We’ve lastly made it. The Masters is right here.
For the primary time since final July, we have now the most effective gamers on the planet convening in a single place. And whereas rankings for each the PGA Tour and LIV have been struggling mightily, the Masters has lengthy been proof against that type of apathy.
Individuals who watch solely a couple of times per 12 months will tune on this week. The aura round Augusta Nationwide has solely elevated together with the rising significance of golf’s 4 majors.
All of us wish to know who will win. I’ve studied it from each angle and am assured the Masters winner will come out of those 10 gamers. Who isn’t on this checklist—Rory McIlroy, Viktor Hovland, Patrick Cantlay and others—is likely to be simply as stunning as who’s on it.
Will I be proper? Please come again on Monday to mercilessly mock me if I’m not.
Scottie Scheffler
There isn’t far more to say about Scheffler, who’s clearly the most effective participant on the planet by a large margin.
His outcomes on the PGA Tour since February: T6-T3-T10-Win-Win-T2.
He’s gained the Masters just lately and is sort of assured to be within the hunt until his placing falls off the face of the earth.
There aren’t any certain bets in golf however Scheffler is about as shut as you will get to at least one in trendy skilled golf.
Xander Schauffele
I picked Schauffele to win the Masters in my main predictions for 2024, and I’ll admit that it’s of venture.
He hasn’t gained a significant. And whereas he’s the No. 2 participant on the planet per Information Golf, Schauffele appears to draw back from the large second on Sundays.
Having stated that, his main document is persistently robust. He has 11 top-10 finishes in majors. His worst end within the final seven majors is T17, that means Schauffele is near a certain factor to place himself within the combine.
He’s additionally one of many few stars enjoying nice golf this season. Schauffele has six top-10 finishes in 2024, together with a painful T2 at The Gamers Championship.
The chance to exit and win by just a few pictures is unquestionably there.
Brooks Koepka
Koepka has gained 5 majors and will simply have added just a few extra alongside the way in which.
He’s been shut within the Masters, together with final 12 months when he had a slim lead on Sunday, and 2019 when he narrowly missed birdie putts on the final two holes to use strain to eventual champion Tiger Woods.
It does really feel like Koepka is destined to win at Augusta someplace alongside the way in which. He has the mandatory persistence and appears secure on brief putts. It’s the simplest main to win, by his math, given the restricted area that features amateurs and a few execs who don’t have a lot of a shot.
If he will get within the combine, Koepka will likely be arduous to beat.
Jon Rahm
We will’t neglect in regards to the reigning Masters winner.
Rahm has light from skilled golf’s focus after going to LIV however he has quietly been enjoying some nice golf on that exhibition circuit. His finishes this 12 months are T3-8-5-T8-T4. It could have been good to see a win however he’s nonetheless in good type.
At a time when a number of of golf’s stars usually are not enjoying properly, it’s one other big alternative for Rahm to get his third main. He was T2 ultimately 12 months’s Open Championship, though no one was catching Brian Harman.
Even past his victory, Rahm loves the Masters. Since 2018, he has gone 4-T9-T7-T5-T27-Win.
Hideki Matsuyama
Matsuyama is quietly enjoying some excellent golf coming right into a event he gained simply three years in the past.
The Japanese star gained the Genesis Invitational in February and has been a fixture on the primary web page of leaderboards ever since, placing up top-15 finishes in his final three occasions.
A balky putter is all the time a legitimate concern with Matsuyama however he’s reliable at Augusta. Within the final 9 Masters, Matsuyama has eight top-20 finishes and all the time appears to be hanging round.
Wyndham Clark
Is Wyndham Clark the second-best golfer on the planet proper now?
Whereas his Information Golf rating solely has him at No. 11, Clark is rapidly rising in star energy after successful the AT&T Pebble Seashore Professional-Am earlier than shut calls within the Arnold Palmer Invitational and Gamers Championship.
Clark has by no means performed the Masters, and rookies don’t are likely to win, however he’s somebody who persistently elevates his play within the largest occasions.
Not placing him on right here could be a mistake.
Will Zalatoris
Accidents have hampered Zalatoris however he’s quickly discovering the shape he had previous to being sidelined in 2023. He had a T2 on the Genesis and a T4 on the Arnold Palmer Invitational.
Greater than that, the Texan’s main document is outstanding. In simply 10 appearances, he has registered six top-10 finishes. Three of these have been runner-ups.
Zalatoris completed second within the 2021 Masters after which misplaced by a whisker on the PGA Championship and U.S. Open a 12 months later. He’s “Brooks Koepka lite” at this stage.
Don’t sleep on Willy Z.
Shane Lowry
Didn’t anticipate to see this, huh?
I’ve a sense Lowry is because of contend in one other main someday in 2024. He performed properly throughout the Florida Swing, had just a few good main appearances final 12 months and appears to be trending in the best path on the Masters, the place he completed T3 in 2022.
Joaquin Niemann
Past Koepka and Rahm, LIV’s greatest alternative to win the Masters must be Joaquin Niemann.
Niemann has been scorchingly sizzling in latest months, successful the Australian Open, LIV Mayakoba and LIV Jeddah to associate with 4 extra top-10 finishes.
You even have to love Niemann’s pattern at Augusta: T40-T35-T16. It will likely be his fifth Masters begin and the expertise issue is slowly turning into a constructive quite than a downside.
Causes for pessimism? Niemann has a horrid main document on the entire, by no means incomes a top-10 end in 19 begins.
Matt Fitzpatrick
After scuffling for an extended stretch, Fitzpatrick appeared to seek out one thing at The Gamers Championship the place he completed solo fifth. He adopted that with a T10 on the Valero Texas Open.
Fitzpatrick has made the minimize in his final seven Masters appearances and completed T10 final 12 months.
I’m shopping for that he will likely be within the combine on the weekend.
Who do you want this week? Let me know beneath within the feedback.
And when you’re right here, try extra of my Masters protection:
