We’ve lastly made it. The Masters is right here.
For the primary time since final July, we’ve got the very best gamers on this planet convening in a single place. And whereas scores for each the PGA Tour and LIV have been struggling mightily, the Masters has lengthy been resistant to that form of apathy.
Individuals who watch solely a couple of times per yr 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 need 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 record—Rory McIlroy, Viktor Hovland, Patrick Cantlay and others—may be simply as shocking 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 very best participant on this planet by a large margin.
His outcomes on the PGA Tour since February: T6-T3-T10-Win-Win-T2.
He’s received the Masters lately and is nearly assured to be within the hunt until his placing falls off the face of the earth.
There aren’t any positive 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 received a significant. And whereas he’s the No. 2 participant on this planet per Information Golf, Schauffele appears to shrink back from the massive second on Sundays.
Having stated that, his main document is persistently sturdy. He has 11 top-10 finishes in majors. His worst end within the final seven majors is T17, that means Schauffele is near a positive 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 a couple of photographs is certainly there.
Brooks Koepka
Koepka has received 5 majors and will simply have added a couple of extra alongside the way in which.
He’s been shut within the Masters, together with final yr 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 required persistence and appears secure on quick putts. It’s the simplest main to win, by his math, given the restricted area that features amateurs and a few professionals 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 are able to’t neglect in regards to the reigning Masters winner.
Rahm has pale 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 yr are T3-8-5-T8-T4. It will 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 nicely, it’s one other enormous alternative for Rahm to get his third main. He was T2 ultimately yr’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 received simply three years in the past.
The Japanese star received 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 this planet proper now?
Whereas his Information Golf rating solely has him at No. 11, Clark is shortly rising in star energy after profitable the AT&T Pebble Seaside 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 inclined to win, however he’s somebody who persistently elevates his play within the largest occasions.
Not placing him on right here can 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 yr 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 nicely throughout the Florida Swing, had a couple of good main appearances final yr and appears to be trending in the fitting course on the Masters, the place he completed T3 in 2022.
Joaquin Niemann
Past Koepka and Rahm, LIV’s finest alternative to win the Masters needs to be Joaquin Niemann.
Niemann has been scorchingly sizzling in latest months, profitable the Australian Open, LIV Mayakoba and LIV Jeddah to go together with 4 extra top-10 finishes.
You even have to love Niemann’s development at Augusta: T40-T35-T16. Will probably be his fifth Masters begin and the expertise issue is slowly turning into a optimistic moderately than a disadvantage.
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 a protracted 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 yr.
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 whilst you’re right here, try extra of my Masters protection: