The Masters 2024: Preview & FAQs

Jon Rahm could become the first back-to-back Masters winner since Tiger Woods as the 88th Masters tees off at Augusta National. Here’s everything you need to know including tee times.

In 2023, Rahm won his first Masters title after finishing 12-under par. The Spaniard was neck and neck with Brooks Koepka on the final day but ended up four strokes ahead of the American who finished in joint second alongside three-time champion Phil Mickelson.

Rahm, who joined LIV Golf in Decemeber 2023, will be hoping to emulate Tiger Woods who won consecutive Masters in 2001 and 2002. Jack Nicklaus (1965 and 1966) and Sir Nick Faldo (1989 and 1990) are the only other golfers to win back-to-back Masters.

This time around, world number one Scottie Scheffler has been in scintillating form going in to the event and is the clear favourite as the American looks to secure his second Green Jacket. The 27-year-old has one Major to his name, the Masters in 2022.

Scheffler has seemingly fixed his putting woes by changing to a mallet putter and won the Arnold Palmer Invitational and the Players Championship back-to-back in March and then finished runner-up to Stephan Jaeger at the Texas Children’s Houston Open.

World’s top two tee off together and Tiger returns

Trying to stop him will be world number two Rory McIlroy who will be hoping to win his first Masters and end his 10-year Major draught. 

If he does he will complete the Grand Slam of winning all four Majors: The Masters, US Open, PGA, and The Open. Only five players have achieved this: Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan, Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods.

McIlroy returns to Augusta off the back of an encouraging third-place finish at the Valero Texas Open and will tee off for the first two days alongside Scheffler and reigning Olympic gold medallist Xander Schauffele.

Woods returns to action for the first time since his mid-round withdrawal from February’s Genesis Invitational. The 15-time Major champion is chasing a record-equalling sixth Masters victory.

When and where?

April 11-14, 2024. Augusta National Golf Club, Georgia.

Which LIV golfers are competing?

13 LIV Golf players are in the field at this week’s Masters: Jon Rahm, Phil Mickelson, Brooks Koepka, Bryson DeChambeau, Sergio Garcia, Tyrrell Hatton, Dustin Johnson, Adrian Meronk, Joaquin Niemann, Patrick Reed, Charl Schwartzel, Cameron Smith, Bubba Watson.

Rahm, Mickelson, Garcia, Johnson, Reed, Schwartzel and Watson are all former Masters champions.

Full tee times Thursday/Friday (local time)

