The Masters, marking its 90th edition, returns to Augusta National Golf Club in Georgia, USA from 9–12 April 2026 with Rory McIlroy back to defend the Green Jacket one year after completing the career Grand Slam.
It is one of the four major championships in men’s professional golf and is unique in that it is the only major to be held at the same location every year at Augusta.
Who plays in The Masters?
The top 50 in the world at the end of the previous calendar year earn an invite, as do those inside the top 50 during the week before the tournament takes place, while previous winners hold a lifetime exemption and any other major winners from the last five years are also included in the field.
The top 12 and ties from last year’s Masters are allowed to return, as are the top four and ties from the other three majors in 2025, with every winner of PGA Tour events that award a full-point allocation towards the season-ending Tour Championship also getting a spot.
A new exemption category for this year’s contest has seen additional invites given to winners of six national Opens – the Genesis Scottish Open, Spanish Open, Japan Open, Hong Kong Open, Australian Open and the South African Open.
The last three winners of The Players and all qualifiers for last season’s Tour Championship earn an invite, plus the champions of five of the world’s biggest amateur titles, while The Masters committee can also invite a player who has not qualified.
Invites are given to the two finalists of the US Amateur and the winner of The Amateur Championship, along with the winners of the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship, Latin America Amateur Championship, the US Mid-Amateur and the NCCA Division 1 Men’s Individual Champion.
Which players could be in contention for The Masters 2026?
Rory McIlroy returns as defending champion after completing a career Grand Slam at last year’s tournament.
World No 1 Scottie Scheffler will be looking to reclaim the title he won in 2022 and 2024, but arrives in relatively poor form, having finished outside of the top 20 at his last two tournaments.
The most likely contender from LIV Golf has to be Bryson DeChambeau who has just won successive titles in South Africa and Singapore.
2023 champion Jon Rahm is also in contention and comes into the tournament having lost a play-off to DeChambeau in LIV South Africa.
Tommy Fleetwood and Ludvig Åberg will both be chasing a first major title, while their European Ryder Cup team-mate Matt Fitzpatrick arrives in fine form having finished second at The Players before winning the Valpsar Championship.
Last year’s runner-up Justin Rose already has a PGA Tour win to his name this season, and after missing successive cuts, appeared to have regained some form when he finished T13 at The Players.
From an American perspective, Cameron Young was victorious last month at The Players, while two-time major champion Xander Schauffele is in good form and has recorded five top-10 finishes in his last seven appearances at Augusta.
What is The Masters prize money and how much does the winner get?
The prize money breakdown for 2026 is yet to be confirmed, but it is expected to remain similar to last year, in which McIlroy banked a then record $4.2m (approximately Ksh 546 million).
The total prize money for the field was $21m (Ksh 2.7 billion), with all professionals making the cut earning a minimum of $51,000 (Ksh 6.6 million).
ALSO READ: Millions Kenyan star Njoroge Kibugu cashes in after shining at the 2026 Magical Kenya Open
Will Tiger Woods play The Masters 2026?
Five-time champion Tiger Woods will be absent from Augusta for a second successive year.
Woods was involved in a car crash in Florida on March 27 and was charged with driving under the influence (DUI). He then admitted to looking at his phone as his speeding Land Rover clipped the back of a truck and rolled onto its side.
Before the incident, it had been unclear whether the 50-year-old would have been fit enough to participate at Augusta, where he was last victorious in 2019.
Who makes the cut at The Masters and what are the cut rules?
The halfway cut at The Masters is different to any of the majors, with only the lowest 50 and ties after 36 holes getting through to the weekend.
The Masters previous winners (Last 10)
2025: Rory McIlroy (NIR)
2024: Scottie Scheffler (USA)
2023: Jon Rahm (ESP)
2022: Scottie Scheffler (USA)
2021: Hideki Matsuyama (JPN)
2020: Dustin Johnson (USA)
2019: Tiger Woods (USA)
2018: Patrick Reed (USA)
2017: Sergio Garcia (ESP)
2016: Danny Willett (ENG)
Masters 2026: Key details
Dates: 9–12 April 2026
Venue: Augusta National Golf Club, Augusta, Georgia, USA
Course: Par 72, 7,565 yards
Defending champion: Rory McIlroy
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
How to watch the 2026 Masters live?
Golf lovers in Kenya can catch the action on Supersport Golf while fans around the world can follow the 2026 Masters through Masters.com and the Masters App, which will carry live streams and tournament coverage across the week.
Viewers in international territories can check the Masters’ official Where to Watch page to find the broadcaster in their country or region.