Welcome to The Masters
Those lucky, lucky people who get to attend The Masters will hear those above words as they enter the property. "Welcome to the Masters!"
From that most pleasant of welcomes, patrons (spectators) are invited to enjoy perhaps the most spectacular golf course in the world.
The 2025 edition was one of the best with Rory McIlroy ousting Justin Rose in a playoff to finally slip his arms into the famous Green Jacket which, in one of many Masters traditions, is handed over by the defending champion.
This will be the 90th Masters so let's find out more about the only Major played at the same course each year.
2026 Masters facts
When: April 9-12
Where: Augusta National Golf Club, Augusta, Georgia
The Course: Par 72, 7,565 yards
Designers: Alister MacKenzie and Bobby Jones
Course record: 63 (Nick Price 1986, Greg Norman 1996)
Lowest winning score: 268 (-20) Dustin Johnson 2020
Most wins: 6 Jack Nicklaus, 5 Tiger Woods, 4 Arnold Palmer
2026 prize money: Winner gets $3.6m of a $20m purse.
How can I watch the 2026 Masters?
Sky Sports provide coverage in the UK.
Thursday 9th April: Sky Sports Main Event (2pm), Sky Sports Golf (2pm)
Friday 10th April: Sky Sports Main Event (2pm), Sky Sports Golf (2pm)
Saturday 11th April: Sky Sports Golf (4.30pm), Sky Sports Main Event (7.45pm)
Sunday 12th April: Sky Sports Golf (4.30pm), Sky Sports Main Event (7pm)
Augusta National GC, Masters course details
It's the course golf fans probably know better than any other.
The tough opening par-4. The downhill par-5 2nd. The short par-4 3rd with the false front. The long par-3 4th. All of the back nine, including those enticing par 5s at 13 and 15 and the angled, tiered green of the par-3 16th.
While the yardage has crept up to 7,565 yards, the par 72 Augusta National always play longer that that due to the fairways being mown towards the tee.
Handling the lightning-fast, undulating Bentgrass greens is perhaps the biggest challenge.
It's often described as one of the strongest "horses for courses" events in golf.
So did the leading finishers last year also have a notable bank of Masters form? These were the best past Augusta performances of the top 10 in 2025.
1st Rory McIlroy - 2nd
2nd Justin Rose - 2nd
3rd Patrick Reed - Win
4th Scottie Scheffler - Win
5th Bryson DeChambeau - 6th
5th Sungjae Im - 2nd
7th Ludvig Aberg - 2nd
8th Corey Conners - 6th
8th Jason Day - 2nd
8th Zach Johnson - Win
8th Xander Schauffele - 2nd
Of those top 11 players, three were past winners and six had previously finished runner-up.
Everyone in the top 10 had posted a top six at Augusta and nine of the 11 had previouly registered a top two.
In short, there's good reason to base a betting strategy around previous course form.
Last 10 Masters winners and finish the next year
Despite course form being key, the defending champion often struggles. Is it the extra pressure of having to host the Champions Dinner (for all the past winners) and the increased media demands in an environment where everyone feels they need to be on their best behaviour?!
2024: -11 Scottie Scheffler (USA) - won by 4, finished 4th when defending
2023: -12 Jon Rahm (Spain) - won by 4, finished 45th when defending
2022: -10 Scottie Scheffler (USA) - won by 3, finished 10th when defending
2021: -10 Hideki Matsuyama (Japan) - won by 1, finished 14th when defending
2020: -20 Dustin Johnson (USA) - won by 5, missed cut when defending
2019: -13 Tiger Woods (USA) - won by 1, finished 38th when defending
2018: -15 Patrick Reed (USA) - won by 1, finished 36th when defending
2017: -9 Sergio Garcia (Spain) - won in playoff, missed cut when defending
2016: -5 Danny Willett (England) - won by 3, missed cut when defending
2015: -18 Jordan Spieth (USA) - won by 4, finished runner-up when defending
In the last 10 years, Scottie Scheffler (twice) and Jordan Spieth are the only defending champions to have made the top 10 a year later.
