Course knowledge counts for more here than at any other major, because the same layout is used every time and its slopes reward players who know where they can afford to miss. The field is the smallest of the four majors, with former champions exempt for life, so a large part of the list is not truly competitive and the effective market is narrow. Greens run very fast and putting from above the hole is close to unplayable, which rewards precise iron play over raw length. Historic patterns favour experienced players and repeat contenders.
The Masters Tournament is the first men's major of the golfing season, an invitational played over 72 holes of stroke play with a cut after the opening two rounds. It is staged on the same course every time, which is unique among the majors.
The shape of the week is unusually consistent. Scoring spreads out early while the course plays long and firm, then the closing nine holes create the real movement, because water guards several greens and eagles and double bogeys sit side by side on the same hole. Wind swirls through the trees and rarely matches what the flags suggest, so club selection is a guess as often as a calculation. Amateurs play alongside major winners, a tie at the end is settled on extra holes, and leads are rarely comfortable.