The sight of lush fairways, towering magnolias and blooming azaleas can only mean one thing: it’s time once again for a tradition unlike any other.
The sports world will shift its gaze to Georgia this week for the 87th playing of the Masters Tournament. For the next four days, the world’s best golfers will navigate the rolling hills and pristine greens of Augusta National Golf Club. Come Sunday afternoon, only one will earn the privilege of slipping on the iconic green jacket.
This year’s event will be unique for a number of reasons. For one, it will provide us with another rare chance to see Tiger Woods tee it up against the game’s best. The 15-time major winner has played in only one PGA Tour event this calendar year: the Genesis Invitational back in February. He made the cut that week, ultimately finishing tied for 45th. Who knows how many more times we’ll be able to see Woods tee it up at Augusta as his competitive career winds down?
MORE: Can Tiger Woods contend at the 2023 Masters?
It also represents one of the first times we’ll be able to see PGA Tour players and LIV Golf players go head-to-head. The breakaway LIV tour has rocked the world of golf since its inaugural event last summer, with many of the world’s best players turning their backs on the PGA Tour to join the Saudi-funded league. Former PGA stars like Dustin Johnson, Bryson DeChambeau, Cameron Smith and Phil Mickelson will be back playing against their former rivals in a reunion that is sure to create some tension.
Defending champion and world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler is the clear favorite this week, but he’ll face stiff competition from a stacked field that includes other superstars like Rory McIlroy, Jon Rahm, Jordan Spieth, Justin Thomas and more.
MORE: Who will win the Masters 2023? Odds, betting favorites, expert picks for the green jacket
The Sporting News is tracking all the key moments from Thursday’s Round 1 at the 2023 Masters Tournament:
Masters leaderboard 2023
(SN’s live leaderboard will be updated beginning on Thursday morning.)
Click here for the entire 2023 Masters leaderboard.
Masters live updates, highlights from Thursday’s Round 1
(All times Eastern. Updates will begin on Thursday morning.)
10:18 a.m.: There’s Tiger’s first drive of the day — to raucous applause — and it’s a nice little roller down the fairway. You can follow his first round with The Sporting News’ Tiger tracker.
9:55 a.m.: Henley very nearly gets a hole in one at the par-3 sixth hole, which would have been just the seventh on Hole 6 in Masters history. He’ll settle for a tap-in birdie.
9:50 a.m.: Nine golfers tied for the lead at 1 under, with Mike Weir having the most holes played, at eight.
9:27 a.m.: Following a bogey by McClean on Hole 5 and birdies by Scott Stallings, Russell Henley and Kevin Kisner, there’s a four-way tie for first at 1 under.
Scott Stallings breaks into red numbers with a birdie on No. 5. #themasters pic.twitter.com/s1ullfGKYw
— The Masters (@TheMasters) April 6, 2023
9:11 a.m.: McClean holes a birdie on Hole 4 — his second of the day. He’s atop the leaderboard at 2 under.
Matthew McClean, amateur from Northern Ireland, birdies the par-3 fourth hole to reach two under. #themasters pic.twitter.com/5zTI79vULn
— The Masters (@TheMasters) April 6, 2023
8:45 a.m.: The first player to birdie the opening hole in 2023 is one of the seven amateurs in the field, Matthew McClean — a 29-year-old optometrist from Belfast, Northern Ireland.
8:20 a.m.: Twenty years after becoming the first (and still only) Canadian to win the Masters, Mike Weir officially got things started in the first group off the tee along with Kevin Na. Weir made par on the opening hole, but Na had a rough start with a double bogey.
7:58 a.m.: Honorary starters Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus and Tom Watson have taken their swings. Now it’s time for play to get underway at Augusta National.
For the second year in a row, Tom Watson participates as an Honorary Starter. #themasters pic.twitter.com/M7NlZrE31D
— The Masters (@TheMasters) April 6, 2023
7:10 a.m.: The hole locations for Round 1 are out:
Hole locations for the first round of the Masters Tournament#theMasters pic.twitter.com/8g9vx0z5A5
— PGA TOUR Communications (@PGATOURComms) April 6, 2023
7 a.m.: Get ready for Day 1 with Augusta National’s version of a hype video:
Welcome to the Masters. #themasters pic.twitter.com/vxLnWqVRFK
— The Masters (@TheMasters) April 6, 2023
MORE: Watch the Masters 2023 live on Fubo (free trial)
What channel is the Masters on today?