Where to get tips for the 2026 Masters
You can get tips, insight and previews for the 2026 Masters right here on our dedicated golf page.
Steve Rawlings, The Punter, will have his usual in-depth preview on Sunday before the Masters, as well as providing a daily in-play blog and his Find Me a 100 Winner column.
Dave Tindall warms up with his popular 10-year trends preview and in Masters week is on hand with a bunch of previews: outright (each-way), first-round leader and Top 5/10 bets.
Matt Cooper will profile the leading 50 players in the betting and Andrew Swales will run you through the runners and riders with his course and current form stats.
Betting on the 2026 Masters
You can bet either on the Betfair Exchange (win only) or on the Betfair Sportsbook.
Each-way betting on the Sportsbook offers 1/4 Odds, 6 Places in the build-up although different markets with specific place terms will be available nearer the start.
In addition, a host of other markets such as first-round leader, to make the cut, 72-hole match bets and daily three-ball odds will appear closer to tee off and during Master week. Live, in-running odds will also be available.
Masters betting market moves in 2026
Here's how the betting has changed since mid-December.
December 15th: 3/1 Scottie Scheffler, 15/2 Rory McIlroy, 12/1 Ludvig Aberg, 14/1 Bryson DeChambeau, 16/1 Jon Rahm, Tommy Fleetwood, Xander Schauffele, 25/1 Collin Morikawa, Justin Thomas, 28/1 Brooks Koepka, Jordan Spieth, Viktor Hovland, 33/1 Cameron Young, Hideki Matsuyama, Joaquin Niemann, Patrick Cantlay.
March 27th: 5/16.00 Scottie Scheffler, 10/111.00 Rory McIlroy, 12/113.00 Bryson DeChambeau, Jon Rahm, 16/117.00 Ludvig Aberg, Xander Schauffele, 22/123.00 Matt Fitzpatrick, Tommy Fleetwood, 25/126.00 Cameron Young], 28/129.00 Collin Morikawa, Justin Rose, 33/134.00 Brooks Koepka, Hideki Matsuyama, Patrick Reed.
We've seen numerous changes over the last few months, the most striking at the front of the betting.
Scheffler has drifted from 3s to 5s after some uncharacteristic performances while defending champion McIlroy has been pushed out to double figures after failing to win this year and suffering a back injury prior to last month's Arnold Palmer Invitational.
Both Bryson DeChambeau and Jon Rahm have been clipped after strong performances on LIV while English duo Justin Rose and Matt Fitzpatrick have vaulted up the betting on the back of impressive early-season wins.
Will Tiger Woods play in the 2026 Masters?
It's a big topic of debate and Woods, a five-time Masters winner, sparked further furious discussion after playing in the TGL indoor league on Tuesday, March 24.
Asked if he would play at Augusta this year, Woods replied: "I've been trying. Just this body is - it doesn't recover like it did when it was 24, 25. It doesn't mean I'm not trying. I've been trying for a while. I've had a couple bad injuries here over the past years that I've had to fight through and it's taken some time. But I keep trying. I want to play. I love the tournament. I've loved being there since I was 19 years old. It's meant a lot to me and my family over the years."
Woods missed the tournament last year and the Exchange has a special 'Tiger Woods to play in the 2026 Masters' market on offer. The early odds suggested 'no' but that could change.
Donald Trump has since had his say and claims Woods is already ruled out.
"I love Tiger, but he won't be there," Trump said while appearing on "The Five" on FOX News. "He'll be there, but he won't be playing in it."
Of course, the US President has never been wrong before!
Betfair Safer Gambling: A range of tools to help
Betfair is committed to safer gambling and here you can find out about the tools that help you set your budget, keep track of your spend, take a break when you need it, and more. Click here for full details.