Masters Tournament

Augusta National Golf Club

The idea for Augusta National originated with Bobby Jones, who wanted to build a golf course after his retirement from the game. He sought advice from Clifford Roberts, who later became the chairman of the club. They came across a piece of land in Augusta, Georgia, of which Jones said: "Perfect! And to think this ground has been lying here all these years waiting for someone to come along and lay a golf course upon it."^[9] The land had been an indigo plantation in the early nineteenth century and a plant nursery since 1857.^[10] Jones hired Alister MacKenzie to help design the course, and work began in 1931. The course formally opened in 1933, but MacKenzie died before the first Masters Tournament was played.^[11]

Early tournament years

After Clifford Roberts invited then-USGA tournament committee chairman Prescott Bush to ANGC in early 1933, Jones and Roberts strenuously petitioned the USGA to hold the U.S. Open at Augusta in 1934, but the USGA denied the petition, noting that the hot Georgia summers would create difficult playing conditions.^[12] Indeed, the professional golf schedule would have needed to change, and to date no golf major had been held in the south. The club was deeply disappointed and had been seeking publicity as it was struggling financially and in debt, but Roberts took the rejection as an opportunity to found his own annual tournament.^[8]

Roberts told the PGA of his plan for a new tournament in late 1933. The official PGA schedule, in a small endnote, mentioned Augusta's tournament alongside three others: the 1934 Tournament of the Gardens Open, the 1934 North and South Open, and a tournament in Columbus, Georgia.^[8] The fact that the new tournament would bring Jones out of retirement made the idea attractive to both Augusta and the PGA, which itself was facing hard times financially; Grantland Rice announced the news in a syndicated column.

Due to Augusta National's financial hardships, the tournament was set to feature a small contingent of players. Initially the Augusta National Invitation field was composed largely of Bobby Jones' close associates. Due to the early calendar date of the Masters, it was not uncommon for professional golfers to be unable to attend before of jobs and prior commitments.

The first "Augusta National Invitation Tournament", as the Masters was originally known, began on March 22, 1934, and was won by Horton Smith, who took the first prize of $1,500. (The club could not afford to pay the winnings, so 17 Augusta National members personally chipped in instead.^[8]) Roberts had borrowed chairs for spectators to use from two local funeral homes, and the printed program included advertisements given for free to the club's creditors. Tournament passes cost $2.00.^[13] The tournament was played with current holes 10 through 18 played as the first nine, and 1 through 9 as the second nine,^[14] then reversed permanently to its present layout for the 1935 tournament.^[4] After the first tournament, around 20 new members joined ANGC, giving the club a much-needed financial lifeline.

The present name, Masters Tournament, was officially adopted in 1939, but had been in use since the first tournament (newspapers sometimes called it the "Masters Open").

Gene Sarazen hit the "shot heard 'round the world" in 1935, holing a shot from the fairway on the par 5 15th for a double eagle (albatross).^[15] This tied Sarazen with Craig Wood, and in the ensuing 36-hole playoff, Sarazen was the victor by five strokes.^[16] Roberts would later content that Sarazen's shot had "put the Masters in business", but attendance fell in 1935 and 1936. Throughout the rest of the 1930s, the numbers of players who accepted tournament invitations fell despite an increase in sent invitations, falling to a nadir of 42 golfers at the 1938 Masters. The club was in an inconvenient location and the effects of the Depression were still lingering.

The gallery for Sunday's final two rounds at the 1939 Masters was estimated at 10,000 spectators.^[17]

In 1940, Roberts stated that the Masters was one of the top tournaments in the United States, if not the biggest. He stated, "I am told that the Masters has outdistanced in attendance both the U.S. Amateur and the PGA."^[18] The tournament was not played from 1943 to 1945, due to World War II. To assist the war effort, cattle and turkeys were raised on the Augusta National grounds.^[4]

After the war, ticket sales were still a struggle: club member Jerry Franklin would plead with Augusta Chronicle owner William Morris Jr. to buy a group of tickets.^[19]

Byron Nelson won the first of two Masters titles in 1937. Jimmy Demaret won three times as did Sam Snead in the 1940s and 1950s. Ben Hogan won the 1951 and 1953 Masters and was runner-up on four occasions.

