Don’t get me wrong, the November Masters was definitely cool. However, I am thrilled
golf’s most prestigious event is back in its normal spot on the calendar.
I am a huge football fan, but there is simply no better time in sports than early April. March Madness is winding down and crowning a new college basketball champion. It’s when opening day takes place in Major League Baseball, and golf’s holy land in Augusta, Georgia is the setting for the year’s first major.
This will be my 24th year covering the Masters professionally, but my memories and
love for this event go back even further. I remember waiting outside the gates, praying one of
the generous fans would pass along their badge on their way out so I could get a glimpse of the
action.
As I got a little older, my friends and I would set up camp on the Par Three course to
watch the groups come through… There may have been a wager or two placed in those days.
It’s safe to say this is a time of year I cherish unlike almost any other. This year’s event should be great theatre as you can make a reasonable case for more than a dozen players to don the green jacket. Will we miss five-time champion Tiger Woods? Absolutely… but it should still be a hotly-contested event with plenty of other golfers to keep an eye on.
As I began assembling my list, I realized I was leaving off a lot of high-profile players. My list
does not include long-hitting Bryson DeChambeau, who is ranked No. 1 in this year’s FedEx Cup
standings, nor did I include the immensely talented Rory McIlroy, or the world’s No. 2 ranked player in Justin Thomas. I also left off the ageless Lee Westwood and past champion and former Augusta State University star Patrick Reed. Any of these four players could certainly win, but they did not make the cut on my list (pardon the pun).
The Favorite
Dustin Johnson
It would be impossible to make a list and not include Johnson. He is the defending champion and his length and course knowledge go a long way here. He is ranked No. 1 in the world and plays great at Augusta. Since 2014 (barring a withdrawal in 2017 due to injury) Johnson has finished outside of the top three only once, and that was a tie for 11th. I would be shocked if he is not in serious contention on Sunday.
Ready For The Big Stage
Jon Rahm
I simply cannot see a scenario (other than retiring in his 20s) where Jon Rahm does not eventually win the Masters. He can let his emotions get the best of him, but he has every possible tool at his disposal. The world’s No. 3 ranked player also plays great here, with three consecutive top-10 finishes. He has proven he can win against the best with victories last year at Memorial and the BMW Championship. It is time for him to take the next step and win a major.
Tony Finau
Finau can often use his length to overpower golf courses. That power should serve him well at Augusta. Finau won at Puerto Rico, but that has been the exception. Since that win, Finau has posted an astonishing 37 top-10 finishes without a victory. He has three things going for him. He has played well this year with five top-10s. He has proven he can contend in big events with top-10 finishes in seven of his last ten majors. And he can play at Augusta, having posted three consecutive top-10s in the Masters.
Viktor Hovland
He may be only 23, but Hovland appears to be a name that will be around for a long, long time. He was an All-American at Oklahoma State and won the 2018 U.S. Amateur. That victory earned him a spot in the 2019 Masters and U.S. Open. He finished as the low amateur in both events and had ascended to the No. 1 spot in the World Amateur Rankings before turning pro in the summer of 2019. Since coming on tour, he has two wins and appears to be on the cusp of a breakthrough victory.
How Is He Still Flying Under The Radar?
Xander Schauffele
It seems crazy that a player ranked No. 6 in the world and currently fifth in The FedEx Cup standings could still be a bit of a sleeper. However, when you start naming favorites to win, his name does not usually come up for the casual fan. That said, true golf fans definitely know Schauffele has played about as well as anyone in the world over the last couple of years.
He has seven top-10s in majors and in six of those events, he was T6 or better. He finished tied for 17th at last year’s Masters and was tied for second the previous year. Schauffele’s dad is the only teacher he has ever had and Schauffele had not even seen his own golf swing until he was 18 years old. That is a bit refreshing in a time where some golfers have basically become robots. He may not hit it as far as some of the other top players, but his short game is phenomenal and he has a bulldog mentality.
Collin Morikawa
Like Schauffele, Morikawa’s OWG ranking (#4) should make him more of a front-runner, but you will have a hard time finding anyone picking him in their golf pool. Granted, he has little experience, having played in only 4 majors and one Masters (T44 last year), but he is the reigning PGA Champion and already has a WGC victory under his belt.
He started his pro career by making the cut in all of his first 22 events, second only to Tiger Woods
all-time. And Morikawa has proven the PGA Championship win was no fluke by winning a WGC event
this year. Position on the green is of vital importance at Augusta National and there may not be a better iron player in the world than this kid.
Cameron Smith
He may only be ranked 32nd in the world and sits at just No. 20 in the current FedEx Cup standings, but do not count this Aussie out. He finished tied for second in the November Masters and also tied for fifth in 2018. He may not be a household name, but he obviously enjoys this course and has proven he can post low scores here. As a matter of fact, his -15 under par score last year would have won 79 of the 84 Masters that have been played. He is also the only player in Masters history to post all 4 rounds in the 60s.
Good To Have You Back
Jordan Spieth
Spieth came out and dominated at a young age unlike anyone since Tiger Woods, including winning the 2015 Masters. He was seemingly a favorite to win anywhere he teed it up. However, in 2019 and 2020, Spieth seemed to have lost his game. He tumbled in the World Golf Rankings and was written off by plenty of golf analysts.
Well, Spieth has found his swing. In his last 5 stroke events, he has posted three top four finishes and played well in the WGC – Match Play event too. And, of course, he knows his way around this course. In addition to his win in 2015, Spieth tied for seconnd in 2014 and 2016, tied for 11th in 2017 and finished third in 2018. I truly think Spieth will be in contention and just may win his second Green Jacket this year.
So You’re Saying There’s a Chance
Scottie Scheffler
Scheffler has not cracked the top 20 in the World Golf Rankings or the FedEx Cup Standings, but that does not mean he does not have the talent to win a Major. He is a streaky player that can go low at any time. He has a top five in a major, a pair of top fives this year in WGC events, and was tied for 19th at last year’s Masters. He is also coming off a runner-up finish at the World Match Play Championship last week. This former Texas Longhorn just may surprise some folks this week.
Corey Connors
Connors may not be a household name– and this is more of a gut pick than anything else– but I like him as a sleeper pick this week. While he has only won once on tour and has never really contended in a major, he has shown he is capable of playing well at Augusta. He has shot an under par score in 7 of his 10 rounds in the Masters, including a 65 in round two last year.
I would have likely included Brooks Koepka, but he was too risky while recovering from knee
surgery that took place on March 16.
Of course, you can take all these picks with a grain of salt, but I do want to remind you that my pick to win last year was Dustin Johnson (who of course won) and my sleeper pick was Cameron Smith, who finished tied for second.
Ashley Brown covers sports for The Augusta Press. Reach him at Ashley.brown@theaugustapress.com
