Here's What You Need to Know Ahead of the 2022 Masters Tournament

What to know: 2022 Masters Tournament originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago

The Masters is around the corner and ready to deliver with pomp and fanfare. 

The most prestigious tournament in golf – dubbed “a tradition unlike any other” – is back for the 86th edition. Scheduled to run from April 7 to April 10, the tournament comes on the heels of March Madness and will look to keep the momentum rolling for sports fans. 

It remains to be seen which golfers ultimately compete, but there undoubtedly will be a stacked field featuring everyone from former champions to up-and-comers. Here’s all the information you need with just over a week remaining until the opening tee off.

What is the schedule for the Masters?

The event begins on April 4 with two days of practice rounds followed by a Par 3 Contest on April 6. The competition officially kicks off on April 7 at 8 a.m. ET. The tournament will run for four days, concluding on Sunday, April 10. 

How does a golfer qualify for the Masters?

Augusta National is one of the most exclusive venues in all of sports. Membership is only granted on an invitational basis and comes with a heft price entrance fee in addition to yearly dues. The golf club notoriously didn’t admit Black members until 1990 and women until 2013. The course is only open to members with one exception -- during the Masters, when around 40,000 fans are permitted entrance through the storied gates. 

That exclusivity applies to spectators and competitors alike. The Masters has the fewest competitors, with typically under 100 golfers invited to the field. According to the tournament’s official website, there are 19 ways a golfer can qualify to compete for a green jacket. Guaranteed admission varies in length depending on the qualification standard.

The qualifications for invitation are:

• Masters Tournament Champion (lifetime)
• U.S. Open Champion (honorary, non-competing after five years)
• The Open Championships (honorary, non-competing after five years)
• PGA Championships (honorary, non-competing after five years)
• Winners of The Players Championship (three years)
• Current Olympic Gold Medalist (one year)
• Current U.S. Amateur Champion (Honorary, non-competing after one year) and the runner-up to the current U.S. Amateur Champion
• Current The Amateur Champion (Honorary, non-competing after one year)
• Current Asia-Pacific Amateur Champion (one year)
• Current Latin America Amateur Champion (one year)
• Current U.S. Mid-Amateur Champion (one year)
• The first 12 players, including ties, in the previous year’s Masters Tournament
• The first four players, including ties, in the previous year’s U.S. Open
• The first four players, including ties, in the previous year’s The Open Championship
• The first four players, including ties, in the previous year’s PGA Championship
• Individual winners of PGA Tour events that award a full-point allocation for the season-ending Tour Championship, from previous Masters to current Masters
• Those qualifying for the previous year’s season-ending Tour Championship
• The 50 leaders on the Final Official World Golf Ranking for the previous calendar year
• The 50 leaders on the Official World Golf Ranking published during the week prior to the current Masters Tournament

The Masters Committee also reserves the right to invite any international players who didn’t otherwise qualify. 

How many countries are represented at the Masters?

The field, as currently organized, includes athletes from 20 different countries. The U.S. leads the way with nearly half of the 91 listed competitors. The current country breakdown listed by number of invitations is below:

• United States (44)
• England (8)
• Australia (6)
• South Africa (5)
• Canada (3)
• Ireland (3)
• Japan (3)
• Korea (3)
• Spain (3)
• Italy (2)
• Scotland (2)
• Austria (1)
• Belgium (1)
• Cayman Islands (1) 
• Chile (1)
• Fiji (1)
• Germany (1)
• Mexico (1)
• Northern Ireland (1)
• Norway (1)

How many times has the Masters been played?

The Masters have been played 86 times, with the inaugural tournament dating back to 1934. Of those 86 tournaments, 53 different athletes have earned a green jacket, including 17 golfers who won multiple times. Jack Nicklaus owns the most victories with six.

What past Masters champions are competing in 2022?

As of March 29, the field includes 18 former winners. This list ranges from Hideki Matsuyama, the 2021 champion, to Bernhard Langer, the 1985 champion. 

Arguably the most intriguing entry is Tiger Woods, who was involved in a serious car crash in February 2021. Woods, who said he was “lucky to be alive,” nearly lost his leg in the accident and announced as recently as November that he would never play full time again. 

The five-time Masters winner created some buzz on Tuesday when he was seen with his son practicing at Augusta National, less than one week ahead of the practice rounds on April 4. It is reported that Woods is trying to “gauge whether he is fit to compete in the Masters next week.”

The 18 former winners who are currently set to compete are:

• Hideki Matsuyama (2021)
• Dustin Johnson (2021 - postponed from 2020)
• Tiger Woods (1997, 2001, 2002, 2005, 2019)
• Patrick Reed (2018)
• Sergio Garcia (2017)
• Danny Willett (2016)
• Jordan Spieth (2015)
• Bubba Watson (2012, 2014)
• Adam Scott (2013)
• Charl Schwartzel (2011)
• Zach Johnson (2007)
• Mike Weir (2003)
• Vijay Singh (2000)
• Jose Maria Olazabal (1994, 1999)
• Bernhard Langer (1985, 1993)
• Fred Couples (1992)
• Sandy Lyle (1988)
• Larry Mize (1987)

What will other former Masters champions do during the 2022 tournament?

Champions are guaranteed lifetime admission into the tournament, but many choose not to play past retirement. Rather, past champions who opt not to play will often participate in other capacities such as serving as honorary starters, taking a ceremonial tee shot to open the tournament. This year, Nicklaus, Tom Watson and Gary Player will all serve as honorary starters. 

Who are the frontrunners to win the 2022 Masters?

While American Scottie Scheffler recently received a boost, jumping Spain’s Jon Rahm for the No. 1 overall ranking on the PGA Tour, Rahm remains the guy to beat. Rahm has posted top-four finishes in each of the major championships, but his lone victory came in 2021 at the U.S. Open.

Collin Morikawa will look to add to his collection that already features wins at the PGA Championship (2020) and the Open Championship (2021). Meanwhile, former champions Jordan Spieth and Dustin Johnson are both in good position to win their second green jacket. 

Betting odds for the 2022 Masters, provided by our partner PointsBet are below. A complete and updated list is available here.

• Jon Rahm +1000
• Collin Morikawa +1200
• Jordan Spieth +1400
• Justin Thomas +1400
• Dustin Johnson +1600
• Rory McIlroy +1600
• Cameron Smith +1600
• Scottie Scheffler +1600
• Patrick Cantley +1800
• Viktor Hovland +1800
• Xander Schauffele +2000
• Brooks Koepka +2000
• Bryson Dechambeau +3000
• Hideki Matsuyama +3300
• Will Zalatoris +3300
• Sam Burns +4000

Editor's note: All odds are provided by our partner, PointsBet. PointsBet is our Official Sports Betting Partner and we may receive compensation if you place a bet on PointsBet for the first time after clicking our links.