The club raised ticket prices to $10 for the 1951 tournament; spectators were not pleased.^[20]

1960s–1970s

Through the 50s and into the 60s, the Masters were still not widely attended. Locals were able to buy tickets at the gate on the day of each round. The city held a "Masters hospitality week", featuring a parade, from 1957 through 1967.^[19]

In 1967, series badge prices rose to $15; by 1975, they were $30.^[19]

The "Big Three" of Arnold Palmer, Gary Player, and Jack Nicklaus dominated the Masters from 1960 through 1978, winning the event 11 times between them during that span. After winning by one stroke in 1958,^[16] Palmer won by one stroke again in 1960 in memorable circumstances. Trailing Ken Venturi by one shot in the 1960 event, Palmer made birdies on the last two holes to prevail. Palmer would go on to win another two Masters in 1962 and 1964.^[16] Palmer's caddie at Augusta each time was Nathaniel "Iron Man" Avery.

Nicklaus emerged in the early 1960s and served as a rival to the popular Palmer. Nicklaus won his first green jacket in 1963, defeating Tony Lema by one stroke.^[21] Two years later, he shot a then-course record of 271 (17 under par) for his second Masters win, leading Bobby Jones to say that Nicklaus played "a game with which I am not familiar."^[22] The next year, Nicklaus won his third green jacket in a grueling 18-hole playoff against Tommy Jacobs and Gay Brewer.^[23] This made Nicklaus the first player to win consecutive Masters. He won again in 1972 by three strokes.^[16] In 1975, Nicklaus won by one stroke in a close contest with Tom Weiskopf and Johnny Miller in one of the most exciting Masters to date.^[24]

Player became the first non-American to win the Masters in 1961, beating Palmer, the defending champion, by one stroke when Palmer double-bogeyed the final hole.^[16] In 1974, he won again by two strokes.^[16] After not winning a tournament on the U.S. PGA tour for nearly four years, and at the age of 42, Player won his third and final Masters in 1978 by one stroke over three players.^[16] Player is second in consecutive cuts made with 23 straight (tied with Fred Couples), and has played in a record 52 Masters.^[25][26]

A controversial ending to the Masters occurred in 1968. Argentine champion Roberto De Vicenzo signed his scorecard (attested by playing partner Tommy Aaron) incorrectly recording him as making a par 4 instead of a birdie 3 on the 17th hole of the final round. According to the rules of golf, if a player signs a scorecard (thereby attesting to its veracity) that records a score on a hole higher than what he actually made on the hole, the player receives the higher score for that hole. This extra stroke cost De Vicenzo a chance to be in an 18-hole Monday playoff with Bob Goalby, who won the green jacket. De Vicenzo's mistake led to the famous quote, "What a stupid I am."^[16][27]

In 1975, Lee Elder became the first African American to play in the Masters,^[28] doing so 15 years before Augusta National admitted its first black member, Ron Townsend, as a result of the Shoal Creek Controversy.^[29]

1980s–2000s

Non-Americans collected 11 victories in 20 years in the 1980s and 1990s, by far the strongest run they have had in any of the three majors played in the United States since the early days of the U.S. Open. The first European to win the Masters was Seve Ballesteros in 1980; badges at that point were $48.^[19] Nicklaus became the oldest player to win the Masters in 1986 when he won for the sixth time at age 46.^[16][30]

During this period, no golfer suffered more disappointment at the Masters than Greg Norman. In his first appearance at Augusta in 1981, he led during the second nine but ended up finishing fourth. In 1986, after birdieing holes 14 through 17 to tie Nicklaus for the lead, he badly pushed his 4-iron approach on 18 into the patrons surrounding the green and missed his par putt for a closing bogey. In 1987, Norman lost a sudden-death playoff when Larry Mize holed out a remarkable 45-yard pitch shot to birdie the second playoff hole. Mize thus became the first Augusta native to win the Masters.^[31] In 1996, Norman tied the course record with an opening-round 63 and had a six-stroke lead over Nick Faldo entering the final round. However, he stumbled to a closing 78 while Faldo, his playing partner that day, carded a 67 to win by five shots for his third Masters championship.^[32] Norman also led the 1999 Masters on the second nine of the final round, only to falter again and finish third behind winner José María Olazábal, who won his second green jacket. Norman finished in the top five at the Masters eight times, but never won.

