By Bernard Gallacher
The 87th Masters Tournament at Augusta Nationwide Golf Membership is the eagerly-awaited first Main of the 12 months.
The one change to the course from final 12 months is the lengthening of the par-5 thirteenth from 510 yards to 545 yards, so it’s retained its excellent magnificence. This 12 months’s area will comprise of PGA Tour gamers, DP World gamers, seven amateurs—in honour of Bobby Jones, co-founder of Augusta—two particular invitees, and maybe contentiously, 18 gamers from LIV.
No matter your views on LIV Golf, the very fact is that as one of many Majors, the Masters would have been critically undermined had the likes of three-time winner Phil Mickelson, two-time winner Bubba Watson, Dustin Johnson, Sergio Garcia, Brooks Koepka, Bryson DeChambeau, and, after all, Open champion Cam Smith had been prevented from taking part in.
The Masters 2023
This
12 months’s match is ready as much as be an actual contest between the LIV gamers and
the remaining led by the PGA Tour. The actual winners,
although, will certainly be the on-course patrons and the tens of millions watching on TV
around the globe.
I haven’t talked about Tiger Woods, regardless of the very fact he’s positively taking part in, as a result of it’s tough to see how he can contend, having performed no current aggressive golf—to not point out he’s nonetheless struggling to stroll. That stated, you simply by no means know with Tiger. He is aware of his means round Augusta higher than anybody else, having gained it 5 occasions up to now. I gained’t write him off simply but. I’d like to see him do properly this 12 months—the Masters is so thrilling when Tiger is in rivalry.
Personally,
although, I hope Rory McIlroy wins and completes his Grand Slam, becoming a member of
solely 5 others within the historical past of the sport: Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan, Gary
Participant, Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods. He’s in a very good place together with his sport—imperious
off the tee, and his placing has enormously improved since he teamed up with
Brad Faxon. If he’s in rivalry going into the again 9 on the Sunday
afternoon, my cash is on him to drag it off.
Scottie Scheffler, the present world primary and defending Masters champion, gained the current Gamers Championship, so his confidence is sky-high, and there are definitely no faults in his sport.
Jon Rahm is determined to win at Augusta and observe within the footsteps of his compatriots Seve Ballesteros and José María Olazábal. He’s been in excellent type for the previous 4 or 5 months and at the moment lies third within the World Golf Rankings. He has a very good temperament and is an outstanding putter, amongst different issues.
Sam
Burns, who gained the current Dell World Match Play, seems like an impressive
prospect this 12 months. Beating Scottie Scheffler within the semis and Cameron Younger
comprehensively within the 18-hole ultimate exhibits he has the temperament for the massive
event.
Concerning
the LIV gamers, each one of many 18 gamers on the sphere might be determined to
do properly and acquire valuable WGR factors—one thing they’re unable to do in
their occasions. I’m definitely not writing off the likes of Dustin Johnson,
Cameron Smith, Brooks Koepka, Bryson DeChambeau, and so forth. The eventual winner
might properly come from the LIV steady, which might be uncomfortable, to say the
least, for the golf traditionalists on the market.
Tyrell Hatton is my exterior guess to do properly this 12 months and probably even win. His approach is stable, he’s the most effective putters on Tour, and his confidence is excessive after ending runner-up on this 12 months’s Gamers Championship. He’s a confirmed winner—it’s solely a matter of time earlier than he wins a ‘massive one’.
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