The Masters Tournament, golf's first major championship of the year, is scheduled for the second full week of April at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia. The par-72 layout measures 7,555 yards.[1][2]
Tiger Woods, the 49-year-old American from Jupiter, Florida, holds the course record with five victories at the event—in 1997, 2001, 2002, 2005 and 2019—part of his 15 major titles overall.[1][3]
As a past champion, Woods receives a lifetime invitation to the Masters. He last competed there in 2024, completing three rounds with scores of 72, 77 and 78 before withdrawing prior to the final round.[1][4]
Woods has faced ongoing injury challenges, including multiple back surgeries since 2014 and an ankle fusion procedure in June 2024. He has remained active in the TGL simulator league, captaining Jupiter Links Golf Club in matches during January 2025.[5][6]
The 2026 field will feature top professionals invited based on criteria including recent major performance, PGA Tour wins and world rankings. Past champions like Woods are exempt indefinitely.[1]
Sources
- Augusta National Inc. "The Masters Tournament - Past Winners". Accessed March 2026. https://www.masters.com/en_US/tournament/past_winners/index.html
- Augusta National Inc. "Augusta National Golf Club - Course". Accessed March 2026. https://www.masters.com/en_US/course/index.html
- PGA TOUR, Inc. "Tiger Woods - Player Profile". Accessed March 2026. https://www.pgatour.com/player/08793/tiger-woods
- Augusta National Inc. "2024 Masters Tournament - Leaderboard". Publication date: April 2024. https://www.masters.com/en_US/scores/index.html
- TGL Golf LLC. "Jupiter Links Golf Club". Accessed March 2026. https://tglgolf.com/teams/jupiter-links
- PGA TOUR, Inc. "TGL Match Center". Publication date: January 2025. https://www.pgatour.com/tgl
