When is it on?
The first men’s major of the year will begin at Augusta National, Georgia on Thursday, April 11th, afternoon Irish time. Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player and Tom Watson, winners of 11 Masters between them, will launch the tournament as per tradition as honorary starters. The tournament will run until Sunday, April 14th.
How can I follow it all?
The Masters is broadcast exclusively on Sky Sports and NowTV all week. Featured group coverage will begin at 2pm on Thursday, with full coverage from 7.30pm. One of the best ways to follow the Masters is to download the Masters app, where every single shot of the tournament can be watched on your phone. A true marvel.
What are the tee-times?
Due to weather delays, all rounds have been pushed forward by two-and-a-half hours. The first players will not start until 10.30am Augusta time (originally 8am). So Rory McIlroy should start his latest bid for a green jacket at 6.12pm (Irish time) on Thursday, with 6.48pm still his scheduled time on Friday. He has been paired in a heavyweight group including Scottie Scheffler and Xander Schauffele for the first two days.
Shane Lowry starts his week off at 7.54pm on Thursday in a group with Akshay Bhatia and JT Poston.
Dave Hannigan: Behold a version of golf that’s fun and weirdly cool - but still ludicrously expensive
Golf lowdowns: Leona Maguire looks to turn fortunes around at LPGA Tour Championship
Tyrrell Hatton set for Ryder Cup warm-up as LIV rebels come in from the cold
Well-earned rest ahead for Shane Lowry after most consistent year of his career
Notable Masters tee times:
- Scottie Scheffler, Rory McIlroy, Xander Schauffele: Thursday at 6.12pm, Friday at 6.48 pm
- Akshay Bhatia, JT Poston, Shane Lowry: Thursday at 7.54pm, Friday at 2.12 pm
- Jon Rahm, Matt Fitzpatrick, Nick Dunlap: Thursday 6pm, Friday at 6.36 pm
- Tiger Woods, Jason Day, Max Homa: Thursday at 8.54pm, Friday at 3.18 pm
- Phil Mickelson, Sepp Straka, Tony Finau: Thursday at 5.06 pm, Friday at 5.48 pm
- Patrick Cantlay, Min Woo Lee, Rickie Fowler: Thursday at 5.36 pm, Friday at 6.12 pm
- Hideki Matsuyama, Will Zalatoris, Justin Thomas: Thursday at 5.48 pm, Friday at 6.24 pm
- Wyndham Clark, Viktor Hovland, Cameron Smith: Thursday at 6.24 pm, Friday at 7pm
- Brian Harman, Brooks Koepka, Tom Kim: Thursday at 9.06pm, Friday at 3.30 pm
- Jordan Spieth, Ludvig Aberg, Sahith Theegala: Thursday at 9.18pm, Friday at 3.42pm
- Dustin Johnson, Collin Morikawa, Tommy Fleetwood: Thursday at 9.30pm, Friday at 3.54 pm
How many Irish players are playing?
After two years of four Irish players in the Masters, we are back to just two as Séamus Power misses out, with Shane Lowry and Rory McIlroy taking their places at Augusta. Only four players in history played in more than 13 Masters or more before winning their first. McIlroy will be making his 16th appearance. For Lowry, it’s his ninth appearance. Sergio Garcia won on his 19th appearance in 2017, so never say never.
Can Rory McIlroy finally win it?
Yes and no. He clearly has the game to win at Augusta, he was four shots ahead in 2011 after all, and has finished second, fourth and tied fifth twice. If you combine his best round from each day of Augusta over the years, he’d be 26-under-par, six shots better than the tournament record. But the mental scars have built up. Each year there is a bad day or two that costs him, particularly slow starts. He has only shot better than 70 on Thursday twice at Augusta, and the winner almost always comes from the top 10 on the first day.
This season his shots gained approaching the green, a key stat for deciding Masters winners, had been off-form, until a considerable upturn last week at the Texas Open, when he was third in that stat, gaining seven shots on the field. He confirmed to the media that he was having renowned coach Butch Harmon looking at his swing, so maybe something has clicked just in time for Augusta.
What about Shane Lowry, what are his chances?
Pretty good you’d have to say. Lowry is not among the favourites, but he is a strong contender among the next bunch of the chasing pack. He is third on tour in that aforementioned approach to green stat, which suits Augusta as iron play is key - giving yourself uphill putts is vitally important as downhill putts are a road to no town. He finished tied third here in 2022 and likes the course. Lowry will be quietly confident about his game, and be disappointed if he does not make a mark this week.
Who are the favourites?
Scottie Scheffler has peak Tiger Woods-like odds of 7-2 for the tournament, with good reason too. He won the two signature events in March - Arnold Palmer Invitational and Players Championship - on fast greens with his usual supreme ball-striking. His nemesis has been his putting, but a change to the mallet putter at Bay Hill has improved that part of his game, making it daunting for the rest of the field. He is also a former champion from 2022.
It is hard to gauge the level of some of the LIV Golf players, given the way their tour is set up, but defending champion Jon Rahm and five-time Major winner Brooks Koepka battled it out in the final group last year and you would expect both to be contending on Sunday again. Perhaps never before has the crop of debutants had a better chance of winning - Swedish phenom Ludvig Aberg, US Open champion Wyndham Clark and last week’s winner Akshay Bhatia among them.
Is Tiger Woods playing?
Yes he is, but expectations will be low for the five-time champion. Woods talked a big game about his fitness not too long ago, aiming for one event per month this year. Instead, he has only played at the Genesis Open in Riviera, where he withdrew due to illness. Woods still has plenty of shots in his locker, and knows the course like the back of his hand, but walking for four rounds has been the issue since that car crash in 2021. His presence though elevates any event, and is much appreciated at a time of division for golf’s tours.
What is the weather forecast for Augusta?
The threat of thunderstorms came through on Thursday. The latest news from the Masters is that the round will start at 10.30pm (3.30pm Irish time).
The good news is after today, it is forecast to be clear and mostly sunny, with a strong breeze on Friday that will provide a significant test for all players. Due to the limited field, finishing the action before Sunday evening is not considered a problem.
What is the Masters winner’s prize?
The 2024 Masters champion will receive $3.24 million (€3 million), but perhaps most significantly, the winner receives the green jacket, along with a lifetime invitation to play in the Masters, a replica of the Masters champion’s trophy that permanently resides at Augusta National, and a gold medal.
- Sign up for Sports push alerts and have the best news, analysis and comment delivered directly to your phone
- Find The Irish Times on WhatsApp and stay up to date
