The primary main of the yr is right here, and the anticipation for this yr’s Masters couldn’t be larger.
Between Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson being again, the primary assembly of LIV Golf and PGA Tour gamers at Augusta Nationwide Nation Membership, in addition to Scottie Scheffler, Jon Rahm and Rory McIlroy persevering with to play scorching potato with the No. 1 world rating, there are many compelling storylines because the golf world descends on the game’s most well-known venue.
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This is what to observe for in Georgia this week:
What can we anticipate from Tiger this week?
Mark Schlabach: Final yr, Tiger hadn’t performed competitively in 508 days and confirmed up on the Masters and made his twenty third consecutive reduce. He performed properly over the primary 36 holes, however the chilly climate caught up together with his surgically repaired proper leg and again, making probably the most troublesome walks in all of golf even harder. He carded a 6-over 78 in every of the final two rounds, his worst rating on the Masters. He appeared higher bodily on the Genesis and mentioned his proper leg is stronger than it was a yr in the past, however he is nonetheless being bothered by his proper ankle. I feel he’ll make the reduce once more as a result of he is aware of the course higher than anybody else within the area. I feel a top-25 end is not fully out of the query for Tiger, however I might discover it troublesome to imagine he can do higher than that.
Paolo Uggetti: Given what we noticed at Riviera, the place Tiger appeared a bit extra snug strolling whereas his recreation confirmed loads of promising flashes, I feel making the reduce would be the low bar that he ought to have the ability to clear. In a really perfect world, the five-time champion would have had at the least yet another look earlier than arriving on the Masters, however well being is extra paramount than making certain his recreation is sharp. If Tiger can succeed at anyplace with only one aggressive match underneath his belt, it is Augusta. Even when the stroll is harder than most programs, the nice and cozy climate ought to assist him, and I might enterprise to guess he’s going to get an early begin Thursday and a protracted break earlier than his second spherical Friday. I will not go so far as to say he’ll contend, but it surely needs to be one other promising step on this new stage of his profession.
What can we anticipate from Phil this week?
Schlabach: Given the way in which Mickelson performed within the majors final yr and what he did in LIV Golf’s first three tournaments this season, ending twenty seventh in Mexico, thirty second in Tucson, Arizona, and forty first in Orlando, Florida, I would not anticipate a lot of something. He is not taking part in properly and hasn’t shortly, and it will be a circus round him in Augusta. Mickelson will not handle the media in a proper information convention earlier than the Masters begins Thursday, so there’s going to be a microscope on him throughout apply and the early rounds, after he skipped this occasion, which he has gained 3 times, in 2022. There’ll nonetheless be some patrons cheering for him.
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Uggetti: I truthfully do not know. Mickelson has appeared like a shell of himself — figuratively and actually — since bolting for LIV, and his efficiency finally yr’s U.S. Open (the final main he participated in) was notably poor. Since thumbs-upping his means out of that match, Mickelson has proven completely no indicators of life in any of LIV’s occasions, constantly ending close to the underside of the leaderboard. He has completed twenty seventh or worse in eight of his 10 appearances. Then once more, Mickelson is a previous winner right here, and it might be some sort of darkish twist to the entire PGA Tour-LIV Golf saga if he in some way turned again the clock and competed this week.
Talking of the PGA Tour vs. LIV Golf, how a lot of the feud goes to be on show?
Schlabach: I do not suppose it will be as a lot of a storyline as anticipated as a result of everybody goes to be on their finest conduct at Augusta Nationwide. The LIV Golf gamers are in all probability going to be sporting their crew logos on shirts and hats, so the elephant within the room is not going to be fully invisible. I simply do not know what number of of LIV Golf’s 18 members are going to be actual contenders. Australia’s Cameron Smith, who tied for second in 2020 and tied for third final yr, has performed properly right here. He hasn’t performed a lot this season, although, and his type hasn’t been nice currently, ending twenty sixth in Tucson and twenty ninth in Orlando. Previous champions Dustin Johnson and Patrick Reed have not performed a lot, both. Brooks Koepka gained the Orlando occasion and is instantly taking part in higher. With the LIV Golf League inserting such an emphasis on the crew competitors — go RangeGoats! — can they merely flip the swap and get again to taking part in as people? And end 72 holes? Chances are high one or two of them might be on the leaderboard Sunday, although.
Uggetti: All of it relies upon, however I feel it is going to ebb and circulate relying on the match’s outcomes and what gamers say on the rostrum. The pairings and the Champions Dinner will definitely convey it into the limelight, however I feel as soon as the match begins, the one means it is going to turn into part of the weekend’s story is that if LIV gamers are in competition. With 18 LIV gamers within the area, that is very a lot in play, and it is going to be fascinating to observe how Augusta, the patrons and the remainder of the gamers react to the potential of a LIV participant profitable the game’s largest match.
Who’s your darkish horse decide for the week?
Schlabach: It is in all probability not an excessive amount of of a stretch to say {that a} man who completed runner-up in his first Masters look and tied for eighth in his third could be a darkish horse, however I am undecided there are too many individuals choosing Sungjae Im to win a inexperienced jacket this week. In 2020, the South Korean grew to become the primary Asian participant to complete runner-up, and he held the first-round lead two years later. Im has gained two occasions on tour and loves taking part in at Augusta Nationwide. Im would not hit the ball particularly far off the tee, however he retains it within the fairway and has a stable all-around recreation.
Uggetti: It seems like each large match nowadays goes to be gained by both Scheffler, McIlroy or Rahm, which makes it troublesome to look past them to search out an surprising winner. I will take Jason Day. He is clearly been trending in the correct route — 5 top-10s prior to now six tournaments and 11 top-20 finishes this season — and it seems the swing modifications he has made have paid dividends. Day has missed the reduce prior to now two Masters he has performed in, however he completed top-5 in 2019. A win at Augusta could be a becoming, storybook-like option to cap what has been a protracted, up-and-down highway again to the highest of the sport.
Who’re you positively not choosing this week?
Schlabach: Patrick Cantlay is without doubt one of the finest gamers on the earth, particularly with a driver in his hand. However his efficiency in main championships is perplexing, to say the least. He has just one top-5 end in a significant — a tie for third on the 2019 PGA Championship — and one top-10 on the Masters, a tie for ninth in 2019. The sunshine swap goes to go off for Cantlay in some unspecified time in the future and he will contend for a significant championship. I simply do not suppose it will be this week.
Uggetti: Will Zalatoris. This might appear like a poor alternative on reflection, provided that Zalatoris has proved to be a supremely higher participant when taking part in in majors, however be it damage or placing woes, Zalatoris has struggled this season. After ending tied for eleventh on the Sentry Match of Champions, Zalatoris completed tied for thirty sixth and missed the reduce earlier than ending fourth at Riviera. Up to now three tournaments, nonetheless, Zalatoris has completed tied for 53rd, 73rd and tied for 59th. Much more damning, Zalatoris is ranked 137th in strokes gained placing one yr after ending 103rd in the identical stat final season.
