Masters Preview: McIlroy's pursuit among top storylines this year at Augusta

AUGUSTA, Ga. — One of Augusta National’s traditions — in a place that’s built on them — is that there are no cell phones allowed on the golf course. Without that handheld distraction, your senses get heightened. Smell and sound and sight reach new levels. And, well, it’s fun.

“I have put on like 40 pounds today,” said one patron, “and I loved every minute.”

“I have had just enough to drink,” said another in line at the merchandise pavilion, “that I’m ready to make at least one obscene purchase right now.”

Even the best in the world make their own moments on a week like this. The drive down Magnolia Lane, amateurs sleeping in the Crow’s Nest, champions having dinner on Tuesday, pimento cheese on Wonder Bread, a child-like innocence.

“If I cast my mind back to 18-year-old Rory and I'm driving down Magnolia Lane for the first time, how would I feel? And I think, it's just always trying to go back to being grateful and feeling incredibly lucky that you can be a part of this tournament and you get to compete in it every year,” Rory McIlroy said. “I've improved a bit since my first start here, and I feel like I've got all the tools to do well this week. But, again, to bring those tools out, I think one of the most important things is to enjoy it and smell the, I guess not the roses, the azaleas along the way.”

McIlroy has placed in the top 10 in seven of his previous 10 majors, but the Masters remains the one that has eluded him. He’s a Green Jacket short of winning the career Grand Slam — and becoming just the sixth man ever to do just that. For a golf tournament overflowing with storylines, McIlroy’s chase of iconic golfing history should be considered the most important one.

Created, perhaps, by the media. But acknowledged by his peers — including Tiger Woods.

“No question he’ll do it at some point,” Woods said. “Rory’s too talented, too good. He’s going to play this event for a very long time. He’ll get it done. It’s just a matter of when.

“I think Rory will be a great Masters champion one day, and it could be this week.”

“It’s nice to hear, in my opinion, the best player ever to play the game say something like that,” McIlroy replied. “I mean, does that mean that it's going to happen? Obviously not. But he's been around the game long enough to know that I at least have the potential to do it. I know I've got the potential to do it too.”

McIlroy has improved significantly in his results through the PGA Tour season to this point, although he hasn’t yet found the winner’s circle. He won on the DP World Tour at the start of the year and finished third last week at the Valero Texas Open after a visit to noted golf-swing guru Butch Harmon. It was a “really beneficial trip” on the technical side of things, McIlroy said.

Beyond McIlroy’s chase for history this week, the top question (again!) is whether anyone can beat Scottie Scheffler. Scheffler is searching for a second Green Jacket, and won the Arnold Palmer Invitational, then The Players Championship earlier this spring — becoming the first golfer in history to go back-to-back at TPC Sawgrass — and fell one shot short of winning a third Tour title in a row.

“I'm excited about how I've been playing to begin this year. I had two nice wins, which was obviously a bunch of fun. Then, I was close in my last start as well,” Scheffler said. “I think it's just one of those deals where all I'm trying to do is put myself in contention in the tournament and hopefully finish it off.”

If there’s anything that could hold Scheffler back it’s the knowledge that his wife, Meredith, is about three weeks away from giving birth to their first child. And a first-time dad, no matter your profession, will always have some nerves.

Scheffler is the favourite, McIlroy is chasing icon status, but Brooks Koepka is, well, being Brooks Koepka.

The LIV/PGA Tour drama is not as prevalent this year as in years past. Perhaps only when defending champion Jon Rahm had a few remorsefully tinged remarks Tuesday, including, “I still love the PGA Tour, and I still hope for the best, and I still hope that at some point I can compete there again.”

So, without that thread to weave, we can’t help but see Koepka, the golfer, for what he is — an absolute menace at the majors. Koepka, the captain of LIV Golf’s Smash GC, has won five majors. He’s tied with the likes of Byron Nelson. The “List of Men’s Major Champions” Wikipedia page has 19 names ahead of Koepka before Jack Nicklaus’ top total. We know this because he knows it — he said as such on Tuesday.

Funny enough, though, no one has asked him about his major mojo.

“Nobody ever really talks to me about it,” Koepka said. “Maybe they do and I’m just not paying attention, because I’m out here doing my own thing when I’m out here playing, but as far as I know, not many guys have.”

So, what does it mean to win the Masters? It’s history and legacy. Scheffler and Rahm know it. Koepka and McIlroy don’t. Koepka is here doing what he normally does at majors, while McIlroy’s preparatory efforts are completely opposite compared to years past — he was the last guy to register for the event, arrived 30 minutes before his Tuesday press conference, and peeled out about 10 minutes after he arrived.

Golf fans’ cups, like the green plastic filled with import beer, overfloweth with storylines. Our senses, just like the patrons and the viewers and the golfers themselves, are flaring up.

The Masters is finally here.

“If you can't get up for the biggest events,” Koepka said, “I don't know, I think there's something wrong with you.”

BEST BETS

Favourites:

· Scottie Scheffler (+400): The 2022 Green Jacket winner has won twice already this season and is tops (or very nearly) on Tour in all the key categories. He’ll live and die with his putter this week.

· Xander Schauffele (+1400): Schauffele has become a fixture at major championships over the last number of years. He had four top-20s last year and has four top-20s at the Masters over the last five.

· Brooks Koepka (+2000): Koepka hasn’t had great LIV campaign — he’s the 18th-ranked player on that circuit — but his Smash GC did win the team portion of the Las Vegas event. Still, it’s majors season, which means it’s Koepka season.

Long Shots:

· Russell Henley (+6000): Henley has three top-5 finishes on the season, including last week at the Valero Texas Open. He was T4 at the Masters last year and is 21st in strokes gained: total on the PGA Tour this season.

· Corey Conners (+6600): The Canadian hasn’t missed a cut yet this season, has had three straight top-25 results on the PGA Tour and is fourth in strokes gained: approach to green this season. He had three top-10s in a row at the Masters before missing the cut last year.

· Tiger Woods (+12500): He’s been broken down and put back together but Woods’ Augusta National IQ is higher than anyone's. The golf swing is not the problem. If he can make the 18-hole walk day after day (the weather will be doing him some favours this week, unlike last year), then a factor he will be.

Notable: Hideki Matsuyama and Scheffler are the only players who have been in the top 20 in the last four years at The Masters.

Odds via Sports Interaction