Masters 2015: Complete Guide to This Year's Tournament at Augusta National

Well, golf fans, it's the most wonderful time of the year: the Masters Tournament.

Every spring the happenings at Augusta National are highly anticipated, but 2015's iteration is must-see TV. History is on the line, legacies are in question and superstars are ready to see their careers soar higher.

Bubba Watson will try to defend his green jacket, and although he's been playing well, the competition is tougher than ever. Plus, winning back-to-back Masters is no easy task—there hasn't been a repeat champion since Tiger Woods in 2001 and 2002.

So get your recliner ready and cancel your weekend plans—golf is the only entertainment you'll require.

Here's everything you need to know to get ready for Augusta.

All About Augusta National

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Golf moves all around the world throughout the year, but there are 18 holes on the calendar that always remain the same.

For casual fans, the Masters marks the beginning of the golf season, and the hallowed lawns and beautifully trimmed azaleas of Augusta National Golf Club in Georgia offer the most gorgeous setting for the best golfers in the world.

The legendary Bobby Jones and Alister MacKenzie designed the course. It opened its doors in 1933 and first hosted the Masters in 1934. Because the course was built on the site of the Fruitland Nursery, every hole is named after a tree or shrub. 

Recently there have been some significant changes to the home of the Masters. Three years ago, Augusta National admitted its first two women to the club, former U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Darla Moore. Last year, Augusta had to remove the Eisenhower Tree, a famous pine tree located on the 17th hole, because of ice damage. 

One thing hasn't changed, though—Augusta National is still one of the most historic courses in the world.

Where to Watch on Television

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Throughout the tournament, you can go to Masters.com for live streaming and CBS Sports Network for coverage from the driving range. But to watch the action on television, here's where to go:

Thursday, April 9

3 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN 

Friday, April 10

3 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN

Saturday, April 11

3 p.m. to 7 p.m. ET, CBS

Sunday, April 12

2 p.m. to 7 p.m. ET, CB

Biggest Storylines

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How Will Tiger Woods Perform?

As you might have heard, Tiger Woods is back at the Masters. The 14-time major champion missed last year's tournament and has struggled mightily with form and injury ever since.

In fact, in his last five events, Woods has two missed cuts, two withdrawals and one 17th-place finish. As always, all eyes will be on Tiger at Augusta to see if he can get his career back on track.

Can Rory McIlroy Complete His Career Slam?

As Tiger tries to make his first cut this season, McIlroy will be going for his third major in a row. This one will be the biggest, though, as it would give him a career Grand Slam—one of each major. McIlroy has never finished higher than tied for eighth at Augusta, but considering his talent, that's bound to change soon.

Will Jordan Spieth Win His First Major?

While the talk of the town will be the superstars above, 21-year-old Spieth will be trying to fulfill his own potential. No player on tour is as hot as Spieth right now. In his last three tournaments, he has one victory and two runner-up finishes.

He finished tied for second at the Masters last year, and this year the prodigious talent will try to do one better.

The Top Pairings

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There are some notable pairings for Thursday at this year's Masters. Here are just a few (tee times are Eastern): 

Thursday 1:48 p.m./Friday 10:30 a.m.: Tiger Woods, Jimmy Walker, Jamie Donaldson

As expected, Tiger Woods will get a quite a few eyeballs on his Thursday round, as his group tees off only a little more than an hour before television coverage starts. So he'll get his first crack at Amen Corner with the nation watching live. But watch out for Jimmy Walker. With his strong play recently, he could be the one making noise in this group.

Thursday 9:24 a.m./Friday 12:42 p.m.: Bubba Watson, Justin Rose, Gunn Yang

Bubba Watson's quest to become the first back-to-back champion since Woods in 2001 and 2002 kicks off as Watson will be playing with English star Justin Rose. Rose, who won the 2013 U.S. Open, has a pair of top 10s at Augusta and is hoping a strong start can help him contend for his first green jacket. 

Thursday 10:41 a.m./1:48 p.m.: Phil Mickelson, Rory McIlroy, Ryan Moore

This group will attract the largest amount of followers, without a doubt. Phil Mickelson is the fan favorite every time he tees it up at Augusta, while Rory McIlroy is the world No. 1 and is looking to complete his career Grand Slam at the ripe old age of 25.

