The Masters 2026: All you need to know - and when is Rory McIlroy teeing off

It's that time of year again, time turns back to the picturesque course at Augusta National as golf’s most prestigious major, The Masters, tees off.

This year has a special feeling for Irish fans as Rory McIlroy comes to Georgia as defending champion for the first time after he finally won his fifth major and completed the career Grand Slam.

It was a historic moment for Irish sport as McIlroy undoubtedly put himself among the all-time golfing greats as just the sixth man to win all four majors, and now he can defend his title.

When does The Masters 2026 start?

It all gets underway on Thursday, April 9, and the ceremonial first tee shot will be taken by Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player, and Tom Watson at 12:25 pm Irish time. The first tee shot of the actual tournament will be taken at 12:40 pm with the pairing of Chinese Haotong Li and John Keefer.

The tournament will end late Sunday night/early Monday morning on April 12/13.

Where to watch The Masters 2026

The Masters 2026 will be available in full on Sky Sports throughout the weekend. Coverage of the first round begins at 2 pm on Thursday.

When does Rory McIlroy start The Masters?

Rory McIlroy begins his defence of the Green Jacket on Thursday afternoon, when he’s in a group with American Cameron Young and amateur Mason Howell. They tee off at 3:31 pm Irish time.

Shane Lowry begins earlier in the day at 2:43pm as he’s in a group with former Masters and US Open winner Dustin Johnson and former PGA Championship winner Jason Day.

Then Northern Irish golfer Tom McKibbin will be making his debut at Augusta this year. He hails from the same course as McIlroy in Holywood, County Down and gets underway alongside American duo Brian Campbell and Andrew Novak at 4:15 pm Irish time.

Who’s the favourite for The Masters 2026?

The bookies’ favourite for the winner this year is Scottie Scheffler, with the oddsmaker putting him at 9/2 to win his third green jacket.

McIlroy isn’t too far behind him at 9/1 alongside Bryson DeChambeau, while Spaniard Jon Rahm is at 8/1. Lowry is an outsider at 40/1 and McKibbin an even further outsider at 150/1.

*This article was originally published on Extra.ie.