In 1993, the price of a four-day badge was raised to $100.^[33]

Two-time champion Ben Crenshaw captured an emotional Masters win in 1995, just days after the death of his lifelong teacher and mentor Harvey Penick. After making his final putt to win, he broke down sobbing at the hole and was consoled and embraced by his caddie Carl Jackson. In the post-tournament interview, Crenshaw said: "I had a 15th club in my bag," a reference to Penick. (The "15th club" reference is based on the golf rule that limits a player to carrying 14 clubs during a round.) Crenshaw first won at Augusta in 1984.

In 1997, 21-year-old Tiger Woods became the youngest champion in Masters history, winning by 12 shots with an 18-under par 270 which broke the 72-hole record that had stood for 32 years.^[4] In 2001, Woods completed his "Tiger Slam" by winning his fourth straight major championship at the Masters by two shots over David Duval.^[16] He won again the following year, making him only the third player in history (after Nicklaus and Faldo) to win the tournament in consecutive years,^[16] as well as in 2005 when he defeated Chris DiMarco in a playoff for his first major championship win in almost three years.^[16]

The cost of a four-day badge rose to $125 for the 2001 tournament.^[33]

In 2003, the Augusta National Golf Club was targeted by Martha Burk, who organized a failed protest at that year's Masters to pressure the club into accepting female members. Burk planned to protest at the front gates of Augusta National during the third day of the tournament, but her application for a permit to do so was denied.^[34] A court appeal was dismissed.^[35] In 2004, Burk stated that she had no further plans to protest against the club.^[36] The club admitted its first two women members, Condoleezza Rice and Darla Moore, in 2012.

Augusta National chairman Billy Payne himself made headlines in April 2010 when he commented at the annual pre-Masters press conference on Tiger Woods' off-the-course behavior. "It's not simply the degree of his conduct that is so egregious here," Payne said, in his opening speech. "It is the fact he disappointed all of us and more importantly our kids and grandkids."^[37][38][39]

In 2003, Mike Weir became the first Canadian to win a men's major championship and the first left-hander to win the Masters when he defeated Len Mattiace in a playoff.^[16] The following year another left-hander, Phil Mickelson, won his first major championship by making a birdie on the final hole to beat Ernie Els by a stroke.^[16] Mickelson also won the tournament in 2006 and 2010. In 2011, unheralded South African Charl Schwartzel birdied the final four holes to win by two strokes. In 2012, Bubba Watson won the tournament on the second playoff hole over Louis Oosthuizen. In 2013 Adam Scott won the Masters in a playoff over 2009 champion Ángel Cabrera, making him the first Australian to win the tournament.^[40] Watson won the 2014 Masters by three strokes over Jordan Spieth and Jonas Blixt, his second Masters title in three years and the sixth for a left-hander in 12 years. In 2015, Spieth would become the second-youngest winner (behind Woods) in just his second Masters, equaling Woods' 72-hole scoring record.^[41] In 2017, Sergio García beat Justin Rose in a playoff for his long-awaited first major title. In 2019, Tiger Woods captured his fifth Masters, his first win at Augusta National in 14 years and his first major title since 2008.

In 2009, the price for a four-day badge rose to $200; it hit $250 in 2012, and $325 in 2015.^[33]

The 2020 Masters Tournament, originally scheduled to be played April 9–12, was postponed until November due to the ongoing coronavirus outbreak.^[42] Dustin Johnson won the tournament by five strokes.

