The 91st Masters Tournament is contested from Thursday 8 April to Sunday 11 April 2027 at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia. The first major championship of the men’s professional golf season, The Masters is the most famous annual event in golf and the only major played at the same venue every year. The winner is presented with the famous Green Jacket on the final Sunday.
What is The Masters?
The Masters Tournament is one of the four men’s major championships in professional golf, played annually in early April at Augusta National Golf Club. Founded in 1934 by Bobby Jones and Clifford Roberts, it has grown into the most prestigious annual event in the sport. Unlike the other three majors, The Masters is hosted by a single private club rather than rotating venues, giving it an instantly recognisable identity and a uniquely cultivated atmosphere.
The tournament is contested over four rounds of stroke play, with a 36-hole cut after Friday’s second round. The field is restricted to approximately 90 invited players, comprising past Masters champions, recent major winners, top finishers from other PGA Tour events, leading amateurs and players from the Official World Golf Ranking. The winner receives the Green Jacket, presented in Butler Cabin by the previous year’s champion, plus prize money exceeding $3 million and a lifetime exemption to play in the tournament.
The Masters is renowned for its traditions: the Champions Dinner on Tuesday evening hosted by the defending champion, the Par-3 Contest on Wednesday, the honorary starters teeing off at first light on Thursday, the green roping, the silent crowds (officially called patrons), the pimento cheese sandwiches and the absence of yardage signs and televised commercial breaks. CBS, the long-standing US broadcast partner, refers to the tournament as “a tradition unlike any other”.
How The Masters Works
The four-round 72-hole stroke play format runs Thursday to Sunday. After 36 holes, the field is cut to the top 50 and ties, plus any player within ten strokes of the lead. The lowest cumulative score across the four rounds wins. In the event of a tie after 72 holes, a sudden-death playoff begins on the 18th hole and continues to the 10th hole until a winner is decided.
When is The Masters 2027?
The 2027 Masters Tournament rounds are played on Thursday 8 April, Friday 9 April, Saturday 10 April and Sunday 11 April 2027. Tee times typically begin around 8:00am Eastern Time on Thursday and Friday, with two-tee starts. The leaders go out around 1:30pm to 3:00pm ET on Sunday, with the winner usually decided in the late afternoon or early evening Eastern Time.
The wider tournament week runs from Monday 5 April to Sunday 11 April 2027, including practice rounds Monday through Wednesday and the Par-3 Contest on Wednesday afternoon. The Honorary Starter ceremony at first light on Thursday morning officially begins the tournament.
Where is The Masters?
Augusta National Golf Club sits on Washington Road in Augusta, Georgia, in the eastern United States. The course was designed by Alister MacKenzie and Bobby Jones on the site of a former indigo plantation and tree nursery, which is why each hole is named after a tree or shrub. Augusta National is one of the most exclusive private clubs in the world, with a limited and secretive membership, and is closed for several months a year.
The course measures 7,555 yards from the back tees and plays as a par 72. Among its most famous holes are the par-3 12th (Golden Bell) and the par-5 13th (Azalea), which form the heart of Amen Corner alongside the second shot at the par-4 11th (White Dogwood). The 16th (Redbud) hosts the famous skipping shot during practice rounds and dramatic Sunday hole-outs. Augusta is approximately a two-hour drive from Atlanta, the nearest major hub, with smaller airports in Augusta itself receiving extra services during Masters week.
Key Contenders
The Masters consistently attracts the world’s top-ranked players. Recent champions include Scottie Scheffler (2022, 2024), Jon Rahm (2023), Hideki Matsuyama (2021) and Dustin Johnson (2020). Scheffler enters most Masters as the world number one and the player to beat. Rory McIlroy completed the career grand slam by winning the 2025 Masters at his 11th attempt, joining Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan, Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods in the small group of players to have won all four men’s majors.
Other regular contenders include Jordan Spieth (2015 champion), Justin Thomas, Xander Schauffele, Bryson DeChambeau, Patrick Cantlay, Ludvig Aberg, Viktor Hovland, Tommy Fleetwood and Cameron Smith. Tiger Woods, a five-time Masters champion, remains a major draw whenever he is fit to compete. The defending champion’s identity and form leading into 2027 will set the early tournament narrative. Past Masters champions are exempt for life, ensuring the field includes legends in the early rounds before the cut.
