Master’s Week
Well folks we have finally made it, it's Masters week. This is every golf fans favorite week because obviously it's the best major and The Masters tournament itself is the epicenter of golf. This is the tournament and place that every golfer wants to go to and play. I can say that I was one of the lucky ones to have had the opportunity to attend a Masters and be able to watch. It’s hard to really describe what Augusta is like, the best way to describe it is to imagine the gates of Heaven opened up to you. Pure bliss and awe take over your mind and body and everything wrong with the world drips away. Masters week gives golf fans the opportunity to see the world best clash for the coveted Green Jacket. This year the players will be tested with new course conditions as well as weather conditions due to the postponement of the tournament from last April. Nevertheless players have already vocalized they don’t care what the Georgia weather will bring they are just fortunate enough to be competing for the Green Jacket once again.
This year is especially exciting because this is typically the first major of the year now due to the circumstances over the past eight months it will be the last major of 2020. On top of that we can expect some pretty stellar play from the players this year. Naturally every big name in golf is playing however there are a few people you need to keep a close eye on this year. The big guy to watch, literally and figuratively is Bryson DeChambeau. Bryson has adopted a new game plan for this week at the Masters. He plans to hit drivers everywhere, including taking aggressive lines never seen before at Augusta, considering adding a 48 inch driver, the longest the tour allows, and ultimately overpowering the golf course itself. Now this is very unique given that Augusta is not the type of course to overpower, given it’s difficult tee shots, dense Georgia pines, and tricky green complexes. Brson will be the first player to truly adopt this game plan to its fullest extent at Augusta. The next player that should be your radar is none other than Tiger Woods, the reigning 2019 Masters Champion. Tiger is going to be a wildcard this week. Unlike last year at the Masters, Tiger has been playing very limited golf. Due to Covid-19 and his constant battling of injuries he's only played in a handful of events in the last four to five months. Now while that would be alarming for the typically professional golfer, however we are talking about Tiger Woods here. While i'm not completely confident in what he will do this week, keep your eye out for him and he might shock the world and win it again. The next guy on my watchlist this week is World Number One Dustin Johnson. DJ has numerous things on his side this week, first off he's playing stellar golf after his two weeks off with Covid-19. His T-2 last week in Houston gives you the indication that he hasn't slowed down. In 2019 DJ barely misses a putt on 18 to make it to a playoff with Tiger and historically DJ thrives at Augusta. Now if you can believe it DJ only has one major and to capitalize here this week at Augusta would solidify his place among the greats to ever play the game of golf. The last guy to keep an eye out for is Rory McIlroy. Rory is still chasing after that Green Jacket to complete the career grand slam. We have seen Rory make it to Sunday’s final pairing and utterly collapse time and time again. However Rory seems to have a new sense of confidence this year. He's attested to adding some length of the tee, focussing heavily on his putting and green and overall just seems more confident and happy which could be the difference for him this year.
While the golf at Augusta is magnificent the week itself is just magical. The traditions, the history that surrounds Augusta makes the week for golfers, and golf fans everywhere just perfect. Between the Honorary Starters, Jack Nicholas, Gary Player, and now coming in April Lee Elder, the first African American man to compete in the Masters. The great young amateurs who get a chance to compete against the world’s best, the food which I can confidently say is one of the best parts and finally the golf course itself. Augusta National is a place unlike anything we’ve ever seen. I can personally attest to the fact that there isn’t one single strand of grass out of place. The grounds crew actually uses scissors to make it perfect. Nevertheless we are in for an absolutely incredible week of golf. (Mike)
What The Masters Means to Me
Over the years, Masters week has always been one of my favorite. Not only on the golf calendar, but for sports in general. There is not much that can match let alone top the feeling that surrounds The Masters. There are so many things that make this week special to me, but there are a few reasons that stick out more than the others.
In many aspects, The Masters were the reason I began to watch golf or try to play. I remember being young and watching Tiger make an all world chip in such a pressure moment and all that I wanted to do was go imitate that shot on the golf course. I had played almost no golf at the time and found out very quickly that he makes it look much easier than it really is. Since then, my love for golf has only increased, but I still remember when I first got hooked on the game and never looked back.