In 2025, a monument in Augusta, Georgia was erected by artist Baruti Tucker to honor the black caddies at Augusta National Golf Club for the Masters Tournament.^[43] Rory McIlroy won the 2025 Masters and completed the sixth grand slam in a playoff over Justin Rose.^[44]

The price for a four-day badge to the Masters rose to $450 in 2023, and reached $525 for 2026.^[33]

Pre-tournament events

Practice rounds

Practice rounds are held on the Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday before the tournament begins on Thursday.^[50] During the practice rounds, Redbud (hole 16) is well-known for spectators shouting "Skip it!" at players, encouraging the golfers to attempt to skip the ball across the pond.^[51][52]

The three days of practice are the only times during which attendees are allowed to bring cameras onto the course.^[53]

Par 3 Contest

Main article: Masters Tournament Par 3 Contest

The Par 3 Contest was first introduced in 1960, and was won that year by Snead. Since then it has traditionally been played on the Wednesday before the tournament starts. The Par 3 Course was built in 1958. It is a nine-hole course, with a par of 27, and measures 1,060 yards (970 m) in length.^[59]

There have been 94 holes-in-one in the history of the contest, with a record nine occurring in 2016, during which Rickie Fowler and Justin Thomas scored back-to-back holes in one on the 4th hole, while playing in a group with reigning champion Jordan Spieth.^[60][61] Camilo Villegas became the first player to card two holes-in-one in the same round during the 2015 Par 3 Contest. This achievement was duplicated by Séamus Power, who scored back-to-back holes in one on holes 8 and 9 during the 2023 Par 3 Contest.^[62] As of 2025^[update], no Par 3 Contest winner has also won the Masters in the same year.^[63][64] There have been several repeat winners, including Pádraig Harrington, Sandy Lyle, Sam Snead, and Tom Watson. The former two won in successive years.

In this event, golfers may use their children as caddies, which helps to create a family-friendly atmosphere. In 2008, the event was televised for the first time by ESPN.

The winner of the Par 3 Contest, which is played the day before the tournament begins, wins a crystal bowl.^[65]

Tournament

Caddies

Until 1983, all players in the Masters were required to use the services of an Augusta National Club caddie,^[74][75][76] who by club tradition was always an African-American man.^[29] Club co-founder Clifford Roberts is reputed to have said, "As long as I'm alive, golfers will be white, and caddies will be black."^[77] Since 1983—six years after Roberts's death in 1977—players have been allowed the option of bringing their own caddie to the tournament.

The Masters requires caddies to wear a uniform consisting of a white jumpsuit, a green Masters cap, and white tennis shoes. The surname, and sometimes first initial, of each player is found on the back of his caddie's uniform. The defending champion always receives caddie number "1": other golfers get their caddie numbers from the order in which they register for the tournament. The other majors and some PGA Tour events formerly had a similar policy concerning caddies well into the 1970s;^[78][79][80] the U.S. Open first allowed players to use their own caddies in 1976.^[81][82]

Experience and hospitality

Concessions

Pimento cheese sandwiches have a long history at the Masters.^[102][103] They have been served as a concession since the 1940s.^[104][105] Minor controversy ensued in 2013 when the club switched food suppliers for the Masters and the new supplier was unable to duplicate the recipe used by the previous supplier, resulting in a sandwich with a markedly different taste.^[106] Southern Living and Golf Digest called the sandwich "iconic" of the tournament.^[107][108] Sports Illustrated called the sandwich "legendary" and "more than a food option – it's a representation of the sport's history and its traditions".^[105]

The club introduced its own private label wheat ale beer called Crow's Nest in 2021, which is served in its own green cup and only sold during the Masters. The beer is not available during any other time of the year.^[109][110] The club's private-label cola is widely believed to be made by Coca-Cola.^[111]

Post-tournament events

Augusta National holds a lottery for members of the press pool to play the course the Monday after the end of the Masters; the event is called the Monday Golf Outing.^[138][139]

Planning

The Masters is planned by 24 committees made up of Augusta National members, which include:^{[8][144][145]}

• Beautification Committee^[8]
• Competition Committee^[146]
• Concession Committee^[145]
• Executive Committee^[145]
• Finance Committee^[145]
• Grounds Committee^[145]
• Litter Control Committee^[145]
• Local Operating Committee^[145]
• Media Committee^[144]
• Motion Picture Committee^[145]
• Pin Placement Committee^[147]
• Press Committee^[145]
• Rules Committee^[146]
• Tee Marking Committee^[147]
• Television Committee^[8]
• Tournament Improvements Committee^[145]

