Scotty Scheffler is the heavy favorite in the first major of the season in Augusta. Photo: Reuters/Mike Blake
The first of golf's four major tournaments this year, the Masters, is an integral part of the spring sports calendar, timed to reach its climax when the azaleas bloom in Georgia.
When does the Masters tournament begin?
This year's tournament will run from today, April 11, to Sunday, April 14.
Officially, there are three days of training and preparation for the tournament. opening round. But this year, Tiger Woods emerged on Sunday to bid for an unlikely sixth Masters title.
The traditional par-3 competition took place on Wednesday, April 10th, bringing together the families of some of golf's top players. Since its opening in 1960, 107 holes have been played on one hole.
How to watch the Masters on TV?
In the UK, the Masters is shown exclusively on Sky Sports Golf. Broadcast will begin from 2pm BST today (Thursday) and tomorrow (Friday), although it will be limited to periodic coverage of select groups and featured holes before the global broadcast window begins at 8pm.
Four favorites groups for the first round on Thursday:
- Jon Rahm, Matt Fitzpatrick, Nick Dunlap (15:30)
- Wyndham Clarke, Viktor Hovland, Cameron Smith (15:54)
- Tiger Woods, Jason Day, Max Homa (18 :24)
- Dustin Johnson, Collin Morikawa, Tommy Fleetwood (19:00)
All players will be illuminated as they progress through Amen Corner (hole 11 , 12 and 13). from 15:45, and holes 15 and 16 from 16:45.
The free broadcast is also being streamed on the Masters website, where viewers can watch every single shot minutes after it is played.
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The tournament will be broadcast in the UK on Talksport.
In previous years, the Masters was broadcast on free-to-air television in the UK, either live or as highlights. However, last year the BBC pulled out of the tournament entirely.
Also, you can bookmark this page and come back to follow the tournament on our live blog with commentary and analysis from Augusta National.
Where do the Masters play?
The Masters is the only one of the four golf tournaments that is played on the same course every year.
Augusta National Golf Club is located in northeast Georgia, near the South Carolina border. Augusta National is one of the most exclusive golf clubs in the world. It is believed to have only about 300 members, including Bill Gates and Warren Buffett. The only way to take the course is by invitation of a participant.
However, there is a more detrimental side to the club's exclusivity. Augusta didn't allow African-Americans to compete until 1990, and there weren't any women until 2012, when Condoleezza Rice joined.
What is the Masters prize money?
The total prize this year is expected to be $18 million ( pounds). 14.2 million), the same as last year. The winner will receive US$3,240,000 (£2.51 million), with a gradually decreasing prize fund for each of the top 50 finalists.
The winner also receives a replica of the official trophy (which never leaves the club). The golf champion also receives a gold medal and, most coveted, a green jacket.
There are also prizes for second place, amateur golfer of the year, lowest score of the day, hole-in-one, eagle, and double eagle.
How to do it? Do players qualify for the Masters?
Technically speaking, players are being invited to play at the Masters. Unlike the U.S. Open or Open Championship, there is no “open” qualifying process.
There are 20 different ways to make sure the Augusta envelope makes it to your mailbox. The easiest way is to be in the top 50 in the world rankings on January 1.
All previous Masters champions can play if they choose to accept the invitation, as well as those players who have finished in the Masters tournament. top 12 of last year's tournament.
Any player who won a fully sanctioned PGA Tour event in the previous season will also book a spot at Augusta. The same goes for any player who finished in the top four at any of the previous season's majors, while major winners secure a spot in the Masters for five years.
Any player ranked in the top 50 players in the world the week before the Masters will also be invited. The Masters also reserves the right to invite wild card players.
The rest consists of the winners of the most distinguished competitions of the amateur game. The Masters is a smaller field than the other three majors and typically attracts around 90 players.
This year's tournament will feature just five or six British golfers (depending on whether they have recovered enough). Danny Willett after shoulder surgery). James Corrigan explains why so few British players make it to Augusta these days.
Will LIV golfers compete in the Masters?
Yes, but in smaller quantities than last year. The main problem for LIV golfers is that breakaway circuit tournaments do not award world ranking points, which is the route by which most players qualify for the Masters (see above).
LIV golfers who will compete in the 2024 Masters are Bryson DeChambeau (as he won the 2020 US Open), Cam Smith (who won the 2023 Open), Brooks Koepka (who won the PGA Championship in 2019), Jon Rahm, Patrick Reed, Phil Mickelson, Sergio Garcia, Charl Schwartzel, Dustin Johnson and Bubba Watson (all previous Masters champions), Tyrrell Hatton and Adrian Meronk (who were ranked in the top 50 in the world earlier this year) and Joaquin Niemann (who received a special award ). invitation).
Will Tiger Woods be playing?
Yeah. The five-time champion arrived in Augusta to begin training on Sunday and held another training session over Easter weekend.
Woods continues to recover from a 2021 car crash that nearly cost him his right leg, but his withdrawal from the second round of the LA Open in February – his first official event in 10 months – cast doubt on his appearance. at the first major of the season.
Which three holes are the most difficult (according to 2013 champion Adam Scott)?
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