TL;DR
Practice rounds begin Monday at Augusta National, with tournament play running April 9-12 -- the 90th Masters and the sport's annual pilgrimage to azaleas and anxiety.
MSM Perspective
Masters.com confirmed the April 6-8 practice schedule and April 9-12 tournament rounds; Golf Digest published the full qualified field.
X Perspective
X golf accounts are already posting hole-by-hole breakdowns and ranking the 91-player field, with Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy drawing the heaviest speculation.
Practice rounds for the 90th Masters Tournament begin Monday at Augusta National Golf Club, with 91 qualified players walking the course ahead of tournament play from April 9 through 12 [1]. The Par 3 Contest, a Masters week tradition, falls on Wednesday, April 8.
Augusta in early April is sport at its most theatrical -- the azaleas bloom on cue, the greens terrify on schedule, and the patrons (never "fans") return to a course that changes almost imperceptibly each year. The 2026 field arrives with the usual questions. Can Scottie Scheffler defend? Will Rory McIlroy finally complete the career Grand Slam? The Augusta National Women's Amateur, concluded Saturday with Maria Jose Marin's victory, has already provided the week's first narrative [2].
Marin, a Colombian playing for Arkansas, set a championship record at 14-under 202 -- the first Colombian to win the storied amateur event [2]. Her victory Saturday capped a week that began with qualifying rounds at Champions Retreat Golf Club before moving to Augusta National for the final round.
The practice rounds themselves are the week's most relaxed hours. Players study pin positions, test putting lines on Augusta's notorious undulating greens, and occasionally hit trick shots for the gallery. By Thursday, the atmosphere will harden. For now, Monday belongs to preparation, sunlight through the pines, and the annual ritual of believing this year might be different.
Tournament coverage begins April 9 [1].
-- AMARA OKONKWO, Lagos
Sources & X Posts
News Sources