Course adjustments

As with many other courses, Augusta National's championship setup was lengthened in recent years. In 2001, the course measured 6,925 yards (6,332 m) and was extended to 7,270 yards (6,648 m) for 2002, and again in 2006 to 7,445 yards (6,808 m); 520 yards (475 m) longer than the 2001 course.^[150][151] The changes attracted many critics, including the most successful players in Masters history, Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer, Gary Player and Tiger Woods. Woods claimed that the "shorter hitters are going to struggle". Augusta National chairman Hootie Johnson was unperturbed, stating, "We are comfortable with what we are doing with the golf course." After a practice round, Gary Player defended the changes, saying, "There have been a lot of criticisms, but I think unjustly so, now I've played it ... The guys are basically having to hit the same second shots that Jack Nicklaus had to hit (in his prime)".^[152]

The first hole was shortened by 10 yards (9 m) for the 2009 Masters Tournament. For the 2019 Masters Tournament, the fifth hole was lengthened by 40 yards (37 m) from 455 yards to 495 yards, with two new gaping bunkers on the left side of the fairway.^[153] The length of the course is 7,475 yards (6,835 m).

Originally, the grass on the putting greens was wide-bladed Bermuda. The greens lost speed, especially during the late 1970s, after the introduction of a healthier strain of narrow-bladed Bermuda, which thrived and grew thicker. In 1978, the greens on the Par 3 course were reconstructed with bentgrass, a narrow-bladed species that could be mowed shorter, eliminating grain.^[154] After this test run, the greens on the main course were replaced with bentgrass in time for the 1981 Masters. The bentgrass resulted in significantly faster putting surfaces, which has required a reduction in some of the contours of the greens over time.^[154]

Just before the 1975 tournament, the common beige sand in the bunkers was replaced with the now-signature white feldspar. It is a quartz derivative of the mining of feldspar and is shipped in from North Carolina.^[155]

Invitation categories (from 2024)

See footnote.^[159]

Note: Categories 7–12 are honored only if the participants maintain their amateur status prior to the tournament.

1. Masters Tournament Champions (lifetime)
2. U.S. Open champions (five years)
3. The Open champions (five years)
4. PGA champions (five years)
5. Winners of the Players Championship (three years)
6. Current Olympic Gold Medalist (one year)
7. Current U.S. Amateur champion and runner-up
8. Current British Amateur champion
9. Current Asia-Pacific Amateur champion
10. Current Latin America Amateur champion
11. Current U.S. Mid-Amateur champion
12. Current NCAA Division I Men's Golf Championship individual champion
13. The first 12 players, including ties, in the previous year's Masters Tournament
14. The first 4 players, including ties, in the previous year's U.S. Open
15. The first 4 players, including ties, in the previous year's Open Championship
16. The first 4 players, including ties, in the previous year's PGA Championship
17. Winners of PGA Tour events that award at least a full-point allocation for the FedEx Cup, from one Masters Tournament to the next
18. Those qualifying and eligible for the previous year's season-ending Tour Championship (top 30 in FedEx Cup prior to tournament)
19. The 50 leaders on the final Official World Golf Ranking for the previous calendar year
20. The 50 leaders on the Official World Golf Ranking published during the week prior to the current Masters Tournament

Most of the top current players will meet the criteria of multiple categories for invitation. The Masters Committee, at its discretion, can also invite any golfer not otherwise qualified, although in practice these invitations are mostly reserved for international players.^[160]

Changes since 2014

Changes for the 2014 tournament include invitations now being awarded to the autumn events in the PGA Tour, which now begin the wraparound season, tightening of qualifications (top 12 plus ties from the Masters, top 4 from the U.S. Open, Open Championship, and PGA Championship), and the top 30 on the PGA Tour now referencing the season-ending points before the Tour Championship, not the former annual money list.^[141] The 2015 Masters added the winner of the newly established Latin America Amateur Championship, which effectively replaced the exemption for the U.S. Amateur Public Links, which ended after the 2014 tournament. (The final Public Links champion played in the 2015 Masters.)^[161]

Prior to the start of the 2023 Masters Tournament, several changes to the criteria were announced to come into effect from 2024. An additional criterion was added for amateur golfers, for the reigning individual champion of the NCAA Division I Men's Golf Championship,^[162] and PGA Tour criteria were modified to account for scheduling changes (previously only regular season and playoff events were included) and to clarify that players must remain eligible for the Tour Championship.^[163][164]

