Golf’s most legendary event is celebrating its 90th year this April.

Once again, the Augusta National Golf Club is prepared to remind the world why nothing compares to The Masters Tournament.

This year, The Masters will take place April 9-12 at the prestigious Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia. The Par 3 Contest, however, begins on Wednesday, April 8. 

With the tournament approaching quickly, we wanted to reflect on what makes it such an important event in the sports world.

1. Exclusivity 

While it’s extremely strict and limited on how to qualify for The Masters Tournament, there is a dedicated list of golfers who are eligible to compete this year, including former champions. 

The lifetime champions include:

• Rory McIlroy

• Scottie Scheffler

• Jon Rahm

• Hideki Matsuyama

• Dustin Johnson

• Tiger Woods

• Patrick Reed

• Sergio Garcia

• Danny Willett

• Jordan Spieth

• Bubba Watson

• Adam Scott

• Charl Schwartzel

• Phil Mickelson

• Angel Cabrera

• Zach Johnson

• Mike Weir

• Vijay Singh

• Jose Maria Olazabal

• Fred Couples

As of early March, only 88 golfers have been invited to participate.

Among those 88 golfers, Rory McIlroy is returning to Augusta as the defending 2025 Masters champion after completing the Career Grand Slam last year. This means he won all four major championships in professional golf: The Masters, The PGA Championship, The U.S. Open, and The Open Championship.

McIlroy defeated Justin Rose in a sudden-death round, which is officially The Masters playoff format. 

2. Historical Background

Augusta National was founded in 1932 by Bobby Jones and Clifford Roberts. 

When first searching for a golf course to fulfill his dream of building a course, Jones bought a 365-acre property in Augusta called Fruitland Nurseries. 

To this day, many of the plants found on property at Augusta National are still descendants of the Fruitland Nurseries.

“Our overall aim at Augusta National was to provide a golf course of considerable natural beauty, enjoyable for the average golfer and at the same time testing for the expert player striving to better par,” Jones wrote, reported in an article by Kingdom. “We want to make the bogeys easy, if frankly sought, pars readily obtainable by standard good play, and birdies, except on par-fives, dearly bought.”

3. Augusta National Embraces Tradition

Unlike other majors that rotate courses annually, The Masters is always played at Augusta National. It developed enough history and tradition every year through dinners, green jackets, and more to stick around in Georgia.

Golfers appreciate, know, and look forward to seeing every little detail of the course – it’s familiarity becoming a lifelong tradition for golf.

4. The Masters Tournament Golf Apparel 

Since 1949, champions are awarded an iconic green jacket which they are expected to return it to Augusta a year later. It's then stored with the other green jackets on-site. Only the current Masters champion can wear his green jacket away from the course.

The Masters’ iconic green jacket has become one of the most recognizable symbols in sports. Inspired by the tournament’s signature color, many golfers celebrate the season by adding green pieces to their wardrobe.

Although pantone 342 is trademarked, many golfers celebrate each year by grabbing their own green golf apparel. At Black Clover, premium athleisure in green is 30% off until March 17 – the perfect amount of time to grab your golf apparel and workout, business, or casual athletic wear to celebrate the tournament. 

5. Marks the Start of the Season

The Masters is the first open of the year and marks new beginnings for many golfers, ranging from amateurs to professionals. 

The weather starts warming up, courses begin opening for the season, and golfers begin dusting off their clubs. 

The Masters or the first day of spring – you decide which is more important.

The 2026 Masters Tournament marks 90 years of tradition, competition, and unforgettable exclusivity.

The world’s best golfers will gather at Augusta National to compete for the most prestigious prize in the game: the green jacket.

And as always, the Masters will remind us why it remains golf’s most legendary event.