follows:
USA unless stated
(x) denotes amateurs; # is a debutant
Ludvig Åberg (Swe)
Daniel Berger
Akshay Bhatia
Keegan Bradley
Jacob Bridgeman
Sam Burns
Angel Cabrera (Arg)
Brian Campbell
Patrick Cantlay
Wyndham Clark
Corey Conners (Can)
Fred Couples
Jason Day (Aus)
Bryson DeChambeau
Nicolas Echavarria (Col)
Harris English
Matt Fitzpatrick (Eng)
Tommy Fleetwood (Eng)
Ryan Fox (Nzl)
Sergio Garcia (Esp)
Max Greyserman
Brian Harman
Tyrrell Hatton (Eng)
Russell Henley
Rasmus Hojgaard (Den)
Nicolai Hojgaard (Den)
Max Homa
Viktor Hovland (Nor)
Sungjae Im (Kor)
Casey Jarvis (Rsa)
Dustin Johnson
Zach Johnson
Michael Kim
Si Woo Kim (Kor)
Kurt Kitayama
Jake Knapp
Brooks Koepka
Min Woo Lee (Aus)
Haotong Li (Chn)
Shane Lowry (Irl)
Robert MacIntyre (Sco)
Hideki Matsuyama (Jpn)
Matt McCarty
Rory McIlroy (NIrl)
Maverick McNealy
Collin Morikawa
Alex Noren (Swe)
Jose Maria Olazabal (Esp)
Carlos Ortiz (Mex)
Aldrich Potgieter (Rsa)
Jon Rahm (Esp)
Aaron Rai (Eng)
Patrick Reed
Davis Riley
Justin Rose (Eng)
Xander Schauffele
Scottie Scheffler
Charl Schwartzel (Rsa)
Adam Scott (Aus)
Vijay Singh (Fij)
Cameron Smith (Aus)
J.J. Spaun
Jordan Spieth
Sepp Straka (Aut)
Nick Taylor (Can)
Justin Thomas
Bubba Watson
Mike Weir (Can)
Danny Willett (Eng)
Gary Woodland
Cameron Young
Michael Brennan (#)
Ryan Gerard (#)
Chris Gotterup (#)
Ben Griffin (#)
Harry Hall (#) (Eng)
Jackson Herrington (#) (x)
Brandon Holtz (#) (x)
Mason Howell (#) (x)
Naoyuki Kataoka (#) (Jpn)
Johnny Keefer (#)
Fifa Laopakdee (#) (x) (Tha)
Tom McKibbin (#) (NIrl)
Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen (#) (Den)
Andrew Novak (#)
Marco Penge (#) (Eng)
Mateo Pulcini (#) (x) (Arg)
Kristoffer Reitan (#) (Nor)
Sam Stevens (#)
Sami Valimaki (#) (Fin)
Ethan Fang (x) (#)
Jackson Herrington (x) (#)
Brandon Holtz (x) (#)
Mason Howell (x) (#)
Fifa Laopakdee (x) (#) (Tha)
Mateo Pulcini (x) (#) (Arg)
