What you want to know about Augusta National and the Masters

By Rahul Banerji

The 83^rd edition of the US Masters tournament tees off shortly after midnight India time tonight with 87 invited golfers from 22 countries around the world in the field this year.

Here are a few facts and figures from what is probably the golfing world’s most exclusive tournament. It is also the first of golf’s four Majors that include the PGA Championship in May, the US Open in June and the Open Championship in July. The Open is played between 10 links courses in the United Kingdom.

• The $11 million tournament is a by-invitation event with lifetime slots reserved for past champions and has six amateurs in the field year on year; the current US Amateur winner and runner-up, the US mid-amateur champion, and the British, Asia-Pacific and Latin American amateur champions.
• Only the top 50 professionals in the Official Golf World Rankings are automatic entries.
• The Masters has always and only been played at the Augusta National Golf Club in Georgia, USA. It was first held in 1930, and but for a break between 1943 and 1945 caused by the Second World War, has been held uninterrupted,
• Jack Nicklaus is the most successful Masters champion with six wins. Arnold Palmer and Tiger Woods are the next best with four titles each. Gary Player of South Africa was the first non-American to win at Augusta National, and he did it thrice alongside four others including Sam Snead, Sir Nick Faldo and Phil Mickelson.
• Not one of the top 10 in the field for this year has won the Masters. At 12^th Tiger Woods is the highest-ranked past champion.
• The course at Augusta National is a par 72 and will play to 7,475 yards this year.
• Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy is the most popular bookies’ pick this year. He is looking to complete a career slam of majors and has been in red-hot form this season.
• Jeev Milkha Singh remains the only Indian to have played the Masters thrice, in 2007, 2008 and 2009. The other are Arjun Atwal (2011), Anirban Lahiri (2015, 2016) and Shubhankar Sharma (2018). There will be no Indian representation at the tournament this year.

Day 1 of Augusta Masters is scheduled to be available live from 12.30 am IST (Friday, April 12) to 4:45 am on DSport.

Round 1 tee times (all times in EST, unless stated)

8:30 am: Andrew Landry, Adam Long, Corey Conners (Canada)

8:41 am: Ian Woosnam (Wales), Keith Mitchell, Kevin Tway

8:52 am: Mike Weir (Canada), Shane Lowry (Ireland), Kevin O’Connell

9:03 am: Angel Cabrera (Argentina), Aaron Wise, Justin Harding (South Africa)

9:14 am: Danny Willett (England), Brandt Snedeker, Takumi Kanaya (Japan)

9:25 am: Fred Couples, Si Woo Kim (Korea), J. B. Holmes

9:36 am: Branden Grace (South Africa), Emiliano Grillo (Argentina), Lucas Bjerregaard (Denmark)

9:47 am: Charl Schwartzel (South Africa), Charles Howell III, Eddie Pepperell (England)

9:58 am: Sergio Garcia (Spain), Tony Finau, Henrik Stenson (Sweden)

10:09 am: Adam Scott (Australia), Hideki Matsuyama (Japan), Kyle Stanley

10:31 am: Patrick Reed, Webb Simpson, Viktor Hovland (Norway)

10:42 am: Charley Hoffman, Louis Oosthuizen (South Africa), Marc Leishman (Australia)

10:53 am: Tommy Fleetwood (England), Xander Schauffele, Gary Woodland

11:04 am:– Tiger Woods, Haotong Li (China), Jon Rahm (Spain)

11:15 am:– Rory McIlroy (Northern Ireland), Rickie Fowler, Cameron Smith (Australia)

11:26 am: Sandy Lyle (Scotland), Michael Kim, Patton Kizzire

11:37 am: Trevor Immelman (South Africa), Martin Kaymer (Germany), Devon Bling

11:48 am: Larry Mize, Jimmy Walker, Stewart Cink

11:59 am: Jose Maria Olazabal (Spain), Kevin Na, Thorbjorn Olesen (Denmark)

12:10 pm: Bernhard Langer (Germany), Matt Wallace (England), Alvaro Ortiz (am, Mexico)

