The Masters

There is something special about the first major of the year being at Augusta National. From the legacy to the history of the event all the way down to the food prices on the grounds of Augusta National, this event is special and has stood the test of time. I think one of the greatest aspects of Augusta is the mystery, there is so much we don’t know about the facility and what it entails. Each year we see more and more information slip through the cracks and we get a deeper understanding of what Augusta National is all about. I think one of the coolest “secret” features of Augusta is its underground passageways. Now we don’t know the extent of these tunnels but what we do know is that these tunnels exist and they are likely used to move high profile clientele around the property. It’s things like that, that add intrigue and lure people into the magic that Augusta has to offer year in and year out. However, in the past few years, Augusta has looked slightly different in some ways.

With the creation of LIV and many players leaving we have seen the effects that LIV has had on the field at the Masters along with the other majors. Now a number of players on LIV have won at Augusta so their lifetime exemption gives them a spot every year. Fortunately this year the field has not been impacted much at all and every player that deserves to be at Augusta this year will be. However, as time goes on and exemptions run out the landscape of major championships will drastically change. I hope there will be a way to make sure the fields stay strong because LIV players like Bryson, Brooks, and Joaquin should be in every single major championship field regardless of where they play their golf.  Major Championship will be the only thing to save golf and the fan experience so it's crucial we see the best players from around the world. With the players in the field this year, I believe we are going to have one of the top Masters tournaments. 

The biggest obvious news of this year's tournament is Tiger Woods. Tiger Woods will once again try to claim his sixth green jacket. As of late Tiger seems to be fine and his body is trending in the right direction, but Wood’s will struggle with the walking aspect of Augusta. Augusta is not as flat as it looks on TV and the elevation changes are significant. In my opinion, the hardest part that Tiger will be facing is the walk. From a physical standpoint, his swing is great, he's made the proper corrective changes that will allow him to swing effectively, and he's mentally one of the toughest players to ever live, but short of taking a cart the walk will constantly be his largest challenge throughout the week. The next player that will be on every fan’s radar is Scottie Scheffler. Scottie has had a very impressive season thus far and with his play, he is the favorite to win this week at Augusta. Scottie already has one green jacket, so he knows how to get it done at Augusta. The next player who can’t seem to pull it all together at Augusta is Rory McIlroy. Rory has been chasing the coveted green jacket and career grand slam for years and he just can’t seem to put it together. Back in 2022, he came very close coming in second to Scottie and losing by three. It’s tough to figure out what actually goes wrong for Rory, it's clearly not physical, he can win at any level we’ve seen that numerous times. My personal opinion is that he puts so much pressure on himself and just cracks on that personal pressure. It’s tough to say what Rory will do this week, we could be in store for yet another letdown from one of the games great. Speaking of letdowns, I wouldn’t put many of many LIV players, the only safe bet for LIV players this week is probably Brooks Koepka. He played spectacularly last year, unfortunately, couldn’t close and handed it to Rahm. Brooks knows how to win majors and he does that extremely well. Nevertheless, I think something really special will happen this year at Augusta National and fans around the world will be able to witness what golf is really all about.  (Mike)

This week poses to be a week unlike any other at Augusta. As Mike already discussed, Tiger and the best golfers in the world will all be competing against one another for one of the few times this year. It is a shame we only get a field like this for the majors now, but what a great list of venues this year to host. Augusta is always a special week for so many. It reminds us of all the memories of growing up watching this event with friends and family. It reminds us that spring is here and we survived another winter. It means many more things to so many and this year we will be treated to one of the best tournaments of the year. I think the big names will shine and the storylines will have us tuned in for hours and hours this weekend as Augusta takes center stage. (Tyler)

Pick of the Week:
Tyler: My pick for this week is Dustin Johnson. Since his move to LIV, I feel as if a lot of people have forgotten how good this guy is. He has made Augusta look easier than anyone ever has and was a yearly favorite here. He might not be at his peak anymore, but this is a course that suits his game and I think we see DJ in the hunt for multiple majors this year. Look for DJ to add to his impressive resume this week. 

A guy not many people are talking about this week is Jason Day. He has revived his career over the last few years and has continued the upward trajectory this season. Jason Day is another guy who plays well in this tournament since he attacks the par 5’s and can catch fire with the putter. I have not seen a lot of buzz surrounding him this week since everyone is focused on Tiger and the LIV guys, but I expect to see Jason Day in the last few pairings on Sunday afternoon. 

Last but not least, the finish we had at the Valero Texas Open was one of the better ones we will probably get all season. Sunday looked like it would be another boring finish, but Denny McCarthy had one of the best statistical putting weeks in the history of the tour. He rode his putting to a back nine score of twenty-eight. However, this was only enough to get him into a playoff where he ended up chunking his shot into the water which resulted in Akshay Bhatia holding on to win and clinch his spot in The Masters; a great story as well. We as fans need exciting finishes like that and I have confidence that this week will be another great finish on the storied grounds of Augusta National. (Tyler)