The 87th Masters Tournament begins Thursday at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia.
The four-day, 72-hole tournament has been played at Augusta since 1934 and features some of the world’s top golfers as part of the 81-player professional field.
The tournament invites the top 50 golfers in the world rankings from the end of the previous season, anyone else in the top 50 the week before the tournament, and previous winners (on lifetime passes.)
Among those in the field is Dallas native and defending tournament champion Scottie Scheffler.
Scheffler joined the PGA Tour in 2020 and has finished in the top 10 or better 33 times. He claimed his first green jacket at the 2022 Masters by shooting 10-under par to beat Rory McIlroy by three strokes.
Scheffler is the number one golfer on the PGA Tour and one of eight Texas golfers playing in the Masters along with Jordan Spieth, Will Zalatoris, Cameron Champ, Taylor Moore, Patrick Reed, Sahith Theegala, and Bryson Dechambeau. Texans have won 15 of the previous Masters tournaments.
Texas A&M golfer Sam Bennett is competing in the amateur field.
Tiger Woods will also participate as he continues his limited return from a catastrophic car accident that severely damaged his legs.
“I’m very lucky to have this leg; it’s mine,” Woods told reporters Tuesday, according to Yahoo Sports. “Yes, it has been altered and there’s some hardware in there, but it’s still mine. It has been tough and will always be tough. The ability and endurance of what my leg will do going forward will never be the same. I understand that.”
“That’s why I can’t prepare and play as many tournaments as I like, but that’s my future, and that’s OK. I’m OK with that.”
Woods is a five-time Masters champion but has been limiting his playing schedule in recent years and acknowledges he might not be able to keep playing for long.
His most recent appearance was in the Genesis Invitational in February, where he shot one under par to finish tied for 45th.
Amid controversy and competition between the PGA and LIV Tours, members of the Saudi league who are qualified for the Masters are allowed to participate.
The new tour has drawn the participation of several past Masters champions, including Phil Mickelson, Bubba Watson, Dustin Johnson, Charl Schwartzel, and Sergio Garcia, all of whom will compete in Augusta this weekend.
In total,18 LIV Tour members will compete in the 2023 Masters.
The first round of the Masters begins Thursday, and the tournament continues all weekend until the conclusion on Sunday afternoon.
