Bbc Golf: Masters 2026 build-up sharpens as McIlroy defends at Augusta
The 90th Masters takes place from 9 to 12 April, with golf coverage set to follow every round as defending champion Rory McIlroy leads a 91-strong field at Augusta National. World number one Scottie Scheffler, a two-time champion, is again widely viewed as the man to beat. Sport will carry live commentary, text updates, highlights, reaction and analysis across the four days.
Key dates and how golf will cover it
Round one is scheduled for Thursday, 9 April, with the first tee at 12: 40 BST. Round two follows on Friday, 10 April, also starting at 12: 40 BST, while tee times for rounds three and four on Saturday and Sunday are still to be confirmed.
Live text commentary for rounds one and two begins at 12: 30 BST, with rounds three and four starting at 17: 00 BST. Radio 5 Live and Radio 5 Sports Extra will provide live commentary across all four days, alongside in-play clips, video highlights, reaction and analysis.
McIlroy, Scheffler and the chase for the Green Jacket
McIlroy arrives as the defending champion and remains among the frontrunners despite a build-up that has not been as smooth as last year. The 36-year-old from Northern Ireland had three top-10 finishes at the start of the season, but concerns over a back injury interrupted that momentum, including a withdrawal from the Arnold Palmer Invitational and a hampered showing at the Players Championship.
Scheffler starts another Masters campaign with strong credentials. The 29-year-old American has already won the event in 2022 and 2024, opened 2026 with a win, a third and a fourth place in his first three starts, and has never finished outside the top 20 in six previous appearances.
Other contenders in the frame
Bryson DeChambeau is expected to renew his bid for a first Green Jacket after faltering last year when he played in the final pairing with McIlroy on Sunday. He remains a two-time US Open champion and arrives with confidence from two recent victories on the breakaway circuit.
Jon Rahm is another leading LIV player expected to contend. The Spaniard, who won the Masters in 2023, is searching for a third major title and enters the week buoyed by leading the LIV standings this year.
What the field and history tell us
The Masters was first contested in 1934 and won by American Horton Smith. This year’s edition is the 90th staging, and the scale of the field, along with the depth at the top, gives the tournament a familiar edge of pressure from the opening tee shot.
With McIlroy defending, Scheffler chasing another title, and several major winners in the mix, golf coverage is set to track every shift in momentum from the first round through to Sunday’s finish.
