The bees are buzzing, the birds are singing, the sun is shining, and another tell-tale sign that spring is in full swing is that world’s best golfers are gathering at the spectacular Augusta National Golf Club in Georgia for the 90th edition of The Masters, which gets underway on April 9.
There are many who believe the first major of the year is the standout event on the golfing calendar, and who could argue with that. Drink in the stunning surroundings for four fantastic days and enjoy the beauty that is golf at its highest level.
Defending champion, Rory McIlroy, is just one of many players who will have high hopes of donning the famous green jacket this week. Let GOAL take you through everything you need to know for this year’s Masters tournament at Augusta, including the tournament schedule and how you can watch or stream all the action live.
When is The Masters 2026 from Augusta?
The 90th edition of the Masters Tournament is scheduled to take place from Thursday, April 9, to Sunday, April 12, in Augusta, Georgia. Prior to the start of the tournament, practice rounds take place on Monday, April 6 and Tuesday, April 7. On Wednesday, April 8, the ‘Par 3 Contest’ takes place, which is played on a separate 9-hole / par-27 course on the northeast corner of Augusta National.
How to watch and stream The Masters 2026
In the UK, you can watch The Masters, along with all PGA Tour and DP World Tour events, live and exclusively on Sky Sports. The broadcaster will provide over 70 hours of live coverage from Augusta National, an increase of approximately 20% compared to previous years.
If you're an existing Sky customer, you can add Sky Sports online, or through the My Sky app at any time. Packages start from £22 per month with Sky Stream. Sky Sports+ is included at no extra cost, which allows the viewer the opportunity to watch many more live events across a range of sports.
The Sky Sports app allows subscribers to download and watch live sport on the go and is available on iPhone, iPad, and Android. Non-Sky customers can also stream the action with NOW TV. There are a variety of sign-ups for the avid sports watcher, including the Sports ‘Day Membership’, which allows access to all 12 Sky Sports channels for 24 hours for £14.99.
NOW’s ‘Fully Flexible’ Sports membership again gives unlimited Sky Sports access, but over 30 days instead. That costs £34.99 a month and auto-renews unless cancelled before the end of the monthly period.
There’s also a ‘12-Month Saver’ package, where you are charged £20% less and pay only £27.99 a month. However, you need to sign up for a 12-month minimum term. After the 12-month minimum term, it auto-renews at £34.99 a month unless cancelled.
The Masters 2026 Tournament Schedule
Sky Sports live coverage for Masters week is listed below:
| Date | Session | Time (BST) | Watch |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mon, April 6 | Practice - 'On The Range' | 5:00pm | Sky Sports |
| Tue, April 7 | Practice - 'On The Range' | 2:00pm | Sky Sports |
| Wed, April 8 | Par 3 Contest | 7:00pm | Sky Sports |
| Thu, April 9 | Round 1 | 2:00pm | Sky Sports |
| Fri, April 10 | Round 2 | 2:00pm | Sky Sports |
| Sat, April 11 | Round 3 | 4:30pm | Sky Sports |
| Sun, April 12 | Round 4 | 4:30pm | Sky Sports |
🛜 How to watch the Masters 2026 from anywhere with a VPN
If you find yourself unable to view the Masters locally, you may need a different way to watch the action. That's where using a VPN can come in handy. A VPN is also the best way to stop your ISP from throttling your speeds, by encrypting your traffic, and it's also a great idea if you're travelling and find yourself connected to a Wi-Fi network, and you want to add an extra layer of privacy for your devices and logins.
With a VPN, you're able to virtually change your location on your phone, tablet, or laptop to get access to race action. Most VPNs, like ExpressVPN, make it really easy to do this. We recommend ExpressVPN if you're unsure which VPN to choose, but you can also check out our in-depth VPN guide to determine which one is best for you.
What to expect from The Masters 2026
Rory McIlroy returns to Georgia, aiming to defend the Masters title that he won in dramatic fashion twelve months ago. However, we haven’t had a repeat winner of the first Major of the year since Tiger Woods in 2002.
On the whole, the previous year’s green jacket wearer has failed to even muster a challenge on their return to the hallowed turf of Augusta. Only 4 of the last 11 victors have recorded a top-10 finish when defending and three even missed the cut.
McIlroy became the fifth British player to be crowned Masters champion. The other four being Nick Faldo (1989, 1990 & 1996), Ian Woosnam (1991), Sandy Lyle (1998) and Danny Willett (2016).
It’s the 2024 and 2022 champion, Scottie Scheffler, who’s the bookmakers’ favourite to top the leaderboard again though. Since debuting at Augusta in 2020, he’s not finished worse than 19th and he’s notched four top-10 results in-a-row.
History of the Augusta National
The Augusta National Golf Club is the venue for The Masters. It's the only one of the four Majors to be played on the same course, every single year. The Augusta National course has specific characteristics, such as uneven fairway lies, swirling winds and fast and undulating greens, which certain players thrive upon, while others struggle.
Founded by Bobby Jones and Clifford Roberts, the Augusta National course was opened for play in 1932. The Masters has been played at the club since 1934, with Horton Smith winning that inaugural edition. There have been a multitude of hole updates over recent times and even this year’s Masters will feature course changes, mainly resulting from the damage caused by Hurricane Helene in October, which saw many trees destroyed.
Each of the holes at Augusta National is named for its distinctive plant. Some have changed through the years; No. 14, for example, used to be known as Spanish Dagger but is now known as Chinese Fir for the exotic plant that is located on the left side of the fairway. Over the years, more than 80,000 plants of more than 350 varieties have been added to the Augusta National grounds.
What is the Golf Majors 2026 schedule?
| Date | Tournament | Venue |
|---|---|---|
| April 9-12 | The Masters | Augusta National Golf Club (Georgia) |
| May 14-17 | PGA Championship | Aronimink Golf Club (Pennsylvania) |
| June 18-21 | U.S. Open | Shinnecock Hills Golf Club (New York) |
| July 16-19 | The Open Championship | Royal Birkdale Golf Club (Southport, England) |