The Masters is lastly upon us because the world’s greatest golf stars put together for the primary main of the yr on the iconic Augusta Nationwide this week.
Final spring, Jon Rahm received his first Inexperienced Jacket as he disregarded stress from Brooks Koepka to get his palms on another major title.
4
LIV star Rahm will likely be out to defend his crown however will face an extremely powerful subject as soon as once more with Rory McIlroy, Viktor Hovland and Scottie Scheffler eyeing glory.
The Masters is the primary main of the yr and is all the time a particular occasion because the traditions of Augusta return.
The Masters 2024: Date and begin time
The Masters will get underway on Thursday, April 11 this yr.
Play will happen every day till the ultimate spherical on Sunday, April 14.
As ever, it’s being held at Augusta Nationwide Golf Membership in Georgia.
The motion is scheduled to get underway at 1pm UK time (8am in Georgia) on the opening two days and at 3pm UK time over the weekend.
Nonetheless, dangerous climate on Thursday has meant the motion will get going later than deliberate.
The occasion chiefs have stated day one play won’t begin till at the least 9am native time however that may very well be pushed again additional.
The Masters 2024: The best way to comply with
talkSPORT’s Sean O’Brien and Gabbie Partington can have common updates from The Masters all through the afternoon and night every day.
To tune in to talkSPORT or talkSPORT 2 by way of the web site, click on HERE for the live stream. You can too pay attention through the talkSPORT app, on DAB digital radio, by way of your good speaker and on 1089 or 1053 AM.
The motion may also be proven reside on Sky Sports activities Golf all through the week.
4
The Masters 2024: Course particulars
The par 72 Augusta Nationwide will play to a brand new most size of seven,555 yards this yr.
The 2nd gap, a well-known par 5 known as ‘Pink Dogwood’, has been lengthened to 585 yards within the newest growth at Augusta.
The par 5 thirteenth ‘Azalea’ was elevated to 545 yards final yr.
Followers will likely be eagerly awaiting the motion at two of probably the most iconic par 3s in world golf – the twelfth ‘Golden Bell’ and the sixteenth ‘Redbud’.
The Masters 2024: Subject and leaderboard
The complete subject for The Masters was absolutely confirmed with Akshay Bhatia securing the 89th and ultimate invite together with his dramatic victory on the Valero Texas Open on Sunday.
Rahm will hope to defend his title however Scheffler is the recent favorite following his gorgeous latest wins on the Arnold Palmer Invitational and The Gamers.
LIV star Koepka can also be going to be there whereas McIlroy, Hovland, Wyndham Clark and Matt Fitzpatrick are amongst these difficult for the Inexperienced Jacket.
All previous winners of The Masters are invited again which means legends like Fred {Couples}, Jose Maria Olazabal and Vijay Singh are set to tee it up.
Tiger Woods can also be set to participate regardless of his latest harm struggles.
The complete subject and newest leaderboard might be discovered here.
4
The Masters 2024: Tee occasions
McIlroy can have pre-tournament favorite Scheffler for firm when he will get his tenth bid to finish the profession grand slam below manner.
McIlroy will play alongside the world primary and Xander Schauffele for the primary two days, teeing off at 3:42pm UK time on Thursday, climate allowing.
Rahm will get his defence underway alongside Matt Fitzpatrick and Nick Dunlap within the previous group, whereas Woods tees off at 6:24pm with Jason Day and Max Homa.
Erik van Rooyen will hopefully hit the opening tee shot at 1:00pm however dangerous climate is forecast for Thursday morning which may trigger a delay.
The ultimate group out of Dustin Johnson, Collin Morikawa and Tommy Fleetwood will get below manner six hours later.
The confirmed tee occasions might be discovered here.
The Masters 2024: What has been stated?
Scheffler intends to maintain the secrets and techniques of Masters success to himself as he bids to justify his place as pre-tournament favorite with a second inexperienced jacket.
