10 Apr 2024 | Professional golf | Tournaments | Golf Australia |

The Masters: How to follow

by Jimmy Emanuel

A Masters flag at Augusta National Golf Club.

The first major championship of the year is upon us, with 89 players descending on Augusta National Golf Club for the 88th Masters Tournament, including six Australians.

Seeking to become just the second Australian to have the green jacket draped on their shoulders, Cameron Davis, Jason Day, Min Woo Lee, Cameron Smith and amateur Jasper Stubbs join 2013 champion Adam Scott in Georgia.

With the eyes of the golfing world on The Masters, here is all you need to know to follow the action.

DEFENDING CHAMPION: Jon Rahm

PRIZEMONEY: $US18 million (expected to be same as 2023)

LIVE SCORES:www.masters.com

TV COVERAGE: The Masters Tournament rounds are live on Fox Sports, available on Foxtel and Kayo, as well as 9GemHD and 9Now.

Fox Sports 503 will be a dedicated Masters channel this week, while featured holes and groups will be shown on Kayo, Fox Sports 505/506 and 9Now.

*All times AEST.

Par-3 Contest: 5am – 7am Thursday (Fox Sports 503/Kayo/9Now)

Round One: Featured groups 11pm Thursday – 5am (Fox Sports 503/Kayo/9Now);Regular coverage Friday 5am – 9:30am (Fox Sports 503/Kayo/9GemHD/9Now)

Round Two: Featured groups 11pm Friday – 5am (Fox Sports 503/Kayo/9Now);Regular coverage Saturday 5am – 9:30am (Fox Sports 503/Kayo/9GemHD/9Now)

Round Three: Featured groups 12am Sunday – 5am (Fox Sports 503/Kayo/9Now);Regular coverage Sunday 5am – 9am (Fox Sports 503/Kayo/9GemHD/9Now)

Final Round: Featured groups 12am Monday – 4am (Fox Sports 503/Kayo/9Now);Regular coverage Monday 4am – 9am (Fox Sports 503/Kayo/9GemHD/9Now)

ROUND ONE TEE TIMES (AEST)

Cameron Davis: 1:18am (Friday)

Jason Day: 3:24am (Friday)

Min Woo Lee: 12:06am (Friday)

Adam Scott: 3:12am (Friday)

Cameron Smith: 12:54am (Friday)

Jasper Stubbs (a): 11:00pm (Thursday)

AUSTRALIAN PLAYER PROFILES

CAMERON DAVIS

World ranking: 62

Age: 29

Professional wins: Four

Best finish at The Masters: 46th (2022)

The lowdown: Making his second Masters start, Davis returns after a year away from Augusta National when he managed his best ever finish at a major with a T4 at the 2024 U.S. PGA Championship.

Making the cut in his one appearance, Davis is now a fixture, and winner, on the PGA TOUR and has the ball striking prowess to succeed at The Masters.

Sharing 21st in his last start, the Seattle-based Sydneysider has a best finish of T18 at the Arnold Palmer Invitational so far this year and is chasing a second Presidents Cup spot in 2024.

JASON DAY

World ranking: 21

Age: 36

Major wins: One (2015 U.S. PGA Championship)

Professional wins: 19

Best finish at The Masters: T2 (2011)

The lowdown: Returning to the winners’ circle on the PGA TOUR and finishing runner-up at The Open in 2024, Day arrives in solid form with three top-10s already to his name so far this year.

Long considered a player purpose built for Augusta, Day, who has made nine cuts in 12 starts, nearly joined the exclusive club of winning The Masters on his first try when he was joint second in 2011 behind South Africa’s Charl Schwartzel.

Rebuilding his game with Tiger Woods’ former coach Chris Como after years of back injuries, Day still has the high ball flight best suited to MacKenzie’s design, while his putting is among the best in the game when on.

MIN WOO LEE

World ranking: 32

Age: 25

Professional wins: Four

Best finish at The Masters: T14 (2022)

The lowdown: After a stellar summer at home, where he won the Australian PGA Championship and was third at the Australian Open, Lee will arrive well rested after a break following the PGA TOUR’s ‘Florida Swing’, albeit nursing a finger which he fractured in a weights session.

Sharing second at the Cognizant Classic last month, Lee’s ‘It’ factor will no doubt be on show again this week, as it was on debut two years ago when the West Australian equalled the front nine tournament scoring record of 30.

