Masters 2018: Tee Times, Date, TV Schedule and Prize Money
After the defining moment of his career at Augusta, Georgia, a year ago, Masters champion Sergio Garcia will be seeking to add another green jacket to his wardrobe on Sunday in golf's first major of 2018.
The popular Spaniard finally clinched a major title in 2017, beating Justin Rose in a dramatic playoff to get his hands on the most coveted garment in sport. Retaining his crown is set to be a huge challenge for Garcia in a high-class field, though.
Jordan Spieth, already a winner at Augusta, and Rory McIlroy are the big favourites for many, while Dustin Johnson and Justin Thomas are also high up in the betting. Tiger Woods, following his recent upturn in form, also appears in good shape to win his first major since 2008.
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Read on for some selected tee times for the opening round on Thursday, April 5, the television information for the competition and what's on offer for the highest finishers in terms of prize money.
TV Info: Sky Sports Golf (UK), CBS Sports (U.S.), ESPN (U.S.)
Prize Money
As relayed by Business Insider's Brandon Wiggins, the purse for the 2018 competition is $11 million (£7.8 million), as it was a year ago.
While the official breakdown of the prize money has not yet been confirmed, last year Garcia took home $1,980,000 after his win, with Justin Rose, the runner-up, pocketing $1,188,000, per CBS Sports' Kyle Porter.
Selected Thursday Tee Times (BST)
3:42 p.m. Tiger Woods (USA), Marc Leishman (Aus), Tommy Fleetwood (Eng)
3:53 p.m. Sergio Garcia (Spa), Justin Thomas (USA), Doc Redman (USA)*
6:38 p.m. Adam Scott (Aus), Rory McIlroy (NI), Jon Rahm (Spa)
6:49 p.m. Jordan Spieth (USA), Alex Noren (Swe), Louis Oosthuizen (SA)
7 p.m. Justin Rose (Eng), Dustin Johnson (USA), Rafael Cabrera-Bello (Spa)
For the tee times in full, visit BBC Sport
All Eyes on Woods at Augusta
Following his prolonged spell in the golfing wilderness, the buzz around Woods heading into a major championship hasn't been quite as feverish as this for a long time.
The 42-year-old has had to cope with numerous issues on and off the course, although as he gears up for Augusta, his game appears to be in the best shape it has been for many years.
Woods, who last won here in 2005, has performed tremendously in recent weeks at the Arnold Palmer Invitational (fifth), the Valspar Championship (second) and the Honda Classic (12th). If he can make some refinements to his game this week, he'll be in the shakeup for a green jacket on Sunday.
As noted by the Daily Telegraph's Paul Hayward, it looks like Woods has overcome his problems:
According to the Golf Channel's Ryan Lavner, the 14-time major champion has been performing well in practice:
Still, there are many elite performers in the field that will fancy their chances of conquering this iconic golf course.
Spieth, who won the Open last summer, already has, and his game has proved a good match for Augusta. In his four Masters outings, the American has a win, two second-place finishes and last year he was a respectable 11th.
Spieth's putting sets him apart from the rest of the field on these tricky greens. But in the buildup, Spieth has been uncharacteristically sloppy in this area.
Paul Higham revealed how the 24-year-old has been entertaining the fans this week already:
When Thursday comes, though, you can guarantee the United States star will be as focused as anyone in the field.
He'll need to be up against the likes of McIlroy and Thomas. The former of the pair had a tough 2017 and had been inconsistent early in 2018. However, McIlroy appears to have rediscovered his best at the right time, with a comfortable win at the Arnold Palmer Invitational in March.
Per Marty Smith of ESPN, the Northern Irishman isn't leaving any stone unturned in preparation:
Thomas has been pushing Johnson for the world No. 1 position in recent weeks after his tremendous 2017. After winning his first major last time out at the PGA Championship, the defending PGA Player of the Year will be pulsing with confidence.
Johnson is also one to watch, while Rose will also be desperate to go one better after narrowly missing out last year. The left-handed pair of Phil Mickelson, a three-time winner here, and Bubba Watson, who has two green jackets, are also dangerous at the Masters.
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