MASTERS SPECIAL: When Formula 1 meets golf

Tomorrow marks the beginning of one of the most famous golf tournaments in the world – the 2026 Masters at Augusta National. A field of 92 of the world's best golfers will take on the legendary course, including a mixture of past champions, recent major winners, and all the top 50 ranked players in the world. It’s an exclusive event brimming with tradition and grandeur, and no doubt plenty of the stars of F1 will be watching intently.

That’s because golf is one of the paddock’s most popular sports, and many of F1’s stars enjoy a round or two in their downtime. But that’s not the only crossover between racing and golf – from bilateral investments and social media collaborations to driver competitions and F1 team golf club ranges, there’s plenty linking the two sports. Let’s unpack all the crossovers that bring F1 and golf together...

Paddock pastime

In many ways, golf is the perfect game for F1 drivers off-track. The slower and relatively calming nature of the sport allows for them to switch off from the intense, adrenaline-fuelled race weekends – whilst simultaneously providing an opportunity to work on mental strength and concentration.

The courses are lush and verdant – a nice contrast to the asphalt of the race track – and there’s an abundance of locations all over the world to play, suiting the lifestyle of the ever-travelling drivers.

So, it’s no wonder most of the grid enjoys a round from time to time – Carlos Sainz, Lando Norris, Charles Leclerc, Lewis Hamilton, Alex Albon, Lance Stroll, Pierre Gasly, Fernando Alonso and Sergio Perez are all known to play between races. Some are more skilled than others – with Sainz rating himself as the best in the paddock – but we need to see a driver competition soon to really settle the scores!

And speaking of the Masters – there's even a driver who has played on the exclusive Augusta National golf course.

Fresh off the back of his maiden F1 victory at Miami in 2024, Norris played a couple of rounds at the iconic venue, thanks to McLaren CEO Zak Brown’s connections in the US. Despite lacking a lot of sleep after some lengthy celebrations in the Sunshine State, Norris insists it’s his favourite golfing memory – a true ‘pinch me’ moment for the 2025 World Champion.

Netflix Cup

Netflix produces two similar docuseries for F1 and golf, with Drive To Survive debuting in 2019 and Full Swing following in 2023 – so it made perfect sense for the streaming service to produce the ultimate mash-up of the two sports.

The Netflix Cup featured Albon, Sainz, Gasly and Norris pairing up with some of the best golfers in the world for a one-off tournament before the inaugural Las Vegas Grand Prix in 2023.

Americans Justin Thomas, Max Homa, Rickie Fowler and Tony Finau took part in the eight-hole matchplay event, which featured an additional challenge – racing in golf buggies to the green.

After a tight competition, it was the pair of Sainz and Thomas who were victorious – although perhaps they celebrated a little too hard as Sainz broke the trophy!

Mega McIlroy investment

Last year, Rory McIlroy clinched the legendary career Grand Slam after getting the better of Justin Rose in a playoff to win his first Masters title. The Northern Irishman dropped to his knees after sinking the winning putt in one of the most emotional sporting moments of 2025. He’ll be fighting hard to defend his title in 2026 – but did you know McIlroy is also affiliated with an F1 team?

Back in 2023, McIlroy became the latest celebrity to invest in Alpine, joining NFL stars Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce, former heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua, and Wrexham owners and actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney. McIlroy was impressed with the Enstone team’s vision and was keen to invest in a sport he had loved since he was a child.

Since then, the Northern Irishman has attended a number of races around his busy competition schedule, even bringing the Ryder Cup to the Alpine garage at Austin in 2023.

There is clearly mutual appreciation between stars of the sport, as Hamilton, Sainz and Norris have also all invested in McIlroy and Tiger Woods’ TGL golf league.

Golfers are F1 fans too!

It’s not just McIlroy who enjoys racing action on the weekends – plenty of pro golfers have been spotted around the paddock over the years.

Ryder Cup hero Ian Poulter has always been a petrol head – he’s attended races at Silverstone, Las Vegas, and Austin over the last few years, but has been coming to race weekends for well over a decade. The Briton even took part in a few virtual Grands Prix back during lockdown, surprising the drivers with solid pace and natural skill.

Elsewhere, two-time major winner Greg Norman also enjoys motorsport, in part due to his close friendship with 1992 F1 World Champion Nigel Mansell. The Australian attended the season opener in Albert Park this year while 2013 US Open winner Justin Rose was a guest of McLaren at the 2025 Dutch Grand Prix.

Of course, another golfer that regularly spends time in the paddock – who is a huge F1 fan for obvious reasons – is Alex Albon’s fiancee, Lily Muni He.

The LPGA golfer met Albon back in 2019 and the pair announced their engagement earlier this year – Muni He has played rounds with several of the drivers, but it doesn’t seem to be a fair fight!

Carlando collaborations

As two of the grid’s most prominent golfers, Sainz and Norris have experienced some unique opportunities to play golf in some interesting places, with notable athletes.

Ahead of the 2021 United States Grand Prix, Sainz played a round with Poulter, who helped the Spaniard with some tips and tricks on the course. The Williams man also pulled up to Miami Beach golf club to play with YouTube golfer Grant Horvat.

Meanwhile, Norris took on compatriot Justin Rose in a couple of golf challenges with Golf Life, while also participating in the 2025 BMW PGA Championship Pro-Am at Wentworth with his friend and major winner Matt Fitzpatrick. Norris clearly takes his golf seriously, saying that he was more nervous for that competition than any of his Grands Prix...

Red Bull and McLaren clubs

F1 and golf equipment share some interesting similarities; both use state-of-the-art materials and technology to strive for efficient and optimised sporting performance. Therefore, it’s perhaps no surprise that some teams have started producing their own golf clubs, with Red Bull collaborating with TaylorMade and McLaren launching their golf line in April.

Paddock games

Media day on Thursday at each Grand Prix is a great opportunity for the teams and drivers to have some fun before the intensity of the weekend really ramps up.

And often the paddock is filled with activities for team members and paddock guests to challenge themselves during quieter moments on track. Golf-themed games frequently feature, and of course, they are usually super popular amongst the drivers who are keen to show off their skills.

Australia, Singapore, Great Britain, Baku and Las Vegas have all previously set up putting games – although Albert Park might need to rethink putting Sainz and Albon with golf clubs on stage together...