Special Edition: Doing it for the perfectly-tailored blazer

⛳ The first of the PGA’s four majors, the Masters Tournament is typically held during the first full week of April. Unlike other majors, which are held at different courses every year, the Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia, is the permanent home of the Masters and has been since the tournament’s inception in 1934.

• Born out of a plant nursery, Augusta National is famous for its lush landscapes and rolling hills. Flowers like magnolias and azaleas are so synonymous with the course that 2017 Masters winner Sergio García named his daughter Azalea after the iconic 13th hole.

🎟️ There are 26 ways players can punch their ticket to the invite-only event, including winning other majors, being a previous Masters champ, winning Olympic gold, and qualifying for the season-ending Tour Championship. A total of 91 amateurs and pros received invitations this year, including 22 golfers who will be making their first Masters appearances.

• However, two mainstays will be absent this year: Five-time winner Tiger Woods, who’s taking a break from golf to seek treatment after another DUI arrest, and three-time champ Phil Mickelson, who’s navigating a “family health matter.” Wellbeing always comes first.

🇺🇸 World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler: Scheffler hasn’t secured a top-10 finish since the beginning of February — the 29-year-old’s longest drought in four years — but that just means the best golfer in the world could be due for a stellar outing, and maybe even his third Masters victory.

🇮🇪 No. 2 Rory McIlroy: With his emotional support parking space assigned, the defending champ enters the Masters completely void of pressure, a feeling he described as freeing. Expect him to play with confidence — even with a lingering back injury.

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 No. 4 Tommy Fleetwood: The perennial bridesmaid, Fleetwood finally won a PGA event when he topped the leaderboard at last year’s Tour Championship. Now the Englishman has a chance at his first-ever major win thanks to his world-class ball striking and consistency.

🇸🇪 No. 17 Ludvig Åberg: Everyone loves a redemption story, and the 26-year-old Swede is aiming to deliver. Åberg was tied with McIlroy with just two holes to play at last year’s Masters…before capping off his round with a bogey and triple-bogey. Unfinished business is an understatement.

🇺🇸 No. 27 Bryson DeChambeau: Some find him aggravating; others think he’s woefully misunderstood — but no one can deny that DeChambeau is knocking on the door of his first Masters victory after finishing inside the top 10 in his last two Augusta appearances.

😴 The GIST’s sleeper pick: No. 44 Corey Conners. Challenging conditions hate to see this Canadian coming as the 34-year-old thrives on the always-tricky Augusta fairways. He’s finished in the top 10 in four of his six Masters starts — will lucky number seven see him break through?

The Masters maintains some of the most steadfast traditions of any global sporting event.

💚 The green jacket: Awarded to the tournament champ (along with an anticipated $4.2M check), the coveted green jacket is more than a fashion statement. That said, don’t expect to see champs wearing their perfectly-tailored blazer out on the town. Instead, they’re stored at Augusta after the first year, ready and waiting for that golfer to win the Masters again. Only one jacket per winner.

🤝 The amateur connection: In honor of Bobby Jones, the legendary amateur who helped design the Masters, the tournament continues to champion amateur golf. This year’s six amateurs will lodge at the course’s Crow’s Nest while competing, and the lowest-scoring amateur will be awarded the Silver Cup.

• And that’s not all: The reigning U.S. Amateur champ also plays his first two rounds with the defending Masters champ, meaning 2025 U.S. Amateur winner Mason Howell will tee off with his idol, 2025 Masters winner Rory McIlroy. Childhood dream, realized.

🏆 The Champions Dinner: Held the Tuesday night of Masters week, all previous Masters champs — and only previous Masters champs — gather at Augusta for a dinner curated by the most recent winner…for better or for worse.

• McIlroy’s 2026 Masters menu featured peach and ricotta flatbread (in honor of Georgia), wagyu filet mignon (because why not?), and grilled elk sliders (reportedly the pre-round protein of champions). Oh, and a bacon-wrapped ode to his mom. Delish.