How to Watch the Masters Golf Tournament for Free in 2023
With the galaxy of star golfers competing in the 2023 Masters, the tournament could spark into life in the early rounds. You can’t take your eyes off the screen, rest you miss a historic ace, birdie or bogey. Read this guide to learn how to watch the Masters for free.
Defending champion Scottie Scheffler returns to Georgia, aiming for a second major championship. However, the odds are slightly stacked against him, with bookmakers tipping Jon Rahm to claim the green jacket. It will be a week of sizzling golf, and if you’re wondering where and how to watch the Masters live, ask no more.
In this guide, we’ll show you how to watch all rounds of the 2023 Masters tournament, regardless of location. However, because of streaming geoblocks, you might need one of the best VPNs to watch the tournament. We’ll reveal three VPNs that don’t disappoint when it comes to live sports streaming.
How to Watch the Masters at Augusta National Golf Club
The 87th Masters Tournament takes place from April 6 through April 9 at the historic Augusta National Golf Club in Georgia. Here are the key details about the green jacket championship.
The 2023 Masters has assembled a stellar field. Some of the stars battling it out for the green jacket include Scottie Scheffler, Jon Rahm, Rory McIlroy, Cameron Smith and Jordan Spieth — to say nothing of the handful of top amateurs pursuing an improbable win.
Unlike the PGA Tour, the Masters tournament organizers agreed to let LIV golfers participate this year and in subsequent tournaments. This means star golfers in the breakaway tour, such as Phil Mickelson, Dustin Johnson and Sergio Garcia, will be able to take part in the 2023 Masters tournament.
Will Tiger Woods Play in the Masters 2023?
Tiger Woods will be among the players teeing up at the Augusta National Golf Club. After the car accident in 2019, the 15-time majors champion made one of the most remarkable comebacks in sports during last year’s tournament.
Masters TV Schedule & Live Coverage: What Channel Is the Masters On?
The 2023 Masters main event begins on April 6. Before that, golf fans will be treated to practice rounds on April 3 and 4 and the Par 3 contest on Wednesday, April 5. The full tournament schedule is available on the Masters website, including dates and times of tee times of featured groups, along with the green jacket ceremony.
Here’s a summary of the Masters’ 2023 schedule:
Day | Event |
---|---|
Monday & Tuesday, April 3-4 | Practice Rounds |
Wednesday, April 5 | Par 3 Contest |
Thursday, April 6 | 1st Tournament Round |
Friday, April 7 | 2nd Tournament Round |
Saturday, April 8 | 3rd Tournament Round |
Sunday, April 9 | 4th Tournament Round |
You don’t have to be at the Augusta National Golf Club to watch the Masters live. If you’re in the United States, you can keep up with the live coverage on the CBS Sports Network golf channel. Cord-cutters can watch CBS livestreams on the CBS Sports app if they have a CBS All Access subscription, or:
- Paramount Plus — $9.99 per month
- fuboTV — $64.99 per month
- Hulu + Live TV — $69.99 per month
Keep in mind that CBS Sports Network will only broadcast the practice rounds, the Par 3 contest and the two final rounds. You’ll need a monthly ESPN subscription, which costs $6.99, to watch the first and second rounds of this year’s Masters golf tournament. Sadly, ESPN won’t broadcast the last two rounds of the tournament.
Golf fans in the U.K., Canada, France and Australia can catch all the action on the following channels and streaming services:
Country: | Channel |
---|---|
U.K. | BBC2 — Free (Only highlights)Sky Sports golf — from $25 per month |
Australia | 9NOW — Free (All rounds)Foxtel/Kayo Sports — $25 per month |
Canada | TSN/RDS (Access through a TV provider like Bell, Virgin Plus, Shaw) |
France | Canal+ — €7.99 |
Where to Watch the Masters Tournament: Free Without Cable
You don’t have to buy a Masters ticket for a front-row experience. Sometimes a free streaming service will do the trick. We scoured the web and found various options to watch the Masters tournament for free.
You can watch the 2023 Masters tournament free without cable with Paramount Plus or fuboTV free trials. Both streaming platforms offer seven-day free trials — long enough to last you the entire tournament. Sadly, Paramount Plus and fuboTV will only broadcast the third and fourth rounds.
This is where 9NOW comes into play. This streaming service will livestream all four rounds of the 2023 Masters tournament. The problem is that 9NOW is exclusively available to Australian residents. Thankfully, with a reliable streaming VPN, you can access 9NOW from anywhere and watch the tournament, including Australia.
There are reliable free VPNs such as Proton VPN and Windscribe, but these services don’t offer servers in Australia. For that reason, you’ll have to pay a small fee for a premium VPN to access 9NOW from anywhere. However, most VPNs have money-back guarantees that you can use as a free trial, if you’re determined to not spend a dime.
Let’s demonstrate how to use a VPN to access 9NOW from outside Australia.
Quick Guide: How to Watch the Masters Live Stream for Free
In this section, we’ll show you how to access 9NOW using NordVPN — the best VPN for live sports streaming.
- Sign Up for a Live Sport Streaming VPN
Sign up for NordVPN or another one of the best VPNs for live sports, preferably with servers in a country where Masters golf streaming channels are available. In this case, Australia.