His victory two years in the past was aided by a yardage ebook given to him by Ben Crenshaw’s former caddie Carl Jackson, who labored at Augusta Nationwide for 54 years.
Scheffler stated: “I’m not going to develop an excessive amount of on Carl’s secrets and techniques in entrance of individuals nevertheless it was my third Masters and I sat behind the caddie home with Carl.
“Ben had recommended that I simply sit down with him for a couple of minutes and he gave me a yardage ebook that had a few of the place I feel he known as it grain is, the place a few of the slopes are.
“And it is only a yardage ebook that has some arrows in it. (However) I am not going to inform you the place the arrows are pointing.
“It is one thing that I will form of evaluate at evening and I all the time have a look at it within the lead-up to the event simply because there may be form of some bizarre stuff that goes on across the golf course.”
4
The Masters 2024: Betting with talkSPORT BET
Scottie Scheffler – 4/1
Rory McIlroy – 11/1
Jon Rahm – 12/1
Xander Schauffele – 18/1
Brooks Koepka – 20/1
Hideki Matsuyama – 20/1
Jordan Speith – 22/1
Ludvig Aberg – 28/1
Joaquin Neimann – 28/1
Wyndham Clark – 28/1
Bar – 30/1
*odds topic to vary
talkSPORT BET Golf Supply
Guess £10 Get £15 In Free Bets
T&Cs: 18+ New prospects solely. Choose in & wager £10+ on Golf at odds 2.00+, in 7 days. No money out. Get 3x £5 Free Bets on chosen markets. Bonuses expire in 7 days. Card/ Apple Pay funds solely. T&Cs apply, see under. BeGambleAware.org | Please gamble responsibly
The Masters 2024: Gap-by-hole information
1st (Tea Olive), 445 yards, par 4: A deep bunker on the correct of the golf green and timber each side make for a frightening begin, whereas lengthy and left of the undulating inexperienced each spell large hassle. Performed the toughest gap on the course in 2012 and once more in 2017.
2023 common: 4.187 (rank 7)
2nd (Pink Dogwood), 585 yards, par 5: A brand new tee provides 10 yards to a gap which price Padraig Harrington a 9 in 2009, however Louis Oosthuizen memorably holed his second shot for an albatross within the ultimate spherical in 2012. An essential early birdie likelihood and the best gap in 2016, 2020 and 2023.
2023 common: 4.637 (rank 18)
third (Flowering Peach), 350 yards, par 4: Shortest par 4 on the course however a pear-shaped inexperienced with steep slope in entrance permits for some depraved pin positions. Charl Schwartzel pitched in for eagle within the ultimate spherical en path to the title in 2011.
2023 common: 4.036 (rank 13)
4th (Flowering Crab Apple), 240 yards, par three: The again tee – not all the time used – turns it right into a beast, with the inexperienced sloping from again to entrance. Phil Mickelson took six within the ultimate spherical in 2012 and completed two photographs outdoors the play-off. Jeff Sluman’s ace in 1992 stays the one hole-in-one.
2023 common: 3.216 (rank 5)
fifth (Magnolia), 495 yards, par 4: Jack Nicklaus twice holed his second shot in 1995 and Colin Montgomerie did it in 2000, however it’s one other devilishly troublesome inexperienced. To clear the golf green bunkers requires a 315-yard carry and the opening was lengthened by 40 yards for 2019.
2023 common: 4.327 (rank 1)
sixth (Juniper), 180 yards, par three: From a excessive tee to a inexperienced with an enormous slope in it. 5 holes-in-one – together with Jamie Donaldson in 2013 – however Jose Maria Olazabal took seven in 1991 and misplaced by one to Ian Woosnam.
2023 common: 3.097 (rank 10)
seventh (Pampas), 450 yards, par 4: What was once an actual birdie likelihood has been lengthened by 35-40 yards, whereas timber had been additionally added and the placing floor reshaped. A really slim fairway and extra bunkers – 5 – across the inexperienced than another gap.
