The Masters at Augusta: Your complete guide to the first golf major of 2019
Anticipation is building ahead of The Masters, and we have all you need to know in the run-up to the season's first major championship.
This will be the 83rd edition of The Masters Tournament and storylines are plentiful, with Rory McIlroy bidding for a career grand slam and Tiger Woods in search of his 15th major championship.
Contents
1. Timings and TV information
2. Player profiles
3. Course guide
4. Betting previews and Request-a-Bet
5. Latest odds
6. Tee-times and key groups
7. Statistics and records
8. By the numbers
9. Talking points
10. Podcast
Timings and TV info
When does The Masters take place?
Thursday, April 11 - Sunday, April 14
What time does it start?
The first groups tee-off at around 0830 EST on Thursday and Friday - that's 1330 BST
Weekend tee-times depend on the number of players who make the cut
Where can I watch it in the UK?
Sky Sports will be broadcasting live coverage from 2000 BST on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, with Sunday's beginning at the earlier time of 1900 BST
It is also expected that there will be red button coverage of feature groups, Amen Corner (holes 11-13) and the 16th hole - further details will follow
Sky Sports' Masters coverage also includes the par-three tournament on Wednesday, plus 'on the range' shows on both Monday and Tuesday
Player profiles
Our golf expert Ben Coley has profiled every member of the field, from Kiradech Aphibarnrat right through to Ian Woosnam.
Click on the image below to read his unmissable guide - which includes course form and scoring averages.
Course guide
Augusta National, designed by Bobby Jones and Dr Alister MacKenzie, opened in 1933.
It is a classical, parkland par 72, which plays to 7,768 yards and is typified by dramatic elevation changes, pristine turf and lightning-fast greens.
Click on the image below for a hole-by-hole guide to one of the most iconic golf courses in the world.
Betting previews
Throughout The Masters, we will be publishing a series of betting previews, starting with Ben Coley's take on the outright market which is now live right here.
We also have a Request-a-Bet available thanks to Sky Bet - Bubba Watson to be top left-hander, Adam Scott to finish in the top 20, Viktor Hovland to make the cut and 10-under or better to be the winning score (ties paid in full) at 11/1.
All further previews will be added to this section when they have been published.
- Outright
- Specials
- Round one (to follow)
- Request-a-bet
Latest odds
Rory McIlroy and Dustin Johnson appear set to battle for outright favouritism ahead of The Masters.
Johnson held the position following wins in Saudi Arabia and Mexico, but was usurped by McIlroy when he won the biggest event of the season so far - The PLAYERS Championship.
In launching their 10 places offer, Sky Bet made McIlroy their 13/2 favourite from Johnson at 15/2.
Odds are of course subject to fluctuation so click here for the latest.
Tee-times and key groups
Rory McIlroy will play with Rickie Fowler and Cameron Smith in the first two rounds of The Masters, in the group directly behind Tiger Woods.
Woods, looking for his fifth Green Jacket, has been grouped with China's Hao-tong Li and Spanish hope Jon Rahm in what will be the penultimate match on Friday.
Click the image for full tee-times.
Statistics and records
- Most wins - 6, Jack Nicklaus (1963, 1965, 1966, 1972, 1975, 1986)
- Widest victory margin - 12, Tiger Woods (1997)
- Wire-to-wire winners - Craig Wood (1941), Arnold Palmer (1960), Jack Nicklaus (1972), Raymond Floyd (1976), Jordan Spieth (2015)
- Last champion who won the week before – Phil Mickleson (2006, BellSouth Classic)
- Last back-to-back winner – Tiger Woods (2001-2002)
- Lowest round – 63, Nick Price (1986), Greg Norman (1996)
- Lowest first 36 holes – 130, Jordan Spieth (2015)
- Lowest 54 holes – 200, Jordan Spieth (2015)
- Lowest total – 270, Tiger Woods (1997), Jordan Spieth (2015)
- Lowest non-winning total – 274, David Duval (2001), Phil Mickleson (2015), Justin Rose (2015)
- Highest winning total – 289, Sam Snead (1954), Jack Burke (1956) & Zach Johnson (2007)
- Debutant winners – Horton Smith (1934, 1st edition of tournament), Gene Sarazen (1935), Fuzzy Zoeller (1979)
- Lowest debutant round – 64, Lloyd Mangrum (1940, R1), Mike Donald (1990, R1), David Toms (1998, R4) & Jason Day (2011, R2)
- Lowest debutant total – 276, Jason Day (2011)
- Best amateur finish – 2nd, Frank Stranahan (1947), Ken Venturi (1956) & Charles Coe (1961)
- Lowest amateur round – 66, Ken Venturi (1956)
- Lowest amateur total – 281, Charles Coe (1961)
- Lowest senior round – 66, Ben Hogan (1967), Fred Couples (2010), Miguel Angel Jimenez (2014)
- Lowest senior total – 279, Fred Couples (2010)
- Biggest comeback after 18 holes – 7, Nick Faldo (1990), Tiger Woods (2005)
- Biggest comeback after 36 holes – 8, Jack Burke (1956)
- Biggest comeback after 54 holes – 8, Jack Burke (1956)
- Biggest lead lost (after 54 holes) – 6, Greg Norman (1996)
- Highest hole score – 13, Tsuneyuki Nakajima (1978, 13th), Tom Weiskopf (1980, 12th), Sergio Garcia (2018, 15th)
- Play-offs – 16 in 81 tournaments (last in 2013)
- Youngest champion – Tiger Woods, 21 (1997)
- Oldest champion – Jack Nicklaus, 46 (1986)
- Oldest first-time winner – Mark O'Meara, 41 (1998)
- Holes in one – 29 (20 on hole 16, 3 on hole 12, 5 on hole 6 & 1 on hole 4)
- Most holes in one at single tournament – 3 (2004, 2016)
- Most birdies in round – 11, Anthony Kim (2009)
- Most birdies in tournament – 28, Jordan Spieth (2015)
- Most consecutive birdies – 7, Steve Pate (1999), Tiger Woods (2005)
By the numbers
Here, Press Association Sport takes a look at the 83rd edition in numbers.
