The Masters 2026 kicks off this week, marking the start of golf’s premier championship. Notable contenders like Rory McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler are set to compete at Augusta National in Georgia.
The tournament spans four days with 92 players in the mix, including Tommy Fleetwood and Justin Rose from England. Rose, who faced a tough loss to McIlroy in a playoff last year, will be seeking redemption. Expect to see LIV Golf League representatives like Bryson DeChambeau and Jon Rahm in the competition.
McIlroy, the defending champion from the previous year, will aim to secure his title once more after clinching his first career Grand Slam in 2025. If successful, he could emulate Tiger Woods by achieving back-to-back victories.
To achieve this, McIlroy must outplay Scheffler, the current world number one. Scheffler, eyeing his third Green Jacket in five years, finished fourth in the 2025 tournament.
As the start of The Masters 2026 approaches, here’s your guide to follow all the action. Pre-Masters coverage will run for three days starting on April 6, featuring practice sessions and the Masters Par-3 contest on April 8. The official tournament commences on Thursday at 2pm BST for the first round.
For the final two rounds on Saturday and Sunday, coverage begins at 4.30pm. The Masters will be broadcast exclusively on Sky Sports Golf in the UK. Viewers can access the live coverage through Sky’s Ultimate TV and Sky Sports bundle, offering 135 channels, including Sky Sports, HBO Max, Netflix, Disney+, discovery+, and Hayu.
Sky provides various subscription options, including the £44 Ultimate TV and Sky Sports bundle with additional streaming services. Existing Sky customers can add Sky Sports to their package for an introductory rate of £20, receiving full coverage across nine channels, including Premier League, Golf, F1, and Main Event.
Alternatively, Virgin Media offers Sky Sports channels in its Sport bundle, priced at £52.99 per month, providing access to 200 channels, nine from Sky Sports, Netflix, and high-speed fibre broadband. The Max Volt bundle offers over 230 channels, including Sky Sports and Sky Cinema, Netflix, ultra-fast fibre broadband, and an O2 SIM with unlimited data, minutes, and texts, at £76.99.
Both Sky and Virgin may increase prices during the 24-month contracts, with Sky noting potential changes and Virgin confirming a £4 increase starting in April 2027.