United States television

NBC acquired the radio rights to the Masters from CBS in the 1940s, which also included television coverage; however, NBC never opted to televise the tournament. After years of pressure from Clifford Roberts to air the Masters on TV, NBC instead decided not to renew its contract. CBS then picked up the Masters again and broadcast the 1956 Masters Tournament on TV to 10 million viewers.^[8]

CBS has televised the Masters in the United States every year since 1956,^[177] when it used six cameras and covered only the final four holes. Tournament coverage of the first eight holes did not begin until 1993 because of resistance from the tournament organizers, but by 2006, more than 50 cameras were used. Chairman Jack Stephens felt that the back nine was always more "compelling", increased coverage would increase the need for sponsorship spending, and that broadcasting the front nine of the course on television would cut down on attendance and television viewership for the tournament.^{[177][178][179]} USA Network added first- and second-round coverage in 1982.^[180] In 2008, ESPN replaced USA as broadcaster of early-round coverage. These broadcasts use the CBS Sports production staff and commentators, but with ESPN personality Scott Van Pelt (succeeding Mike Tirico, who replaced Bill Macatee's similar role under USA Network) as studio host, as well as Curtis Strange as studio analyst.^{[181][180][182]} CBS carries two 15-minute highlight programs in late night covering the first and second rounds, which airs after their affiliates' late night local newscasts.

In 2005, CBS broadcast the tournament with high-definition fixed and handheld wired cameras, as well as standard-definition wireless handheld cameras. In 2006, a webstream called "Amen Corner Live" began providing coverage of all players passing through holes 11, 12, and 13 through all four rounds.^[183] This was the first full tournament multi-hole webcast from a major championship. In 2007, CBS added "Masters Extra," an extra hour of full-field bonus coverage daily on the internet, preceding the television broadcasts. In 2008, CBS added full coverage of holes 15 and 16 live on the web. In 2011, "Masters Extra" was dropped after officials gave ESPN an extra hour each day on Thursday and Friday. In 2016, the Amen Corner feed was broadcast in 4K ultra high definition exclusively on DirecTV—as one of the first live U.S. sports telecasts in the format.^[184][185] A second channel of 4K coverage covering holes 15 and 16 was added in 2017,^[186] and this coverage was produced with high-dynamic-range (HDR) color in 2018.^[187]

While Augusta National Golf Club has consistently chosen CBS as its U.S. broadcast partner, it has done so in successive one-year contracts.^[99] Former CBS Sports president Neal Pilson stated that their relationship had gotten to the point where the contracts could be negotiated in just hours.^[177] Due to the lack of long-term contractual security, as well as the club's limited dependence on broadcast rights fees (owing to its affluent membership), it is widely held that CBS allows Augusta National greater control over the content of the broadcast, or at least performs some form of self-censorship, in order to maintain future rights. The club, however, has insisted it does not make any demands with respect to the content of the broadcast.^[188][189] Despite this, announcers who have been deemed not to have acted with the decorum expected by the club have been removed, notably Jack Whitaker and Gary McCord,^[188] and there also tends to be a lack of discussion of any controversy involving Augusta National, such as the 2003 Martha Burk protests.^[189]

The coverage itself carries a more formal style than other golf telecasts; announcers refer to the gallery as patrons rather than as spectators or fans. Gallery itself is also used.^[190] The club also disallows promotions for other network programs, or other forms of sponsored features.^[190] Significant restrictions have been placed on the tournament's broadcast hours compared to other major championships. Only in the 21st century did the tournament allow CBS to air 18-hole coverage of the leaders, a standard at the other three majors.^[188] Since 1982, CBS has used "Augusta" by Dave Loggins as the event telecast's distinctive theme music. Loggins originally came up with the song during his first trip to the Augusta course in 1981.^[191]

In 2026, Amazon Prime Video will stream two hours of afternoon coverage on each day of the first and second rounds.^[176]

Radio coverage

The first tournament in 1934, broadcast by CBS, was the first golf tournament aired nationally in the US; Roberts saw this as an advertising opportunity.^[8] CBS declined to renew its contract in the early 1940s, and NBC took over radio broadcasts.