- 6 - Most number of victories, by Jack Nicklaus (1963, 1965, 1966, 1972, 1975, 1986).
- 12 - Widest margin of victory, by Tiger Woods in 1997.
- 8 - Best comeback after 54 holes, by Jack Burke in 1956.
- 40 - Number of yards by which the fifth hole has been lengthened for 2019.
- 0 - Players to win the par-three contest and the Masters itself in the same year.
- 30 - Years since Nick Faldo won the first of his three Masters titles by beating Scott Hoch in a play-off.
- 40 - Years since Fuzzy Zoeller became the last player to win the Masters on their tournament debut.
- 63 - Course record at Augusta National, shared by Nick Price and Greg Norman.
- 18 - Lowest total under par, set by Tiger Woods in 1997 and matched by Jordan Spieth in 2015.
- 11 - Most birdies in a single round, by Anthony Kim in 2009.
- 7 - Most consecutive birdies, shared by Steve Pate (1999) and Tiger Woods (2005), both starting from seventh hole.
- 50 - Consecutive starts made by Arnold Palmer (1955-2004).
- 19 - Lowest total (eight under) in par-three contest, by Jimmy Walker (2016).
- 21 - Age of the youngest winner, Tiger Woods, in 1997.
- 46 - Age of the oldest winner, Jack Nicklaus, in 1986.
- 75 - Highest first round score of an eventual winner (Craig Stadler, 1982)
- 11 - Winners never to have led after 18, 36 or 54 holes, most recent being Danny Willett (2016)
Talking points
Can Rory McIlroy complete the career grand slam?
It is the question that has been asked ever since McIlroy won the third leg of the slam at Hoylake in 2014 and is destined to be repeated until the Northern Irishman slips on a green jacket or hangs up his spikes. In his four attempts to date, McIlroy has finished fourth, 10th, seventh and fifth, but stumbled to a closing 74 last year while playing in the final group on Sunday with eventual champion Patrick Reed. Victory in the Players Championship at Sawgrass followed five straight top-six finishes to start 2019 and made McIlroy the bookmakers' favourite for Augusta, where a fast start could be crucial to his chances.
What next for Tiger Woods?
This time last year Woods was vying for favouritism with McIlroy and Dustin Johnson having finished 12th, second and fifth in his previous three events following his remarkable recovery from spinal fusion surgery in April 2017. However, so far this season the 43-year-old saw a run of three encouraging performances halted by a neck injury which forced him to withdraw from the Arnold Palmer Invitational, after which he finished a distant 30th in the Players Championship. Winning a fifth green jacket would be a fairytale way to set the seal on one of the greatest comebacks in sporting history and it would be a brave man to rule out the possibility.
Is a shock winner possible?
Since Darren Clarke and Keegan Bradley won the last two majors of 2011 when ranked 111th and 108th in the world respectively, the lowest-ranked winner of any major has been Jimmy Walker, who was 48th when he won the 2016 US PGA Championship. In 2018, Patrick Reed was ranked 24th before his Masters victory, Brooks Koepka ninth ahead of the US Open, Francesco Molinari 15th before the Open and Koepka fourth ahead of the US PGA.
Can Reed defy the odds?
Only Jack Nicklaus, Woods and Nick Faldo have won back-to-back Masters titles and the chances of Reed doing the same would appear slim. He started the year by finishing 25th in a 33-man field in the Tournament of Champions and has yet to record a top-10 finish, struggles which prompted his wife Justine to call in renowned coach David Leadbetter for help, while Reed was in the middle of a round at the Valspar Championship. He did at least beat his predecessor as Masters champion, Sergio Garcia, in a final group game at the WGC-Match Play, but failed to reach the knockout stages.
Will a return to Augusta help Spieth stop the rot?
Jordan Spieth's record in the Masters is quite simply remarkable. He finished second on his debut in 2014, won the title in 2015 and finished runner-up the following year after squandering a five-shot lead with nine holes to play. A relatively modest 11th place in 2017 - is his worst finish in five appearances - and last year he led after 18 holes for the third time in four years following an opening 66, before almost snatching the green jacket away from Reed with a closing 64. However, since leaving Augusta ranked third in the world, Spieth has slipped to 32nd in the rankings and looks bereft of confidence over short putts.
Podcast
Ben Coley and Alex Perry bring you episode two of Not Another Golf Podcast, a Masters special which includes statistical insight from the brilliant Justin Ray.
Now working with performance analysts 15th Club, Ray has long been known in the golfing world as the go-to man for all the key stats.
He tells Ben and Alex just what has made Jordan Spieth so successful at Augusta, puts Tiger Woods' 1997 win into context and reveals which Englishman sits second in all-time strokes-gained of those yet to win a Green Jacket.
Our hosts also chat to Phil Casey, the Press Association journalist covering the action this week. Phil has played Augusta before and regales us with tales of two birdies and a score to be proud of.
Click here to listen via Soundcloud
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