12:32 pm: Alex Noren (Sweden), Keegan Bradley, Matthew Fitzpatrick (England)

12:43 pm: Vijay Singh (Fiji), Billy Horschel, Jovan Rebula (South Africa)

12:54 pm: Kevin Kisner, Kiradech Aphibarnrat (Thailand), Shugo Imahira (Japan)

1:05 pm: Zach Johnson, Ian Poulter (England), Matt Kuchar

1:16 pm: Francesco Molinari (Italy), Rafael Cabrera Bello (Spain), Tyrrell Hatton (England)

1:27 pm: Bubba Watson, Patrick Cantlay, Satoshi Kodaira (Japan)

1:38 pm: Dustin Johnson, Bryson DeChambeau. Jason Day (Australia)

1:49 pm: Phil Mickelson, Justin Rose (England), Justin Thomas

2:00 pm: Jordan Spieth, Paul Casey (England), Brooks Koepka

Round 2 tee times

8:30 am: Sandy Lyle (Scotland), Michael Kim, Patton Kizzire

8:41 am: Trevor Immelman (South Africa), Martin Kaymer (Germany), Devon Bling

8:52 am: Larry Mize, Jimmy Walker, Stewart Cink

9:03 am: Jose Maria Olazabal (Spain), Kevin Na, Thorbjorn Olesen (Denmark)

9:14 am: Bernhard Langer (Germany), Matt Wallace (England), Alvaro Ortiz (Mexico)

9:25 am: Alex Noren (Sweden), Keegan Bradley, Matthew Fitzpatrick (England)

9:36 am: Vijay Singh (Fiji), Billy Horschel, Jovan Rebula (South Africa)

9:47 am: Kevin Kisner, Kiradech Aphibarnrat (Thailand), Shugo Imahira (Japan)

9:58 am: Zach Johnson, Ian Poulter (England), Matt Kuchar

10:09 am: Francesco Molinari (Italy), Rafael Cabrera Bello (Spain), Tyrrell Hatton (England)

10:31 am: Bubba Watson, Patrick Cantlay, Satoshi Kodaira (Japan)

10:42 am: Dustin Johnson, Bryson DeChambeau, Jason Day (Australia)

10:53 am: Phil Mickelson, Justin Rose (England), Justin Thomas

11:04 am: Jordan Spieth, Paul Casey (England), Brooks Koepka

11:15 am: Andrew Landry, Adam Long, Corey Conners (Canada)

11:26 am: Ian Woosnam (Wales), Keith Mitchell, Kevin Tway

11:37 am: Mike Weir (Canada), Shane Lowry (Ireland), Kevin O’Connell

11:48 am: Angel Cabrera (Argentina), Aaron Wise, Justin Harding (South Africa)

11:59 am: Danny Willett (England), Brandt Snedeker, Takumi Kanaya (Japan)

12:10 pm: Fred Couples, Si Woo Kim (Korea), J. B. Holmes

12:32 pm: Branden Grace (South Africa), Emiliano Grillo (Argentina), Lucas Bjerregaard (Denmark)

12:43 pm: Charl Schwartzel (South Africa), Charles Howell III, Eddie Pepperell (England)

12:54 pm: Sergio Garcia (Spain), Tony Finau, Henrik Stenson (Sweden)

1:05 pm: Adam Scott (Australia), Hideki Matsuyama (Japan), Kyle Stanley

1:16 pm: Patrick Reed, Webb Simpson, Viktor Hovland (Norway)

1:27 pm: Charley Hoffman, Louis Oosthuizen (South Africa), Marc Leishman (Australia)

1:38 pm: Tommy Fleetwood (England), Xander Schauffele, Gary Woodland

1:49 pm: Tiger Woods, Haotong Li (China), Jon Rahm (Spain)

2:00 pm: Rory McIlroy (Northern Ireland), Rickie Fowler, Cameron Smith (Australia). (courtesy PGA TOUR)

Also read: McIlroy-speak: Inside the mind of a champion