8:00 a.m./11:06 a.m.: Erik van Rooyen, Jake Knapp

8:12 a.m./11:18 a.m.: Jose Maria Olazabal, Taylor Moore, Santiago de la Fuente

8:24 a.m./11:30 a.m.: Danny Willett, Austin Eckroat, Stephan Jaeger

8:36 a.m./11:42 a.m.: Charl Schwartzel, Luke List, Christo Lamprecht

8:48 a.m./11:54 a.m.: Gary Woodland, Thorbjorn Olesen, Bryson DeChambeau

9:00 a.m./12:12 p.m.: Zach Johnson, Corey Conners, Jasper Stubbs

9:12 a.m./12:24 p.m.: Sergio Garcia, Chris Kirk, Ryan Fox

9:24 a.m./12:36 p.m.: Lucas Glover, Byeong Hun An, Harris English

9:36 a.m./12:48 p.m.: Phil Mickelson, Sepp Straka, Tony Finau

9:48 a.m./1:00 p.m.: Nick Taylor, Joaquin Niemann, Russell Henley

10:06 a.m./1:12 p.m.: Patrick Cantlay, Min Woo Lee, Rickie Fowler

10:18 a.m./1:24 p.m.: Hideki Matsuyama, Will Zalatoris, Justin Thomas

10:30 a.m./1:36 p.m.: Jon Rahm, Matt Fitzpatrick, Nick Dunlap

10:42 a.m./1:48 p.m.: Scottie Scheffler, Rory McIlroy, Xander Schauffele

10:54 a.m./2:00 p.m.: Wyndham Clark, Viktor Hovland, Cameron Smith

11:06 a.m./8:00 a.m.:Lee Hodges, Adrian Meronk, Grayson Murray

11:18 a.m./8:12 a.m.:Camilo Villegas, Denny McCarthy, Cameron Davis

11:30 a.m./8:24 a.m.: Mike Weir, Ryo Hisatsune, Neal Shipley

11:42 a.m./8:36 a.m.: Vijay Singh, Si Woo Kim, Emiliano Grillo

11:54 a.m./8:48 a.m.: Fred Couples, Adam Hadwin, Stewart Hagestad

12:12 p.m./9:00 a.m.: Justin Rose, Eric Cole, Peter Malnati

12:24 p.m./9:12 a.m.: Akshay Bhatia, J. T. Poston, Shane Lowry

12:36 p.m./9:24 a.m.: Bubba Watson, Nicolai Hojgaard, Adam Schenk

12:48 p.m./9:36 a.m.: Patrick Reed, Sungjae Im, Kurt Kitayama

1:00 p.m./9:48 a.m.: Keegan Bradley, Matthieu Pavon, Tyrrell Hatton

1:12 p.m./10:06 a.m.: Adam Scott, Sam Burns, Cameron Young

1:24 p.m./10:18 a.m.: Tiger Woods, Jason Day, Max Homa

1:36 p.m./10:30 a.m.: Brian Harman, Brooks Koepka, Tom Kim

1:48 p.m./10:42 a.m.: Jordan Spieth, Ludvig Aberg, Sahith Theegala

2:00 p.m./10:54 a.m.: Dustin Johnson, Collin Morikawa, Tommy Fleetwood

The golf course

Augusta National has wide fairways, severe slopes and fast greens complimented by towering Georgia pines, flowering magnolia trees and manicured white bunkers. It’s a stunning course – but a difficult one. The course now measures 7,510 yards with a par of 72, made up of four par 3s, ten par 4s and four par 5s.

For 2024, the main change is the tee box at the par-5 second which has been extended back and to the left by 10 yards making it play to 585 yards.

Over the last five years, the average score here has been 1.14 strokes over par, which makes it the second most difficult annual course on the PGA Tour. Amen Corner – holes 11-13 – are among the most beautiful and dramatic holes in golf.

What are the keys to victory?

The ability to move the ball, predominantly from right to left, is a big advantage here. In recent years the big correlation has been who leads in strokes gained approach and who wins the tournament. So, accurate iron approach play is key. And a good week with the putter is always essential around Augusta on its quick Bentgrass greens.

What’s the weather forecast?

There is a storm warning at Augusta National for Thursday with a 90% chance of thunderstorms between 10am and 2pm with gusts of wind up to 45 mph. Temperatures are still expected to reach around 25 degrees. The outlook is better for the final three days with sunny skies and winds reducing from 20mph on Friday to 5-10 mph on Sunday. Temperatures will gradually rise up to 29 degrees on Sunday.

What is the total prize money and how much does the winner get?

In 2023 the prize money was the highest in the competition’s history, with a pot of $18 million divided out at the end of the final round. This included over $1million for each the top three, with the winner receiving $3.24million. Those who miss the cut still get $10,000. Amateurs are not paid. The player in 50th and last place gets $45,360. This year’s prize money is expected to remain the same.

1: $3,240,000
2: $1,944,000
3: $1,224,000
4: $864,000
5: $720,000
6: $648,000
7: $603,000
8: $558,000
9: $522,000
10: $486,000

What else does the winner receive?

A replica of the Masters trophy, a gold medal and the club’s famed Green Jacket, which was first handed out in 1949. The winner also gets 600 FedEx Cup points and 100 official world golf ranking points, with all four majors offering the maximum points for any tournament in men’s golf.

Other big benefits are a five-plus season exemption on the PGA Tour, as well a starting place in the Masters for life and spots in the other three majors for the next five years.

What is the competition format?

72-hole stroke-play event contested over four days. To make the cut after 36 holes, players must be in the top 50 places, counting ties.

How is the winner decided in the event of a tie?

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 needed. If it goes to a third hole, it would go back to the 18th.

When did Tiger win his first Masters?

Woods won his first Masters in 1997 at the age of 21. He is still the youngest player to ever win the event. His victory that year was by 12 strokes, which is the largest winning margin in Masters history.

Who has the most wins?

Jack Nicklaus has 6 wins, Tiger Woods 5, Arnold Palmer 4, and Jimmy Demaret, Sam Snead, Gary Player, Sir Nick Faldo and Phil Mickelson all have 3.