We made it! It is officially Masters week! The first major of the year, after a gap of nine months, makes this all more palpable.
The Masters: Why it is Unique
The Masters is the only major that is hosted at the same course every year. With the other three, there is a sort of rota that several courses are part of so only host a major every few years. The benefit of having the 2024 Masters at Augusta annually is that it creates familiarity and history. As fans, we can look back at previous tournaments, triggering previous memories of certain shots and winning moments.
Additionally, it enforces an inherent understanding of the course. It is fair to say that most fans who watch the tournament every year know most of the holes on the layout. You don’t typically get that with any other course, especially with the average casual fan. Knowing the course layout in more detail allows you to be more invested in the tournament itself.
You remember the holes, and, in turn, they become iconic. This year marks the 88th edition of the tournament, and with history building year after year, it remains a special week for players and fans.
Embed from Getty ImagesBut not only is it the history of the tournament that makes it unique, but it is also the masterfulness of the course that adds sheer awe to those watching both on TV and in person. Augusta National is perceived as almost as ‘golf heaven’.
Everything about it is so precise and well-kept that it doesn’t seem real. Players speak about the attention to detail that the dedicated people who work there ensure so that when April comes around, it is in pristine condition. And it never fails to disappoint, everything is accounted for, from each blade of grass to each flower, it is truly a magnificent sight.
The Build-up
Masters week has unlimited and exhausting build-up. Everyone is so geared up for the tournament to begin that the coverage in the lead-up to Thursday is extensive. The excitement is building and other is so much preparation that the players of through that some might be exhausted by the time Thursday rolls around.
Every single player is scrutinised and analysed, innumerable stats are shared, and endless predictions are made. But, at the end of the day, it comes down to who plays best across four rounds. And truth be told, it could be anyone.
Scheffler as the Favourite
Or could it? Because there has been one man recently who has ruled the professional golf scene with his extreme consistency and killer instinct. That man is Scottie Scheffler. Scheffler won both the Arnold Palmer Invitational and The Players Championship in March, the latter was the second year in a row.
He has been by far the best player in the world for months on end. The only man who came close to Scottie’s stellar form was Rahm. But since the Spaniard left for LIV, Scheffler has practically had the stage to himself.
Embed from Getty ImagesFor the first two rounds this week, Scheffler is paired with Rory McIlroy and Xander Schauffele. The trio rank 1st, 3rd and 4th in cumulative scores to par at the majors since 2020. It promises to be an exceptional viewing for that group.
Return of the Cat
Tiger Woods makes his return after withdrawing from his event at Riviera at the beginning of the year. He will tee it up on Thursday and Friday with Max Homa and Jason Day. It will be the first time Day has been grouped with Woods in a major since the 2015 Open Championship at St. Andrews where he shot 66-71. It will be the second time Homa plays with Woods in a major.
The first being the 2022 Open also at the home of golf. If Woods makes the cut this week, he will make Masters history by being the first person ever to make twenty-four cuts in a row. We know he isn’t the athlete he once was, but he has the course knowledge and mental agility to still perform even at the highest level.
Embed from Getty ImagesWill McIlroy’s Wait Continue?
Could 2024 be the year that Rory McIlroy finally completes the grand slam and secures himself a green jacket? There is so much expectation and weight on Rory’s shoulders for one week every year.
It makes it excruciatingly difficult for him to focus on his own game. The spotlight is always on him because he is good enough to win the Masters he just can’t seem to do it. The collapse in 2011 seems to have created everlasting scar tissue that he hasn’t been able to get rid of.
Embed from Getty ImagesHe finished 3rd last week in Texas and had his best Strokes Gained: Approach week on Tour in five years. His approach play has been part of his game that has let him down over the years at Augusta. And with such a severe penalty for missing in the wrong spots here, he has made it difficult for himself to contend.
Alongside this, he has been slow out of the blocks at The Masters with Round one historically being his worst round of the four. Giving himself a lot to do and constantly playing catch up to the leaders. If he can get off to even an average start, he should get better as the week goes on. Rory McIlroy was the last player to register this week as he turned up on Tuesday morning, a new strategy he is implementing in his 16th appearance.
There are 89 players in the field this year at The Masters. Hypothetically, any one of them could win. But what is certain is that Augusta National will be in its best condition, and it will be a compelling week of golf. So, sit back, relax, and enjoy.
Image Credit: Deposit Photos