The Masters
How to Watch and Follow The Masters
Understand the stories, structure, and course lessons behind the masters without getting lost in trivia.
Watch the course as a character
The Masters broadcast is richer when you follow Augusta National’s slopes as closely as the leaderboard. Notice how often players talk to a ball that has already landed. That is because the second half of many Masters shots happens on the ground, as contours decide whether a good swing becomes a birdie chance or a delicate recovery.
Three viewing habits
- Track misses: The safest side changes from hole to hole and even pin to pin.
- Listen for wind talk: The 12th is famous for it, but elevation and trees affect many shots.
- Study lag putts: A 50-footer over a ridge can be one of the best shots of the day.
A simple way to follow the week
Thursday is for learning conditions. Friday is for understanding who has solved the greens. Saturday often reveals who can climb without forcing the issue. Sunday is best watched with the hole locations in mind, because Augusta’s drama usually begins with the target, not the score graphic.