The 2026 Masters Tournament — scheduled for April 9-12 at Augusta National Golf Club — is shaping up as one of the most anticipated in recent memory. With the world’s top players arriving at Augusta in exceptional form, a defending champion looking to become the first back-to-back winner in years, and the perennial question of whether Tiger Woods will compete, the first major of 2026 has all the ingredients for an unforgettable week.
The Masters qualification window has now closed, and the field is set. Here is everything you need to know as the countdown to Augusta begins in earnest.
The Defending Champion: Rory McIlroy
Rory McIlroy arrives at Augusta as the defending champion after completing his long-awaited career Grand Slam at the 2025 Masters — one of the most emotionally charged victories in the tournament’s history. The Northern Irishman’s win was not just about a trophy; it was the culmination of a journey that had seen him come heartbreakingly close to Augusta glory on multiple occasions before finally claiming the green jacket that had seemed to elude him.
In 2026, McIlroy returns as World No. 2 and as one of the most dangerous players in the field. His game is in good shape, and the confidence that came from last year’s win appears to have remained with him. Defending at Augusta is notoriously difficult — the course seems to reset itself every year — but McIlroy has now proved he can win there, and that knowledge is invaluable.
The Favourite: Scottie Scheffler
World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler enters the Masters as the oddsmakers’ favourite at +300, and it’s easy to see why. The American has been the most dominant player in professional golf for several seasons running, having captured 20 PGA Tour victories. He is a two-time Masters champion and has an almost preternatural ability to perform at the highest level on the biggest stages.
Scheffler withdrew from this week’s Houston event due to the impending birth of his second child — a welcome and joyful interruption that the golf world has responded to warmly. His preparation for Augusta will necessarily be slightly disrupted, but no one expects this to significantly affect a player of his exceptional consistency and mental strength.
The LIV Contenders: DeChambeau and Rahm
Two LIV Golf players arrive at Augusta carrying remarkable recent momentum. Bryson DeChambeau has just won back-to-back LIV events, including last week’s South Africa tournament, and comes to Augusta in the kind of form that major champions are made of. His prodigious distance off the tee — still among the longest on any tour — gives him unique advantages at Augusta, where the ability to neutralise the course’s length is a critical advantage.
Jon Rahm, meanwhile, claimed his third LIV title at the Hong Kong event earlier in March and ranks as one of the best players in the world by any measure. The Spaniard won the Masters in 2023 and has shown repeatedly that he can perform at the highest level on major championship stages. His current form is as good as it has been in years.
Will Tiger Woods Play?
The question that hangs over every Masters in recent years — will Tiger Woods compete? — remains unanswered as of this writing. The 15-time major winner is returning to competitive golf ahead of The Masters, with a scheduled appearance in the TGL Finals on Tuesday evening, playing for his Jupiter Links GC team. But whether he will tee it up at Augusta National has not yet been confirmed.
Woods’s appearances at Augusta have always carried an emotional weight that transcends the competition itself. Even at 50, in a post-injury phase of his career where par rounds are a victory of a different kind, his presence at the Masters is a reminder of what he has meant to golf — and to Augusta National specifically, a course on which he has achieved things no other player in history has matched.
Masters Dates and How to Watch
The 2026 Masters runs from Thursday April 9 through Sunday April 12 at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia. Coverage will be available across multiple broadcasters globally, with ESPN and CBS carrying the primary US television coverage. International viewers should check their regional sports broadcasters for scheduling details.
As the final preparations are made and the world’s best players converge on Augusta, all the signs point to a Masters that will live long in the memory. Mark your calendars.