2023 common: 4.209 (rank 6)
eighth (Yellow Jasmine), 570 yards, par 5: The bunker on the correct, about 300 yards out, pushes gamers left and from there it’s tougher to search out the inexperienced in two up the steep hill. Nonetheless a great birdie likelihood and Bruce Devlin made an albatross in 1967.
2023 common: 4.640 (rank 17)
ninth (Carolina Cherry), 460 yards, par 4: The tee was pushed again 30 yards in 2002. The raised inexperienced, with two bunkers on the left, tilts sharply from the again and something rolling off the entrance can proceed down for 50-60 yards.
2023 common: 4.076 (rank 11)
tenth (Camellia), 495 yards, par 4: An enormous drop from tee to inexperienced on this dogleg left and over all of the years of the Masters the second most troublesome gap. It was right here that Rory McIlroy started to collapse in 2011 with a seven, whereas Bubba Watson clinched the title in 2012 by making par within the play-off from the timber.
2023 common: 4.133 (rank 9)
eleventh (White Dogwood), 520 yards, par 4: The beginning of Amen Nook. Hardest gap in 2011, 2014, 2015 and 2018 and prolonged by 15 yards in 2022. Greatest remembered for Larry Mize’s chip-in in 1987 and Nick Faldo’s back-to-back play-off wins.
2023 common: 4.276 (rank 3)
twelfth (Golden Bell), 155 yards, par three: In all probability probably the most well-known par three in golf. Slim goal, water in entrance, hassle on the again, it has seen every part from a one to Tom Weiskopf’s 13 in 1980. Defending champion Jordan Spieth took seven within the ultimate spherical in 2016 in a dramatic back-nine collapse and Tiger Woods made 10 within the ultimate spherical in 2020.
2023 common: 3.065 (rank 12)
thirteenth (Azalea), 545 yards, par 5: The tip of Amen Nook. Huge dogleg left, lengthened by 35 yards for 2023, with scores starting from Jeff Maggert’s albatross in 1994 to Tommy Nakajima’s 13 in 1978. Sergio Garcia saved par after a penalty drop from a bush in 2017, went on to beat Justin Rose in a play-off and named his first little one Azalea 11 months later.
2023 common: 4.738 (rank 15)
14th (Chinese language Fir), a quarter mile, par 4: The one gap on the course and not using a bunker, however three putts are widespread on the wickedly troublesome inexperienced. Course document holder Nick Worth took eight right here in 1993, whereas Mickelson holed his strategy en path to his 2010 victory.
2023 common: 4.179 (rank 8)
fifteenth (Firethorn), 550 yards, par 5: Usually a tricky determination whether or not to go for the inexperienced in two throughout the pond on the opening the place Gene Sarazen sank his 235-yard four-wood shot for an albatross in 1935. There have additionally been three 11s right here and the opening was lengthened by 20 yards in 2022.
2023 common: 4.656 (rank 16)
sixteenth (Redbud), 170 yards, par three: Woods’ memorable chip-in in 2005 got here the identical yr as 73-year-old Billy Casper’s 14, whereas Harrington, Ian Poulter, Shane Lowry and Tommy Fleetwood are among the many gamers to document holes-in-one.
2023 common: 2.964 (rank 14)
seventeenth (Nandina), a quarter mile, par 4: The well-known Eisenhower Tree was eliminated after struggling storm harm, making for a better tee shot on the opening Rose double-bogeyed when one off the lead in 2007. Nicklaus birdied right here to take the lead as he received his 18th main in 1986.
2023 common: 4.255 (rank 4)
18th (Holly), 465 yards, par 4: The drive was made a lot tougher when the tee was moved again 60 yards in 2002 and 2023 champion Jon Rahm failed to achieve the golf green within the ultimate spherical after pulling his drive into the timber. The green bunker from which Sandy Lyle obtained up and all the way down to win in 1988 is now 300 yards away.
2023 common: 4.300 (rank 2)