Last year, McIlroy had his best-ever finish at the Masters (T8). He's the prohibitive favorite to win the tournament, so this should be an exciting pairing. Oh, and Ryan Moore will play in this group as well. 

Thursday 1:59 p.m./10:41 a.m.: Jason Day, Sergio Garcia, Rickie Fowler

The last group of the day is arguably the most star-studded, and outside of McIlroy's group, it could be the one most likely to produce the tournament winner. All three of these guys have top-five Masters finishes on their resume.

Garcia did the trick in 2004 with a T4. Fowler finished in the top five in every major in 2014 and tied for fifth at Augusta a year ago. Day has had the best career showing at the Masters. In three of his four career appearances (he withdrew in 2012), Day has finished tied for second (2011), third (2013) and tied for 20th last year. Many think that this is the year the 27-year-old Aussie finally wins his first major tournament, and it could very well happen this week.

The Top Contenders

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Jordan Spieth

No player on tour is playing as well as this 21-year-old is right now. He notched his second PGA Tour victory last month and earned two international wins to begin the season.

Last year he was tied for the lead going into the final round at Augusta, but the more experienced Bubba Watson won with a late surge. This year, Jordan Spieth will be better equipped to handle the pressure of being a favorite and should be more comfortable in contention on the final day.

Bubba Watson

Watson has won the Masters twice, in 2012 and 2014, and with his length off the tee he'll likely be a contender at this tournament until the end of his career. He didn't handle being the defending champion well back in 2013, but this year he's ready for that spotlight.

"This year I know what I'll be doing. I have my routine down, I'll be more comfortable," Watson said, as reported by Steve DiMeglio of USA Today. "I'll just go in there, use my time wisely, use my energy wisely, and hopefully at the end of the week I'll be in contention on the back nine."

Dustin Johnson

Dustin Johnson has been through a lot over the past year, most notably a six-month absence from the tour that Golf.com's Michael Bamberger and Mike Walker reported to be due to a failed drug test. But now he's playing some of the best golf of his career and finally looks poised to win a major.

The 30-year-old won the WGC-Cadillac Championship last month and has two other top fives and one tie for sixth on the season. 

The Dark Horses

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We know that anything can happen in golf majors, which means that we need to be on the outlook for dark horses everywhere.

Besides Jordan Spieth, Bubba Watson and Dustin Johnson, other players on the list of favorites are Phil Mickelson, Jason Day, Adam Scott and Henrik Stenson. But there are plenty of less obvious contenders as well.

Patrick Reed has had a good season—he won the Hyundai Tournament of Champions to start 2015 and got a runner-up finish last month at the Valspar Championship. Reed loves the big stages—see his Ryder Cup performance from last year if you don't believe me—so the 24-year-old is definitely an outside threat.

Also don't overlook Justin Rose, the steady Brit who won the U.S. Open in 2013. Last week's Shell Houston Open winner, J.B. Holmes, is worthy of your attention as well. He'll certainly have the confidence to tackle Augusta this week.

Am I daring enough to consider Tiger Woods a dark horse for this event? Sure I am. Woods seems to have had enough time off to get healthy, and he is eager after missing last year's tournament. It's highly unlikely that he'll come away with the win, but stranger things in golf have certainly happened.

The Favorite

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Did you think I had forgotten about this guy? Of course not.

Rory McIlroy is the favorite heading into the Masters. He is the No. 1-ranked golfer in the world, and he has won the last two majors. He's been in solid form this season, winning the Omega Dubai Desert Classic in Asia and notching one other runner-up finish and a top 10 as well.

It's well-reported that McIlroy is going for history this week, so the spotlight will be bright. But he will get a bit less attention thanks to the appearance of Tiger Woods. Plus, McIlroy has found some quiet time before the tournament to get his game and mind in check before Augusta.

"McIlroy will benefit from the one admirable character trait which separates him from the Woods of two decades ago," reported Ewan Murray of The Guardian. "That is, an ability to remove himself completely from golf and the people who attach themselves to it when necessary."

McIlroy has accomplished so much in his short but spectacular career. Now he just needs a green jacket.