what time does the masters start today is the question shaping the first morning at Augusta, where the 90th Masters begins from 9 to 12 April with a field that mixes proven champions, returning LIV Golf names and a defending winner under pressure. The opening round starts at 12: 40 BST, but the bigger story is not only the clock. It is how a 91-player field, strong form lines and late-round uncertainty are set to define the early rhythm of the week.
Masters tee times and the opening schedule
The clearest answer to what time does the masters start today is that round one begins on Thursday, 9 April, with the first tee time set for 12: 40 BST. Round two follows on Friday, 10 April, also with the first tee at 12: 40 BST. For the weekend rounds, tee times for Saturday and Sunday are still to be confirmed. Live text commentary begins at 12: 30 BST for rounds one and two, then at 17: 00 BST for rounds three and four.
Why this Masters feels different before a shot is hit
This Masters carries a competitive edge that begins before the first ball is struck. Defending champion Rory McIlroy is in the field, while Scottie Scheffler arrives as world number one and a two-time champion, already carrying the status of the man many view as the player to beat. The field includes 91 players, and that scale matters because Augusta tends to sharpen every small advantage: early momentum, clean first rounds and steady nerves can quickly turn into contention. For anyone checking what time does the masters start today, the answer is useful — but the broader value lies in understanding that the opening session is where shape, confidence and expectation are first measured.
Form lines, favourites and the pressure points
Scheffler’s recent record adds another layer. He began 2026 with a win, a third and a fourth place in his first three starts, then slipped outside the top 20 in his two most recent events after poor opening rounds. That makes his Augusta return more compelling, because his baseline remains elite even if the last two tournaments introduced some uncertainty. McIlroy, meanwhile, comes in with a less smooth build-up than last year, although he remains among the frontrunners. The 36-year-old from Northern Ireland had three top-10 finishes early in the season before a back injury forced him to withdraw from the Arnold Palmer Invitational and affected him at the Players Championship. He now appears over that niggle, which keeps his challenge alive.
Featured names and the LIV Golf subplot
There is also a distinct sub-plot around LIV Golf players, especially with Bryson DeChambeau and Jon Rahm positioned as legitimate threats. DeChambeau is still chasing a first Green Jacket after faltering last year, when he was paired with McIlroy in Sunday’s final group. He arrives with two recent victories on the breakaway circuit and remains a two-time US Open champion, giving him the kind of power-based profile that can matter at Augusta. Rahm, the 2023 Masters winner, is another likely presence near the top of the leaderboard and comes in leading the LIV standings this year. Five LIV Golf players made the cut for the weekend in the round-three groupings, reinforcing how much that side of the sport still shapes the Masters conversation.
How to follow the first two rounds
Coverage is spread across live commentary, text updates, clips, highlights, reaction and analysis. Radio 5 Live and Radio 5 Sports Extra will carry live commentary across all four days, while the Sport website and app will provide live text commentary, in-play clips, video highlights and analysis. For readers still focused on what time does the masters start today, the practical takeaway is simple: the action begins in the early afternoon in Britain, but the field story begins much earlier, with every contender already under scrutiny before the first drive.
In a Masters where a two-time champion, a defending winner, a major winner from LIV Golf and a 91-strong field all converge, the opening tee time is only the start. The deeper question is whether the first round will confirm the favourites or expose the cracks that Augusta so often reveals.
