The Masters 2024: Dates, tee times, favourites, schedule, how to follow on the BBC
- Published
The Masters is the first of the four men's majors this year
The 88th Masters |
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Venue: Augusta National Dates: 11-14 April |
Coverage: Live radio and text commentary on BBC Sounds and BBC Sport website of each round |
The 88th playing of the Masters takes place from 11-14 April, with defending champion Jon Rahm among a field which will feature five-time winner Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy.
BBC Sport will have live radio commentary on 5 Live and 5 Sports Extra across all four days.
There will also be live text commentary, in-play clips, video highlights, reaction and analysis on the BBC Sport website and mobile app.
When is the Masters?
Round one | Thursday, 11 April (13:00 BST) |
Round two | Friday, 12 April (13:00 BST) |
Round three | Saturday, 13 April (tee times to be confirmed) |
Round four | Sunday, 14 April (tee times to be confirmed) |
The tee-times and groupings for rounds one and two will be announced on Tuesday, 9 April.
Who are the favourites and LIV players at the Masters?
Spain's Jon Rahm is the defending champion and following his move to LIV Golf for the 2024 season is among 13 players from the Saudi Arabian-backed circuit playing at Augusta National.
Three of the top five in 2023 were LIV players, with Brooks Koepka finishing joint second before going on to win his fifth major at the US PGA Championship the following month.
Three of the six victors before Rahm are now LIV players - Dustin Johnson (2020), Patrick Reed (2018) and Sergio Garcia (2017) - while three-time champion Phil Mickelson, twice winner Bubba Watson and 2011 victor Charl Schwartzel also now play on the new tour.
Chile's Joaquin Niemann, who has dropped to 91st in the world since joining LIV where ranking points are not awarded, is among the favourites after he has given an invite to play by the Masters.
World number one Scottie Scheffler comes into the tournament in excellent form, having become the first player to defend the Players Championship last month and is looking to add to his 2022 Masters title.
Rory McIlroy is world number two and making a 10th attempt to complete the Grand Slam of winning all four majors, having already won The Open, US Open and two US PGA Championship titles.
Norway's Viktor Hovland and England's Matt Fitzpatrick enjoyed top-10 finishes in 2023, while their Ryder Cup team-mate Ludvig Aberg is making his first appearance in a major.
Former champion Jordan Spieth cannot be discounted, while his fellow Americans in reigning US Open champion Wyndham Clark, Open winner Brian Harman and Olympic golf medallist Xander Schauffele are also riding high in the rankings.
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Is Tiger Woods playing at The Masters this year?
Five-time Masters champion Tiger Woods is in the 88-man field and scheduled to make his 26th appearance at Augusta National. He won his first title in 1997 and his last in 2019.
Woods, 48, who has overcome a catalogue of injuries, is chasing Jack Nicklaus' record of six Masters wins and 18 major titles but pulled out of his previous PGA Tour event in February after hitting his tee shot on the seventh hole.
The 15-time major champion did not play in March's Arnold Palmer Invitational, which he has won eight times, or the Players Championship, the PGA Tour's flagship event, which he has won twice.
Woods made the halfway cut in 2023 but then withdrew and ended up having surgery on his ankle to address ongoing issues caused by his car crash in 2021.
Who is hitting the ceremonial tee-shot?
Six-time champion Jack Nicklaus will again be joined by three-time winner Gary Player and two-time victor Tom Watson on the first tee on Thursday morning. They will all hit tee shots before stepping aside as the pros take over.
Is the par three contest taking place this year?
First played in 1960, the par three contest has become the traditional fun curtain-raiser to the Masters.
It will start around 17:00 BST on Wednesday, 10 April. Most players have their wives, girlfriends, children, or even grandchildren as caddies and dressed in the traditional white boiler suits.
Non-competing past champions such as Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player and Tom Watson still play in the nine-hole event that criss-crosses DeSoto Springs Pond and Ike's Pond.
It was first played in 1960, but famously no player has won the par three contest and then gone on to win the Green Jacket in the same year.
The Masters weather
The BBC forecast for Augusta, Georgia suggests a warm week with rain showers up to Friday and then a sunny weekend with light winds.
BBC radio and online coverage details
All times BST and subject to change. The BBC is not responsible for any changes that may be made.
Sunday 14 April
17:00-01:00 - Live text commentary of round four, featuring in-play clips and highlights
20:00-01:00 - Live radio commentary on 5 Live
Podcast coverage
There will be regular Chipping Forecast podcasts, featuring BBC golf correspondent Iain Carter as a special guest, available on BBC Sounds.