It is time once again for the first major championship of the season as the world's best head to Augusta National Golf Club for the always exhilarating Masters.

Bubba Watson returns to Augusta with his green jacket as the defending champion and the winner of two of the last three championships. With his second title in his sixth visit last year, Watson tied Jimmy Demaret and Arnold Palmer for the second-fewest appearances to win the Masters twice.

There is no shortage of storylines for this year's Masters, starting with world No. 1 Rory McIlroy searching for his first career green jacket, which would complete the career grand slam for the Ulsterman.

McIlroy is the defending British Open champion and PGA Championship winner, but the five-time major titlist is still missing a Masters triumph. His best finish at Augusta was a tie for eighth last year.

Perhaps the biggest storyline of them all is the return of four-time Masters champion Tiger Woods, who will be playing for the first time in two months after he took a leave from the PGA Tour to work on his game.

Woods is back after missing the Masters in 2014 due to back surgery. It was the first time he did not play the season's first major as a professional.

With the likes of McIlroy, Watson, Spieth and Woods, among many other big names in attendance, it is shaping up to be one enthralling week among the Georgia pines, magnolias and azaleas.