Historically, network radio coverage of the Masters Tournament in the United States was provided for decades by Westwood One and its predecessors, including CBS News Radio and Dial Global. During Masters week, Westwood One syndicated live hole-by-hole coverage to affiliate stations, along with regular leaderboard updates and a nightly review program known as "The Masters Tonight".^[196]

Since 2021, SiriusXM has been the exclusive audio broadcaster of the Masters Tournament, producing and presenting live play-by-play audio coverage of all four rounds as part of its "Masters Radio" channel. SiriusXM’s coverage includes live round broadcasts, pre-round and recap programming, and special event coverage during Masters week. ^[197][198]

The current SiriusXM broadcast team features lead play-by-play announcers and on-course reporters covering the action around Augusta National Golf Club, and Masters Radio also includes related programming such as tournament specials and ancillary event coverage. ^[199]

International television

The first UK live coverage of the event was in 1984 when Channel 4 aired coverage of the closing moments of the 3rd and 4th rounds. Channel 4 repeated this level of coverage in 1985. The rights then transferred to the BBC which also initially only provided coverage of the 3rd and 4th rounds. With the 2007 launch of BBC HD, UK viewers were able to watch the championship in that format. BBC Sport held the exclusive TV and radio rights through to 2010.^[200] The BBC's coverage airs without commercials because it is financed by a licence fee. From the 2011 Masters, Sky Sports began broadcasting all four days, as well as the par 3 contest in HD and, for the first time, in 3D. The BBC continued to air live coverage of the weekend rounds in parallel with Sky until 2019, when it was announced that Sky will hold exclusive rights to live coverage of all four rounds beginning 2020. The BBC will only hold rights to delayed highlights. With its loss of live rights to the Open Championship to Sky in 2016, it marks the first time since 1955 that the BBC no longer holds any rights to live professional golf.^{[201][202][203]} although the Corporation continues to provide live radio commentary on BBC Radio 5 Live.

In Ireland, Setanta Ireland previously showed all four rounds, and now since 2017 Eir Sport broadcast all four rounds live having previously broadcast the opening two rounds with RTÉ broadcasting the weekend coverage.^[204] After Eir Sport's closure in 2021, Sky Sports will broadcast the event exclusively in Ireland for the first time, like in the UK.^[205]

In Canada, broadcast rights to the Masters are held by Bell Media, with coverage divided between TSN (cable), which carries live simulcasts and primetime encores of CBS and ESPN coverage for all four rounds, CTV (broadcast), which simulcasts CBS's coverage of the weekend rounds, and RDS, which carries French-language coverage. Prior to 2013, Canadian broadcast rights were held by a marketing company, Graham Sanborn Media,^[206] which in turn bought time on the Global Television Network, TSN, and RDS (except for 2012 when French-language coverage aired on TVA and TVA Sports) to air the broadcasts, also selling all of the advertising for the Canadian broadcasts. This was an unusual arrangement in Canadian sports broadcasting, as in most cases broadcasters acquire their rights directly from the event organizers or through partnerships with international rightsholders, such as ESPN International (ESPN owns a minority stake in TSN). In 2013, Global and TSN began selling advertising directly, and co-produced supplemental programs covering the tournament (while still carrying U.S. coverage for the tournament itself).^[207][208]

On December 15, 2015, TSN parent company Bell Media announced that it had acquired exclusive Canadian rights to the tournament beginning 2016 under a multi-year deal. Broadcast television coverage moved to co-owned broadcast network CTV, while TSN uses its expanded five-channel service to carry supplemental feeds (including the Amen Corner feed and early coverage of each round) that were previously exclusive to digital platforms.^[209][210]

In France, the Masters is broadcast live on Canal+ and Canal+ Sport.

In 53 countries, including much of Latin America, broadcast rights for the entire tournament are held by the ESPN International networks.^[211]

Other

The Masters also has its own "world-class" app developed by IBM as a "365-day operation" for its development team.^[212]

In 2025, ANGC introduced Mornings @ The Masters, a 45-minute daily live-streamed show focused on culture and lifestyle, featuring influencers Hally Leadbetter and Roger Steele, co-produced with CBS Sports, and broadcast on YouTube.^[213]