The Masters has the smallest, most exclusive field of any major — and the strictest cut. Here's how it all works.
The Masters is a 72-hole stroke play event — four rounds of 18 holes each, played Thursday through Sunday. The player with the lowest total score after 72 holes wins. In the event of a tie, a sudden-death playoff is held — players continue hole-by-hole until one player beats the other on a hole.
After 36 holes (Rounds 1 and 2, played Thursday and Friday), a cut is made. The Masters cuts to the low 50 players and ties — meaning if 50th place has multiple players tied, all of them advance. This is typically a smaller weekend field than the other majors.
Any player within 10 strokes of the lead after 36 holes also makes the cut, regardless of their position. This rule occasionally keeps a few players in the field who are technically outside the top 50 but still in contention.
The Masters field is typically around 88 players — far fewer than the PGA Championship (~156) or US Open (~156). The invitation-only format is what keeps the field small and elite.
Augusta National's Masters Committee decides the field. Invitations go to players who meet any of these criteria.
LIV Golf players can participate in The Masters if they qualify through the above criteria. Many LIV players — particularly past major champions — qualify through past champion exemptions. However, LIV Golf's lack of full OWGR points means many LIV players have fallen in the world rankings, making the world ranking qualification path harder.
The Masters is broadcast in the United States on ESPN (Thursday and Friday, morning coverage) and CBS (Thursday through Sunday, afternoon coverage). Masters.com offers extensive free streaming of featured groups, Amen Corner, and hole coverage that isn't typically available for other majors.
Augusta National controls its broadcast rights with unusual firmness — commercial breaks are limited, announcers are expected to use the language Augusta prefers (it's "the gallery," not "the crowd"; it's a "patron," not a "fan"; bunkers are not "sand traps"). The broadcast style is reverent and unhurried.
Following the leaderboard: Scores are posted relative to par — "-8" means 8 under par. The more negative the number, the better. The leader is at the top of the leaderboard. A player "making the turn" has finished the front nine (holes 1–9) and is starting the back nine (holes 10–18).