AUGUSTA, Ga. — Could the 87th Masters, which begins Thursday morning at the Augusta National Golf Club, be the last time we see all of the world’s top players together?
Everyone is putting on a happy face this week while golf’s biggest feud since the PGA Tour spun off from the PGA of America in 1968 hangs overhead.
At issue is an entity called LIV Golf, a Saudi-backed tour that lured dozens of players away from the PGA and European tours with money that could fund several college athletic programs.
It is the first time since the British Open in July at St. Andrews that PGA Tour players and LIV golfers have walked the same fairways. There has been no visible animosity between the clans.
Ten players to watch:
10. Viktor Hovland: The Norwegian has never missed a Masters cut and is ranked No. 9.
9. Patrick Cantlay: Beyond the top three in the rankings, he is the best of the rest at No. 4.
8. Collin Morikawa: Two major championship wins before age 25, could this be the third?
7. Jordan Spieth: It has been eight years since his record 28-birdie binge won here.
6. Justin Thomas: Two-time PGA Championship winner usually in the hunt at Augusta.
5. Brooks Koepka: For what it’s worth, he is coming off a victory in last week’s LIV tournament.
4. Sungjae Im: Two top-10 finishes in three past Masters; missed only one PGA cut this year.
3. Scottie Scheffler: Defending champion is playing well, two major factors in his favor.
2. Rory McIlroy: Still looking for green jacket to complete career Slam; Tiger says he’s due.
1. Jon Rahm: Four straight top-10s here (2018-21); his second major title should come soon.
“This tournament,” said Rory McIlroy, perhaps the biggest spokesman for the PGA Tour, “is way bigger than any of that.”
The Masters didn’t alter its qualifying standards for…
Read the full article here
Leave a Reply