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In what is one of the most anticipated Masters tournaments ever, SB Nation reveals its three bold predictions.
The 2024 Masters Tournament is one of the most anticipated events every year. This year is no exception. If anything, the heightened sense of excitement has reached a fever pitch as the best players in the world will once again play the same course, at the same time.
13 members of LIV Golf will descend upon Augusta National, with seven of them having won a Green Jacket previously.
Meanwhile, the PGA Tour has their shiny toy, Scottie Scheffler, playing out of his mind right now.
Scheffler won both the Arnold Palmer Invitational and The Players Championship back to back. Then he nearly won his third consecutive PGA Tour event at the Houston Open, missing a short putt to force a playoff.
But he is far from the only threat to win at Augusta National from the Tour.
Xander Schauffele is playing very well this year. As is reigning U.S. Open champion Wyndham Clark, who finished runner up to Scheffler at Bay Hill and TPC Sawgrass.
With so many storylines at play, SB Nation reveals it’s three bold predictions for the 2024 Masters.
Masters 2024: 3 Bold Predictions
PGA Tour Stars Fall Flat at Augusta National
There are a number of ways to break down the Masters each year in terms of predicting who will perform well.
One of them is always experience. As we have seen year after year, newcomers to Augusta National have a very hard time their first time around this track. There are so many nuances to this course that until you know it well, it’s difficult to conceive the type shots required to produce Sunday magic.
It’s not just the great shots that win here, it is the correct misses. You absolutely must know where to miss at Augusta or you have no shot.
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As good as Clark is playing right now, which he is playing beautifully, I don’t see him in contention come Sunday his first time here.
Another key element to look at is form. How well are players playing coming into this week?
Well, Rory McIlroy is completely breaking with his tradition in taking the week prior off and competed in the Valero Texas Open. McIlroy also recently visited swing coach Butch Harmon, acknowledging his swing was not in a good place.
He has yet to crack the top 10 this year and I do not believe he completes the Grand Slam with his current form.
Viktor Hovland, coming off his 2023 Tour Championship, has had anything but a stellar start to his 2024 campaign.
Max Homa and Brian Harman have also had lackluster starts to their year.
I said ‘most’ because Scheffler, the World No. 1, is on fire. He absolutely should be in the mix come Sunday.
But for most of the rest of the stars of the PGA Tour, I don’t see it.
LIV Golfers Once Again Make a Statement
Last year, members of the LIV Golf Tour finished 2nd, 2nd and 4th. The winner, of course, was Jon Rahm. The Spaniard then left to join the rival circuit in December, taking the Green Jacket with him.
Brooks Koepka is known for being an absolute killer on the golf course. You know it has been eating him up inside since faltering to Rahm late Sunday in 2023. He will be there down the stretch.
Set Number: X164335 TK8
So too will Joaquin Niemann. The Chilean pro might be the only player on Earth playing anywhere close to as well as Scheffler right now.
Niemann recently posted a 59 and has already captured a couple titles in 2024. He is also coming off a solid T16 finish in last year’s Masters. So he has the experience, pedigree and current form to contend.
Beyond that, Phil Mickelson, Sergio Garcia, Patrick Reed, Dustin Johnson, Bubba Watson and Charl Schwartzel have all won here. It’s hard to overlook that fact.
Tiger Woods Misses Cut at Masters, Snapping History
On its face, some people might think this isn’t a bold prediction. After all, Woods is 48 years old and has dealt with numerous nagging injuries in recent years.
But Woods has made the cut at the Masters an incredible 23 years in a row. That is tied with Fred Couples and Gary Player for the most in history. He knows every nook and cranny of this course and has played it beautifully so many times.
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Some of the aforementioned injuries led to his withdrawal from the event in recent years. But he is actually healthy right now. I do not believe that will be his doom this time around.
I agree with people when you should never count out Tiger Woods. But at this point, I just don’t know physically if he can do it anymore.
Expect an early exit from the five-time Masters champion, sadly.
Kendall Capps is the Senior Editor of SB Nation’s Playing Through. For more golf coverage, follow us @_PlayingThrough on all major social media platforms.