- Download and Install the VPN App
Head over to the VPN’s website. Download and install the VPN on your smart TV, Windows or Mac device. If you intend to watch the Masters on your Android or iOS smartphone, install the VPN from the Google Play or Apple app store.
- Create a 9NOW Account
Connect to an Australian server and create a 9NOW account. When it asks for an Australian postcode, you can look up postcodes available online or guess a random four-digit code. Keep the VPN connected to an Australian server while you verify your email.
- Watch Masters Golf Free
Once you verify your email, you’ll be redirected to the 9NOW home page. Access the login page and use the credentials you created in the previous step to log in. Click live TV, select the Masters golf tournament and watch for free.
The Best VPNs to Stream the Masters Golf Tournament Online
We mentioned NordVPN as the best VPN for the Masters golf tournament. In this section, we’ll describe its strengths and how it performed in our testing.
1. NordVPN — Best VPN Overall
Very Fast
Very Fast
Very Fast
NordVPN made it to the top of this list because of its fast download speeds. Whether you’re accessing 9NOW in a neighboring country or one that’s several continents away, you’ll enjoy lag- and buffering-free videos. It offers unlimited data and bandwidth, so you can rest assured you won’t lose connection during an intense round.
Its monthly plan is pricey, but extended plans offer good value for your money. It also offers a seven-day free trial and a 30-day money-back guarantee in case you change your mind. Read our full NordVPN review to learn more.
- *The prices are charged in the first billing cycle only. Renewal prices vary.
- Unlimited GB
- 10
- Yes
- *The prices are charged in the first billing cycle only. Renewal prices vary.
- Unlimited GB
- 10
- Yes
- *The prices are charged in the first billing cycle only. Renewal prices vary.
- Unlimited GB
- 10
- Yes
2. Surfshark — Best Budget VPN
Very Fast
Very Fast
Good
- Unlimited GB bandwidth, Unlimited devices, Secure VPN, Ad blocker, Cookie pop-up blocker. Plans renew: $59.76 for one year, $59.76 per year for the two-year plan.
- Unlimited GB
- Unlimited
- Yes
- Everything in Starter, plus Antivirus protection, Identity protection, Email Breach and Credit Card Alerts, Online Alias Plans renew: $79 for one year & $79 per year for the two-year plan.
- Unlimited GB
- Unlimited
- Everything in One, plus Data removal Plans renew: $269.25 for one year, $404.65 for two years
- Unlimited GB
- Unlimited
3. ExpressVPN — Best Beginner-Friendly VPN
Very Fast
Very Fast
Very Fast
Best Free VPN to Stream The Masters: ProtonVPN
Proton VPN offers free servers in the U.S., Japan and the Netherlands. As a result, you can’t use it to access 9NOW and Masters streaming services in the U.K. However, if you need a free VPN service to access U.S.-based streaming platforms from abroad, Proton VPN checks the box.
The servers unblock major streaming services on the first attempt, and they should easily get you into Hulu + Live TV, fuboTV and Paramount Plus. Although Proton VPN is fast, its free servers are often sluggish during peak hours.
Thankfully, the Proton VPN free plan comes with unlimited data, which is a rarity with free VPN services. As a result, you can keep up with the entire Masters golf tournament without fear of losing your connection right when it’s getting good. Learn more in our full Proton VPN review.
- Unlimited GB
- 1
- Yes
- 500 GB storage 1 user 15 extra email addresses for you Support for 3 custom email domains Unlimited folders and labels Unlimited hide-my-email aliases Dedicated customer support Ultra fast and private VPN Encrypted password manager Encrypted cloud storage for photos and documents Advanced account protection
- Unlimited GB
- 10
- Yes
- **Renewal prices differ for the 1-year and the 2-year plans. Price includes all premium Proton services (Proton Mail, Calendar, Drive, VPN, Pass, & Wallet)
- Unlimited GB
- 10
Final Thoughts: Watch Golf Masters Live Streaming Coverage
To watch the Golf Masters, you’ll need a CBS Sports and ESPN subscription to watch the entire tournament. If you’d rather not subscribe to two channels, try 9NOW — the Australian channel will livestream the whole tournament for free. A VPN is all you need to watch the Masters tournament on 9NOW without paying a dime.
NordVPN is the best VPN for streaming the 2023 Masters. It unblocks all streaming services and is so fast that videos load and stream like local sessions. Trying NordVPN for a month is completely risk-free, as you can use the 30-day money-back guarantee if you end up not liking it.
If you fancy other live sports, we got you covered. We recently published a guide on how to watch Indian Premier League cricket matches and how to watch UFC Fight Nights. Have you watched the Masters tournament with a VPN? We’d like to hear about it in the comment section. As always, thanks for reading.
FAQ
You can watch the Masters livestream online on ESPN and CBS Sports Network. The livestream is also available worldwide on different channels, such as 9NOW (Australia), SkySports Golf (U.K.), Canal+ (France) and TSN/RDS (Canada).
You can watch the Masters for free on 9NOW. The streaming service is available to Australian residents, so you’ll need a VPN to access it outside the country.
If you’re in the U.S., you can watch live TV coverage of the practice round, Par 3 contest and the final rounds on CBS Sports Network.
No, the Masters 2023 is not available on Amazon Prime Video.