The Masters FAQ: When, where and much more

The Masters Tournament usually kicks off major tournament season in the game of golf. Since 1934, the Masters has been home to some of the game’s best moments, from holes-in-one, historic chip-ins, monumental comebacks and remarkable victories.

The tournament is also home to the unique and beautiful flowers around the property that represent and name each hole.

Here is a look at everything you need to know about the Masters.

When is the Masters?

The Masters Tournament is usually held every April, around the first or second weekend.

For the first six tournaments from 1934-1939, the event, which was named the Augusta National Invitational Tournament until 1939, was played in mid-March. During that first event in 1934, as the tournament progressed, the temperature continued to drop. In 1940, that is when the Masters shifted to the first full week in April.

However, in 2020, the event was pushed back to November due to the COVID-19 pandemic and was played without fans. In addition, to go further back into history the Masters was not played from 1943-1945 due to World War II.

The flowers blooming give way to the unique essence of springtime as the beginning to major championship.

Where is the Masters played?

The Masters is played at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Geo., which is along the state line between Georgia and South Carolina.

The property was purchased in 1931 and Dr. Alister Mackenzie, a British golf course architect who formed numerous courses across the world was in charge of designing Augusta National.

Although Mackenzie lived for only three more years, passing away in January 1934, co-founders Bobby Jones and Clifford Roberts saw the rest of the project through as the first Masters Tournament was played a couple months after Mackenzie’s passing.

How much are tickets to the Masters?

In order to get a Masters ticket to be part of the gallery at Augusta National for the first major tournament of the year, you have had to apply for a ticket in June 2023 and then be chosen randomly. As a result, there are no tickets available for the 2024 event.

The 2025 Masters Tournament ticket application will be open from June 1-20, before payments open in mid-July if accepted, which goes through a random selection process.

The Masters defines the selection process “not a sweepstakes or ‘give-away’ but rather a pre-qualification drawing to those wishing to purchase tickets to the Masters Tournament.”

If you were chosen to attend the Masters and were selected to get Daily Tournament tickets, its costs $140 per day plus any appropriate shipping and handling, if applicable.

How many players in the Masters?

Since the beginning in 1934 when it was an invitational tournament, the Masters is an invite-only event to play in. As a result, the number of players can vary each year. In 2023, there were 88 competitors.

Players can qualify in a numerous number of ways, from being inside the top 50 of the Official World Golf Ranking, to winning or placing really high at the other three major tournaments or on the PGA Tour. The field can also consists of amateurs and those not on the PGA Tour, whether they won the Amateur Championship in the U.S., Latin America or in the Asia-Pacific.

In addition the number of players in the field fluctuate from year-to-year because every past Masters Champion has a lifetime qualification into the field, no matter their age. In 2023, Fred Couples, who won the Masters in 1992, became the oldest player to make the cut in a Masters Tournament field at the age of 63. He is also listed to compete in the 2024 iteration, looking to extend that record to 64 years old.

How many rounds is the Masters?

The Masters consist of four regulation rounds, usually per day of 18 holes.

What is the lowest ever score at The Masters?

The lowest 72-hole score at the Masters was achieved by Dustin Johnson in 2020 before putting on the elusive green jacket. Johnson shot a 20-under 268, which was the best score after Tiger Woods and Jordan Spieth each shot 18-under 170 in 1997 and 2015, respectively.

Has the Masters ever finished on a Monday?

In tournament history, the Masters has finished on a Monday five times. The first was in 1936 when Horton Smith put on the green after playing, not 18, but 36 holes in a marathon effort to win by one stroke at 3-under par.

Most of the time, it is bad weather that forces a tournament to be played on Monday. Two years after Smith won, it happened again in 1938 as inclement weather forced the tournament to begin on Saturday before getting the second and third rounds in on Sunday with the final round taking place on Monday. Henry Picard survived the three-day Masters event, winning by two at 3-under par.

The third time a Masters Monday finish would not come for another 23 years until 1961 when the rain on Sunday forced the final round to be replayed the next day. Gary Player was 2-under through nine holes when play was called. On Monday, he shot 2-under through nine holes the next day and had a 3-over performance on the back nine, but it did not hinder his lead as he went on to win the first of three green jackets.

Mother nature proved powerful 12 years later in 1973. This time, it resulted in Tommy Aaron putting on the green jacket for his only major victory of his career as he defeated C.J. Snead, the nephew of three-time Masters Champion and seven-time major champion Sam Snead, by one stroke.

The fifth and most recent time the Masters was played on a Monday was in 1983 when rain fell onto Augusta National on Friday. However, Seve Ballesteros was able to fight off the elements to win the Masters at 8-under par.

Is the Masters a PGA event?

The Masters is not a PGA Tour sanctioned event, but rather an event on the PGA Tour schedule. The Masters is its own entity, like the R&A who run the Open Championship.

What is the cut at the Masters?

The cut at the Masters is for the top 50 players and ties.

The cut was first initiated at the Masters in 1957 when it was set at the top 40 players and ties until 1961. In 1962, the cut was moved to the top 44 and those within 10 stokes of the lead until 2012. Since 2013, cut has remained at top 50 players and ties within 10 strokes of the lead in order to have a tee time at Augusta National on the weekend.

Jack Nicklaus, who won the Masters six times, holds the record for the most cuts made at the Masters with 37, followed by Couples with 31. The only other player with at least 30 made cuts at the masters is Gary Player. Other notable players on the list include Phil Mickelson at 27 with Raymond Floyd and Bernhard Langer, Woods at 24 with Tom Watson and Arnold Palmer at 23 made cuts with Billy Casper.

However, Couples, Player and Woods are tied for the record of most consecutive cuts. Woods is trying to make that elusive 24^th consecutive cut to break the tie at the top. Couples made his consecutive cuts from 1983 to 2007, Player from 1959 to 1982 and Woods from 1997 to 2023.

Who won the Masters last year?

The Masters Jon Rahm — Credit: Rob Schumacher/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK

In 2023, Jon Rahm won the green jacket for the first time in his career, defeating Brooks Koepka and Mickelson by four strokes. Entering Sunday’s final round, it was a battle between Rahm and Kopeka and as the day went on, Mickelson had a strong Sunday finish to tie Koepka for second place.

Rahm got out to fast start with a 7-under 65 and followed that up with a 69 before posting a third round 73, the same score Koepka had. However, in the final round, the Spaniard shot a 69 compared to Koepka’s 75 to hoist the trophy.