The first major of the year is upon us, and it’s a big one at that. The 88th edition of the Masters tees off on Thursday, April 11, and as one of the most prestigious tournaments in world sport, all eyes will be on Augusta to see who wears the famous green jacket in 2024. 

Jon Rahm achieved the crowning glory of his illustrious career 12 months ago, shooting a sensational three-under-par score of 69 to decisively beat Brooks Koepka and Phil Mickelson by four strokes, and donning the green blazer for the first time. 

Augusta in the south-eastern US state of Georgia holds a special place in the hearts of golfing fans, being the only permanent home green for any of the four major tournaments, and its status as the first major on the PGA Tour means the best players from across the world all fancy their chances of staking a claim to lift the Masters Trophy come April 14.

Being an invitation-only event, including an automatic spot for all former winners and wearers of the green jacket, the Masters has a relatively small field of contenders compared with many of the other tournaments on the PGA Tour, but that ramps up the stakes even higher for players, knowing that every single opponent is of the very highest calibre. 

We at The Sporting News can’t wait for the action to begin at Augusta, and we’re the best place to keep tabs on all the competitors, schedules and TV details at the Masters: 2024 edition. 

MORE: Masters field 2024: Ranking the top 30 golfers playing at Augusta, from Scottie Scheffler and Jon Rahm to Tiger Woods

When is the 2024 Masters?

The first tee-off of this year’s Masters was set for 8:00 a.m. local time (ET) on Thursday, April 11, with Erik van Rooyen and Jake Knapp set to get the tournament underway. However, adverse weather means the start time has been pushed back to 10:30 a.m. ET. 

The field of players will all have begun their tournament by the end of the opening day, with that field narrowing until the final round begins from 11:00 a.m. on Sunday, April 14. The champion for 2024 will be decided by 7:00 p.m. that evening, and they’ll don Augusta’s famous green jacket in the ceremony which follows. 

Here’s how that time translates to fans in the UK wanting to watch the action:

MORE: Masters 2024 prop bets and best bets this tournament

2024 Masters TV channel, live stream in the UK

• TV channel: Sky Sports Main Events, Sky Sports Golf
• Live stream: Sky Go app, NOW TV

Just as The Masters is one of the jewels in golf’s sporting crown each and every year, so too are the exclusive broadcast rights for Sky Sports.

The subscription-based TV network will be showing wall-to-wall coverage of the tournament across both their dedicated golf channel and Sky Sports Main events, while you can also access their commentary and feed of all the action either live or on catch-up by using the Sky Go app or NOW TV to stream. 

If The Masters is not available to watch live in your location or if you’re traveling abroad, you can use a Virtual Private Network (VPN). VPNs offer a secure and private online connection, allowing you to bypass geographical restrictions to access your favourite streaming services from any device anywhere in the world.

WATCH FROM ANYWHERE: Sign up for NordVPN (30-day moneyback guarantee)

Which players are competing at the Masters?

The Masters is an invitational event, meaning only the highest-ranked players across the PGA Tour, European and Japan Golf Tours get a chance to play at Augusta. That invitation is extended to all former winners of the tournament, although the elder statesmen among that group, such as 84-year-old Jack Nicklaus, are not expected to play!

Jon Rahm faces stiff competition from several fellow previous champions if he’s to retain the 2023 crown, with Scottie Schleffer and Hideki Matsuyama both leading the way in this year’s PGA Tour and Brian Harman, winner of the Open Championship last July, looking to go back-to-back in his search for a second career major. 

Past winners of the Masters

As is the case for many a long-running professional golf tournament, Jack Nicklaus is the man to have won more times at the Masters than any other, donning the green jacket six times between 1963 and 1986, including back-to-back in 1965 and 1966.

Next-highest on the list, and the stand-out at Augusta in the modern era, is Tiger Woods, who collected his fifth title as recently as 2019. Bubba Watson is the latest player to win more than once, doing so in 2012 and 2014, with Rahm and Co. looking to join that exclusive club in 2024.