Overview
- Practice rounds at Augusta, which began Monday, showed firm, fast greens that players say will reward length and precise iron play.
- Rory McIlroy returns as defending champion seeking a rare repeat, and he has practiced after recent back trouble raised questions about his fitness.
- World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler leads the odds after welcoming his second child on March 27, and he arrives with two Masters wins and no finishes outside the top 20 at Augusta.
- LIV Golf standouts Bryson DeChambeau and Jon Rahm enter in strong form with recent wins and runner-up results, sharpening the PGA–LIV showdown that majors now provide.
- The 90th Masters runs April 9–12 with a 91-player field, and it will be the first since 1994 without Tiger Woods or Phil Mickelson after Woods sought treatment following a DUI arrest and Mickelson cited a personal health matter.