The memories I have of watching The Masters play a large part in why this tournament is so special to me. Growing up, it was always pops and I talking about my school day as we watched Tiger contend for another green jacket. If I was ever not with pops watching The Masters we were for sure texting about it. I also remember texting my grandma (someone else responsible for my love of golf) plenty of times over the years about the crazy Sunday finish we seem to have every year. Two of the last three years I have watched The Masters at my favorite pub in the whole world, The Dunvegan. Once with my dad and a bunch of strangers who would be friends by night end and last year with some of my best friends that St. Andrews gave me. Last year was extra special because Tiger won, but the company I have been able to enjoy over the years for the Masters has been nothing short of extraordinary.
I am not sure what to expect this week, but I know the course will be in great condition, the field will be tested, there will be a late Sunday push from many, but the person who wins will be very deserving to be regarded as a Masters champion forever. It is the best week for many golfers and I am excited to see what new things this year's tournament presents and the new memories that will be made. (Tyler)
Pick’s of the Week:
Mike: Now on to my favorite part my picks for the week. Major picks of the week are trickier on account of the different level of competition, nerves, and sometimes the winner just gets a little lucky somewhere along the way.
This week’s winning pick goes to Dustin Johnson. I know I’ve picked him alot this year but as I mentioned earlier this is his time. Hes playing some of the best golf of his career coming off multiple wins including a FedEx Cup, hes limiting the mistakes and overall he seems more confident and loose this year. Look to see DJ claim the Green Jacket with a score of 11 under par for 4 round.
My notable to miss the cut this week might come as a shock to you. I truly believe Bryson DeChambeau will miss the cut this week. I think he bomb it everywhere plan will backfire and leave him outside the cut line especially with the new changes to the cutline, taking away the within 10 shots of the leader rule and limiting the cut to top 50 players and ties. Now I know this is a bold statement to buy, but his “go hit it and find it” mentality won’t work on every course especially Augusta.
Finally my sleeper/underdog winner of the week goes to Tommy Fleetwood. Tommy is an interesting player in my book. He has yet to capture a PGA victory but he's been knocking at its door for years now. I know I stated that it takes a different level of play but keep our eye on Tommy has been playing fairly well on the European Tour as of late so definitely keep him in the back of your mind. (Mike)
This week I also decided to add a small list of odds for the players this week:
Bryson DeChameau 8-1
Dustin Johnson 9-1
Jon Rahm 11-1
Justin Thomas 12-1
Rory McIlroy 14-1
Xander Schauffele 14-1
Brooks Koepka 16-1
Tony Finau 25-1
Patrick Cantlay 25-1
Patrick Reed 28-1
Bubba Watson 28-1
Tyler: On to my picks for this week. My favorite for this week is Patrick Cantlay at 28-1. People forget that for a brief moment last year he held the lead at Augusta on the back 9 on Sunday. He has been playing well lately and I think this is a course that he can play at an extremely high level. I like Cantlay at 28-1 and personally think those odds are a little disrespectful to someone as good as he is.
My sleeper for this week is Justin Rose at 50-1. He has two runner-ups at Augusta since 2015 and is already a major champion. It is not a secret that his game has left him the last year or so, but he is not far removed from being a world number 1. I like his odds at 50-1 to be a dark horse contender this weekend. If he can stay in the fairway and put well Thursday that might give him the confidence he needs to make a push late Sunday afternoon.
One notable I expect to miss the cut is Bryson Dechambeau. There has been incredible fanfare around him this week and rightfully so. He has been talking for months about how he was going to come and overpower Augusta, but I do not see it happening. I expect to see his putter let him down plenty this week as he struggles early and often to missing the cut. I think the expectations for him this week are just too high and will impact his play on the course, even if there are no fans in attendance. (Tyler)
Buckle up golf fans, we are in for an unforgettable showdown this week at Augusta National.