-
Mark Schlabach
Close
Mark Schlabach
ESPN Senior Writer
- Senior college football author
- Author of 7 books on college football
- Graduate of the University of Georgia
-
Paolo Uggetti
Apr 10, 2024, 08:10 AM ET
The 88th playing of the Masters comes to a precarious minute in golf: Its protecting champ has actually considering that left for the Saudi-backed LIV Golf League, its biggest winner not called Jack Nicklaus has actually played just 5 complete rounds of golf this year, and the sport’s total environment stays fractured and its future unpredictable.
When the very first tee shot is struck Thursday, all eyes will be on the finest gamers in the world browsing the sport’s most historical location over 72 holes.
From the favorites to the newbies to the method the course is playing, here are 6 stories to enjoy at Augusta.
What will the LIV Golf League provide for a repetition?
A year back, any doubt about LIV Golf League gamers having the ability to contend in the significant champions after playing 54-hole competitions with loud music most likely was laid to rest. Phil Mickelson and Brooks Koepka connected for 2nd at the 2023 Masters, then Koepka won his 5th significant at the PGA Championship at Oak Hill Country Club in Rochester, New York.
Safeguarding Masters champ Jon Rahm, who leapt to the LIV Golf League in December, is among 13 LIV Golf gamers in the field.
Learn more: Jon Rahm desires LIV-PGA Tour unity, however ‘it’s not up to me’
LIV Golf captain Sergio Garcia, the 2017 Masters champ, firmly insists everybody is getting along fine.
“I imply, you guys enjoy these things,” Garcia stated. “You keep developing these things, and there’s absolutely nothing. There’s absolutely nothing. You guys like to sort of dig and simply sort of shot to make it seem like we get in the locker space and we’re battling each other and things like that. It’s not like that. At the end of the day, it’s golf. We’re all attempting to play the very best method we can, which’s it.”
Eyes on the first-timers
Just one first-timer has actually slipped on a green coat at Augusta National Golf Club considering that 1935: Fuzzy Zoeller in 1979. Reigning U.S. Open champ Wyndham Clark and Sweden’s Ludvig Åberg aren’t your common Masters first-timers– they’re ranked 4th and ninth in the Official World Golf Ranking, respectively.
Clark has actually won 3 times because May and completed second to Scottie Scheffler at the Arnold Palmer Invitational and Players Championship.
“I indicate, statistics like that are indicated to be broken,” Clark stated. “I understand it’s a high job. It’s a tough golf course. There’s a lot of great golf enthusiasts. With that stated, you need to still bring your video game, so it’s not like you can simply turn a switch and win it.