A Tradition Unlike Any Other

04/06/2023

By: Jeff Yoder

The Masters Guide: Everything You Need to Know For Golf’s Greatest Weekend

Ah, here it is. The trickling creeks, Georgia pines, and azaleas aplenty welcome golf back to center stage in the sports world. As spring blooms, April’s marquee event on the sports calendar is finally here. It’s A Tradition Unlike Any Other at The Masters. Let’s make the walk up Magnolia Lane and see which golfers have the best shot to capture the green jacket in 2023.

The Favorites

The top three players in the world are the clear-cut, odds-on favorites to secure the green jacket this weekend, but Scottie Scheffler is the man to beat. The defending champion has been as dominant as any golfer over the past year, while Jon Rahm (6 Masters, 4 Top-10s) and Rory McIlroy (13 Masters, 6 Top-10s) have never won at Augusta. One might say they’re due, but it’s Scottie’s tournament to lose.

Tiger’s Chances

Everybody’s favorite golfer is back at Augusta in 2023. Tiger Woods has played sparingly in major tournaments since breaking his leg in a near-fatal car accident in 2021. He’s made the cut in 22 consecutive Masters appearances, and he owns five green jackets. At 47 years old, everyone’s expectations for Tiger are low, but you never know with the GOAT. Woods has +6600 odds to win (39th).

PGA vs. LIV

One of the biggest storylines this weekend is the first epic clash between the PGA Tour and LIV Golf. A total of 18 golfers who spurned the PGA for LIV are playing at Augusta this weekend, and that makes things a little tense. The feud between the two leagues has been well-documented over the past year. LIV Golf leader Greg Norman has been asked not to attend to The Masters this year. The Thursday-Friday groupings avoided any major drama by not pairing notable LIV players with PGA Tour combatants — at least not the ones with bad blood. A weekend lineup with a pair like Rory McIlroy and Patrick Reed could be… well, awesome.

The Par-3 Contest

Wednesday’s Par-3 Contest is a staple of Masters week. The family event consists of golfers relaxing with family and loved ones while hacking away at the Par 3s at Augusta National. Tom Hoge won the event yesterday (-6), but Seamus Power made headlines with back-to-back hole-in-ones. No Par-3 Contest winner has ever went on to win The Masters.

The Masters Odds

S. Scheffler (+700), R. McIlroy (+700), J. Rahm (+900), J. Spieth (+1600), P. Cantlay (+1800), J. Thomas (+2000), C. Smith (+2200), X. Schauffele (+2200), T. Finau (+2200), C. Morikawa (+2500), J. Day (+2500), D. Johnson (+2800), C. Young (+2800) | Full List of Odds

Tee Times (Featured Groups)

9:24 AM: P. Reed, A. Svensson, S. Theegala

9:48 AM: B. Watson, S. Power, M. Fernandez de Oliveira

10:18 AM: T. Woods, V. Hovland, X. Schauffele

10:30 AM: A. Scott, P. Cantlay, K. Kitayama

10:42 AM: J. Thomas, J. Rahm, C. Young

10:54 AM: H. Matsuyama, C. Smith, S. Im

11:30 AM: J. Poston, F. Molinari, B. DeChambeau

11:54 AM: D. Willett, G. Woodland, B. Koepka

12:24 PM: P. Mickelson, T. Hoge, S. Woo Kim

1:12 PM: D. Johnson, C. Conners, J. Rose

1:24 PM: C. Morikawa, M. Fitzpatrick, W. Zalatoris