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2026 Masters Tournament Begins at Augusta National

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90th Masters Tournament Commences at Augusta National

The first men's major golf championship of the year, the 90th Masters Tournament, began Thursday at Augusta National Golf Club. Defending champion Rory McIlroy shares the first-round lead at five-under par with Sam Burns. The field of 91 players includes world number one Scottie Scheffler, prominent LIV Golf members, and six amateurs.

Tournament Overview & Historical Context

This year marks the 90th playing of the Masters. The ceremonial opening tee shots were performed by legends Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player, and Tom Watson.

It is the first Masters since 1994 without either Tiger Woods or Phil Mickelson in the field.

In 1994, the field's average driving distance was approximately 272 yards, compared to 307 yards last year. Notably, 43 players in this year's field were not yet born in 1994.

Rory McIlroy is the defending champion, having won the 2025 Masters in a playoff against Justin Rose to complete the career Grand Slam. He is attempting to become the fourth player to win the tournament in consecutive years and the first since Tiger Woods in 2001-2002.

First Round Leaderboard Summary

After the opening round, Rory McIlroy and Sam Burns are tied at the top.

  • Leaders (-5): Rory McIlroy and Sam Burns.

    • McIlroy led the field in driving distance (336.1-yard average).
    • Burns led in greens in regulation (88.9%).

  • Close Pursuit (-3): Patrick Reed, Jason Day, and Kurt Kitayama.

  • Notable Scores:

    • Scottie Scheffler and Justin Rose are at two-under par.
    • Jon Rahm finished at six-over par, his first career round at Augusta National without a birdie.
    • Bryson DeChambeau finished at four-over par.

  • Field Performance: Only 16 of the 91 players finished under par, with 59 players over par.

Key Player Background and Form

Rory McIlroy: The defending champion has two wins in the 2025 season. He enters as a defending major champion for the first time since the 2015 PGA Championship. Since 2002, only three defending Masters champions have finished better than 10th the following year.

Scottie Scheffler: The world's top-ranked player seeks his third Masters victory in five years. Since 2020, he is 111-under-par in majors, 55 shots better than any other player. He holds the lowest scoring average of any player with 20+ rounds in Masters history. A win would be his third green jacket in his seventh start, one attempt fewer than Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, and Tiger Woods.

LIV Golf Contenders:

  • Bryson DeChambeau has won the last two LIV Golf events. He and Scheffler are the only players to finish in the top six in each of the last two Masters.
  • Jon Rahm leads LIV Golf in strokes gained total, greens in regulation, birdie average, and ball striking. His scoring average in majors since joining LIV Golf is 71.23, nearly a full stroke higher than his average from 2018-2023.

Other Notable Players:

  • Justin Rose has led or co-led after 11 Masters rounds without a win. He leads all players with 12+ rounds at Augusta in strokes gained putting per round since 2020.
  • European Contenders: Ludvig Åberg, Matt Fitzpatrick, and Tommy Fleetwood are in strong form.
  • Left-Handed Players: Robert MacIntyre and Akshay Bhatia are in the field. Since 2015, left-handed players hit the fairway on the par-five 13th hole 11.4% more often than right-handed players, resulting in an 11.5% higher birdie-or-better rate.

Course Conditions and Characteristics

The forecast for the tournament week is sunny with no rain, which is expected to create firm and fast conditions at Augusta National.

The course is considered a "second shot" course where approach play is critical. Six of the last seven Masters winners ranked in the top six in strokes gained approach during their winning week.

In each of the last four years, Augusta National has been among the five easiest courses on the PGA Tour for driving accuracy. However, the penalty for missing a fairway on a par four or five has increased since 2021, rising from an average of 0.33 strokes to 0.41 strokes.

Broadcast Information

Coverage of the tournament is available across multiple platforms:

  • Thursday & Friday:
    • Amazon Prime Video: 1-3 p.m. ET
    • ESPN: 3-7:30 p.m. ET
  • Saturday & Sunday:
    • Paramount+: 12-2 p.m. ET
    • CBS: 2-7 p.m. ET
  • Live Streams: Masters Live streams (Featured Groups, Amen Corner, Holes 15 & 16) are available on Paramount+, CBSSports.com, and the CBS Sports App.