WHAT’S NEW AT AUGUSTA 2024?

TIGER WOODS will be bidding to achieve a record 24th cut at the Masters – and he won’t be wearing Nike.

The 15-time Major winner (below) banked an estimated $500million from his 28-year association with the American sports giants before splitting in January. His new clothes line is called Sun Day Red.

He also has a different caddie this year, with veteran Lance Bennett on his bag. His previous caddie, Joe Lacava, was given Woods’ blessing to join Patrick Cantlay last May. T HE par-5 second hole is now 10 yards even longer – and there are three new greens.

Pink Dogwood was already the longest hole on the course but now measures 585 yards with the tee box shifted to the left. In 2023 it was the easiest, with a scoring average of 4.637.

Rory Mcilroy said: “If you didn’t know, you would think you were on the same tee box, it doesn’t look that much different.

“You can still see left of the bunker and I thought it was really going to force you to hit some sort of draw shot around the corner, but you can still hit a straight away shot and keep it left of the trap.

“It’s not as drastic of a change as I thought it was going to be. And there’s new greens on two, four and six.”

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O player has won here on their debut since Fuzzy Zoeller in 1979 – and the other two first-time winners were in the Masters’ first two years.

But among the 20 rookies this year are

US Open champion Wyndham Clark and fellow Ryder Cup stars Ludvig Aberg and Nicolai Hojgaard.

World No.4 Clark, the highest ranked rookie ever here, said: “Stats like that are meant to be broken. And I like my chances.”

AMONG the rookies is the tallest player to ever tee up at the Masters – and the next big thing in golf.

Amateur champion Christo Lamprecht (right) shared the first-round lead at the Open last year after shooting a 66.

The 6ft 8in Georgia Tech star has the honour, along with other amateurs, of sleeping in the Crow’s Nest – the cupola at the top of the Augusta National clubhouse. But there is not much room.

The South African said: “There are very few places in America that have a bed big enough for me, but I’ve gotten used to that. It’s probably the best uncomfortable sleep I’ll ever have in my life. Yeah, I’m just fortunate to be here.”

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OAQUIN NIEMANN is the first LIV star to receive an invite to the Masters.

The Chilean played two ranking events in Australia before travelling to tournaments in Dubai and Oman in a bid to qualify, as LIV Golf events do not offer world ranking points.

He was rewarded for his efforts, despite being ranked world No.91.

Two-time champion Jose Maria Olazabal said: “It is good for the game. Augusta knows which players are playing well at the moment.”

There are 13 LIV Golf players in the field – down from 18 last year.