Boasting major championship pedigree from sister Minjee, Min Woo missed the weekend last year but has shown an early aptitude at the majors, where he has five finishes in the top-10 from six starts.

ADAM SCOTT

World ranking: 53

Age: 43

Major wins: One (2013 Masters)

Professional wins: 32

Best finish at The Masters: Win (2013)

The lowdown: Never discount a winner at Augusta, and that is certainly the case with Scott who broke the Aussie duck 11 years ago in the rain.

The Queenslander recorded dual top-10s at the Australian PGA and Australian Open before winning the Cathedral Invitational to end 2023, with Scott finishing in the top-20 five times already this year.

Tied for 14th in Texas last week, Scott is making his 23rd Masters appearance, a record that has included 20 made cuts including the last 14 straight. In addition to his green jacket, the former World No.1 has nine other results better than T25 over his tremendous Masters career.

CAMERON SMITH

World ranking: 68

Age: 30

Major wins: One (2022 Open Championship)

Professional wins: 12

Best finish at The Masters: T2 (2020)

The lowdown: A proven performer at the majors, the winner of the 150th Open’s biggest question heading into this week is his health after a bout of food poisoning cruelled his final prep last week.

Physically on the improve, Smith became the first player to shoot four rounds in the 60s at The Masters only to be trumped by Dustin Johnson in 2020 for the title. Winning his own major two years later, the Queenslander’s short game is his ace in hole this, and every, week.

Missing out in a play-off a few weeks back, Smith has already developed a strong Masters resumé with seven made cuts from seven starts and four top-10s to his name. Beware the wounded golfer!

JASPER STUBBS (a)

World ranking: 1410

Age: 22

Professional wins: None

Best finish at The Masters: Debut

The lowdown: The fourth Australian winner of the Asia-Pacific Amateur, Stubbs punched his Masters (and Open) ticket last year at Royal Melbourne with a steely play-off win to follow in the recent footsteps of Harrison Crowe.

Getting the awe of a first visit out the of the way earlier in the year, Stubbs will stay in the Crows Nest early in the week before settling into some off site accommodation, with making the cut the first goal for the low amateur at the Australian Open.

Has gained plenty of experience playing alongside the pros on the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia this past season, and will attempt to glean as much as possible from Cam Smith during a scheduled Wednesday practice round.

Augusta National Image

THE COURSE

As it has done 87 times before, Augusta National Golf Club welcomes The Masters this week to its golf course that is known the world over.

Opened in 1933, the host venue was designed by Dr Alister MacKenzie and Bobby Jones with tournament golf front of mind and has been regularly updated to challenge the modern day player.

In preparation for this year’s tournament, 10 yards have been added to the sweeping dogleg left par-5 second hole that makes it the longest hole on the course at 585 yards. Interestingly, every hole at Augusta is listed at five yard increments with the par-72 totalling 7555 yards for 2024.

Immaculate condition of the overseeded ryegrass fairways and bentgrass greens, as well as surrounding flowers, are par for the course where the three holes known as ‘Amen Corner’ are always crucial come Sunday afternoon.

Comprising the 520-yard par-4 11th (White Dogwood), 155-yard par-3 12th (Golden Bell) and the 545-yard par-5 13th (Azalea), the famous trio have seen green jackets won and lost over the years.

Ball striking is at a premium at Augusta National, where Nick Price (1986) and Greg Norman (1996) hold the course record of 63 (nine-under).

HEADLINERS

Jon Rahm, 2023 Masters champion

Scottie Scheffler, World No.1 and 2022 Masters champion

Brooks Koepka, Five-time major winner and 2023 runner-up

Tiger Woods, Five-time Masters champion and 15-time major winner

Wyndham Clark, 2023 U.S. Open winner

Hideki Matsuyama, 2021 Masters champion

Rory McIlroy, Four-time major winner

Jordan Spieth, Three-time major winner

Dustin Johnson, Two-time major winner and 2020 Masters champion

Xander Schauffele, World No.5 and 2019 Masters runner-up

Phil Mickelson, Six-time major winner and 2023 runner-up

Join our newsletter

Get weekly updates on news, golf tips and access to partner promotions.

Related News

Golf Australia NEW LOGO White Mono_logo
Join our newsletter

Get weekly updates on news, golf tips and access to partner promotions!