How to Watch
In the United States, CBS holds the long-standing broadcast partnership with The Masters, broadcasting weekend coverage and the Sunday final round. ESPN carries the Thursday and Friday rounds. Featured groups, Amen Corner and holes 15 and 16 streams are available on Masters.com and the Masters app, with ad-free coverage that has become a hallmark of The Masters’ broadcast model. Paramount+ also streams CBS coverage.
In the United Kingdom and Ireland, Sky Sports holds exclusive UK Masters rights, broadcasting all four rounds across Sky Sports Golf and Sky Sports Main Event, with overnight coverage on the BBC by tradition discontinued. In Canada, TSN broadcasts the tournament. In Australia, Fox Sports and Kayo Sports share rights. In Japan, TV Asahi covers the tournament with extensive coverage of any Japanese players in contention. Across continental Europe, broadcasters include Movistar in Spain, Sky Deutschland in Germany and Eurosport in selected territories.
History and Records
The Masters Tournament was first held in 1934 and was originally called the Augusta National Invitation Tournament. Horton Smith won the inaugural event. The “Masters” name was officially adopted in 1939. Bobby Jones, the legendary amateur and Augusta National co-founder, hosted the tournament until his death in 1971. The Green Jacket tradition began in 1949, when Sam Snead became the first champion to receive it.
Jack Nicklaus holds the record for most Masters wins with six, the last coming in 1986 at the age of 46, the oldest winner in tournament history. Tiger Woods has won five Green Jackets, including his record-breaking 12-stroke victory in 1997 at the age of 21, making him the youngest Masters champion. Woods completed an emotional fifth Masters victory in 2019, his first major title in 11 years. Arnold Palmer won four Masters in seven years between 1958 and 1964.
The course record is 63, held jointly by Nick Price (1986) and Greg Norman (1996). Augusta has produced some of golf’s most iconic moments: Gene Sarazen’s “shot heard round the world” double eagle on the 15th in 1935, Larry Mize’s chip-in to defeat Greg Norman in the 1987 playoff, Phil Mickelson’s leap after his first major win in 2004, Bubba Watson’s hooked wedge from the trees in 2012 and Tiger Woods’s chip-in on 16 in 2005. Three players have completed the wire-to-wire victory by leading after every round: Craig Wood (1941), Arnold Palmer (1960), Jack Nicklaus (1972), Raymond Floyd (1976) and Jordan Spieth (2015).
Tickets and Attendance
Practice round tickets and tournament round badges are distributed exclusively via the official Masters ticket lottery at masters.com. The application window typically opens in June each year, with successful applicants notified in July. Tournament round badges, known as Series Badges, are extremely difficult to obtain through the lottery as they are mostly held by long-standing patrons. The secondary market is heavily regulated, with the official Masters Ticket Marketplace the only authorised resale platform.
Augusta National does not publish official attendance figures, but estimates put daily crowds during the tournament rounds at around 40,000. Hospitality packages through approved Masters partners are available but limited. Local accommodation in Augusta is in extremely high demand during tournament week, with rental homes, hotels and corporate hospitality houses often booked years in advance.
Frequently Asked Questions
When does The Masters 2027 start?
The first round tees off on Thursday 8 April 2027 at Augusta National Golf Club, with the final round on Sunday 11 April.
Where is The Masters being held?
Augusta National Golf Club, Augusta, Georgia, United States. The Masters is the only major championship played at the same course every year.
How can I watch The Masters?
CBS and ESPN in the United States, Sky Sports in the UK and Ireland, TSN in Canada, Fox Sports in Australia. Featured groups, Amen Corner and Holes 15-16 streams are available on Masters.com and the Masters app.
Who won the last Masters Tournament?
Rory McIlroy won the 2025 Masters, completing the career grand slam at his 11th attempt and becoming the sixth player in history to win all four men’s majors.
Why does The Masters winner receive a Green Jacket?
The Green Jacket is the official jacket worn by Augusta National members. Since 1949, the Masters champion has received a Green Jacket presented by the previous year’s winner. Champions keep the jacket for one year before returning it to the club.
Who has won the most Masters titles?
Jack Nicklaus has won the most Masters Tournaments with six victories between 1963 and 1986. Tiger Woods is second with five wins.