- TV channel: ESPN
- TV broadcast times: 3-7:30 p.m. ET
- Live streams: Masters.com, ESPN+, Fubo
The Masters will air live on ESPN for the first two days before shifting to CBS for Rounds 3 and 4. Televised coverage will begin at 3 p.m. ET on Thursday, with Scott Van Pelt, Sean McDonough, Andy North and Curtis Strange handling commentary duties from Augusta.
Masters.com will provide free live streaming coverage of the tournament throughout the day beginning at 8:30 a.m. and running through the conclusion of play at around 7:30 p.m. ESPN+ will also carry a simulcast of the TV broadcast.
Here is the full breakdown of the Masters TV schedule (all times Eastern):
| Date | Time (ET) | TV channel |
| Thursday, April 7 | 3-7:30 p.m. | ESPN, Fubo |
| Friday, April 8 | 3-7:30 p.m. | ESPN, Fubo |
| Saturday, April 9 | 3-7 p.m. | CBS, Fubo |
| Sunday, April 10 | 2-7 p.m. | CBS, Fubo |
Masters tee times for Thursday
| Tee time (ET) | Group |
|---|---|
| 8:00 a.m. | Mike Weir, Kevin Na |
| 8:12 a.m. | Vijay Singh, Scott Stallings, Matthew McClean |
| 8:24 a.m. | Sandy Lyle, Jason Kokrak, Talor Gooch |
| 8:36 a.m. | Fred Couples, Russell Henley, Alex Noren |
| 8:48 a.m. | Adrian Meronk, Kevin Kisner, Louis Oosthuizen |
| 9:00 a.m. | Larry Mize, Min Woo Lee, Harrison Crowe |
| 9:12 a.m. | Sergio Garcia, Kazuki Higa, Keith Mitchell |
| 9:24 a.m. | Patrick Reed, Adam Svensson, Sahith Theegala |
| 9:36 a.m. | Shane Lowry, Mackenzie Hughes, Thomas Pieters |
| 9:48 a.m. | Bubba Watson, Seamus Power, Mateo Fernandez de Oliveira |
| 10:06 a.m. | Abraham Ancer, Chris Kirk, Keegan Bradley |
| 10:18 a.m. | Tiger Woods, Viktor Hovland, Xander Schauffele |
| 10:30 a.m. | Adam Scott, Patrick Cantlay, Kurt Kitayama |
| 10:42 a.m. | Justin Thomas, Jon Rahm, Cameron Young |
| 10:54 a.m. | Hideki Matsuyama, Cameron Smith, Sungjae Im |
| 11:06 a.m. | Jose Maria Olazabal, Cameron Champ |
| 11:18 a.m. | Charl Schwartzel, Taylor Moore, Aldrich Potgieter |
| 11:30 a.m. | J.T. Poston, Francesco Molinari, Bryson DeChambeau |
| 11:42 a.m. | Bernhard Langer, Mito Pereira, Ben Carr |
| 11:54 a.m. | Danny Willett, Gary Woodland, Brooks Koepka |
| 12:12 p.m. | Sepp Straka, Harold Varner III, Kyoung-Hoon Lee |
| 12:24 p.m. | Phil Mickelson, Tom Hoge, Si Woo Kim |
| 12:36 p.m. | Billy Horschel, Harris English, Ryan Fox |
| 12:48 p.m. | Zach Johnson, Jason Day, Gordon Sargent |
| 1:00 p.m. | Brian Harman, Joaquin Niemann, Tyrrell Hatton |
| 1:12 p.m. | Dustin Johnson, Corey Conners, Justin Rose |
| 1:24 p.m. | Matthew Fitzpatrick, Collin Morikawa, Will Zalatoris |
| 1:36 p.m. | Scottie Scheffler, Max Homa, Sam Bennett |
| 1:48 p.m. | Tom Kim, Rory McIlroy, Sam Burns |
| 2:00 p.m. | Jordan Spieth, Tommy Fleetwood, Tony Finau |