James Corrigan does his best to pick out a potential winner from a tight field in this year's tournament.
Would a Woods win be the greatest comeback of them all? Debatable. Muhammad Ali’s Rumble in the Jungle magnificence surely takes some beating.
Even in golf there have been staggering resurrections. In 1953, Ben Hogan returned from a near fatal car crash to win not one but three of that year’s majors, while in 1986 Jack Nicklaus prevailed at the Masters as a written-off 46-year-old.
Gary Player and Jack Nicklaus at the opening tee ceremony. (Andrew Redington/Getty Images)
AUGUSTA, Ga. — Before 8 a.m. Thursday, the gallery around the first tee at Augusta National Golf Club was five, eight, even 10 deep. And when the two men emerged from the clubhouse — Jack Nicklaus in a red sweater, Gary Player in all black — they rose as if at church, pew after pew after pew.
Player, the South African legend who won three Masters, and Nicklaus, the all-time great who has six green jackets among his record 18 major titles, opened the 82nd Masters as honorary starters Thursday morning, each hitting a straight and true tee shot 15 minutes before the tournament began.
Fred Ridley, Augusta National’s new chairman, introduced each man — “two of the greatest golfers who have ever lived,” he said — to an adoring crowd. The sign at the tee, which normally lists the players in each group, read “82 Gary Player” above “78 Jack Nicklaus,” indicating each man’s age.
Watch the complete 2018 Honorary Starters ceremony. #themasters pic.twitter.com/SpY5NNCY7y — Masters Tournament (@TheMasters) April 5, 2018
This is the second year Nicklaus and Player performed the duty of opening the Masters since the death of Arnold Palmer. In 2016, the four-time Masters champion joined Nicklaus and Player one final time, though he simply sat in a chair, no longer able to hit the shot. Last year, some six months after Palmer’s death, the chair remained, draped with Palmer’s green jacket.
The tournament was due to start 15 minutes after the opening shot with the first of 29 threesomes — Austin Cook, Ted Potter Jr. and Wesley Bryan. Tiger Woods, the four-time champion playing here for the first time since 2015, begins his quest at 10:42 a.m. in a group just ahead of defending champion Sergio Garcia, who tees off at 10:53 a.m.
Other key tee times: Phil Mickelson at 1:27 p.m., Rory McIlroy at 1:38 p.m., Jordan Spieth at 1:49 p.m. and Dustin Johnson at 2 p.m. in the final group.
Here’s where you can watch: Tiger Woods, four-time wearer of the champion’s green jacket, is one of the pre-tournament favorites. That means some viewers won’t be able to take their eyes off the 42-year-old, no matter how he’s doing.
[ Masters preview: At Augusta National this year, an anticipation unlike any other ]
But this week isn’t just about Woods. Many of the world’s best players enter the week in strong form. Add in the Woods intrigue, and you’ll want to know how to watch starting Thursday morning, a tricky proposition, since this is the tightly controlled Masters. Still, there are a few options. (All times are Eastern.)
ESPN has TV coverage from 3 until 7:30 p.m. Thursday and Friday and on WatchESPN.
has TV coverage from 3 until 7:30 p.m. Thursday and Friday and on WatchESPN. CBS takes over on TV from 3 to 7 p.m. Saturday and from 2 to 7 p.m. (or the conclusion of play) Sunday. Its online coverage can be found at CBS AllAccess. The network will have a preview show (“On the Range”) 8:30-10:30 a.m. Thursday and Friday; 11 a.m.-1 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday on CBS Sports Network and CBSSports.com.
takes over on TV from 3 to 7 p.m. Saturday and from 2 to 7 p.m. (or the conclusion of play) Sunday. Its online coverage can be found at CBS AllAccess. The network will have a preview show (“On the Range”) 8:30-10:30 a.m. Thursday and Friday; 11 a.m.-1 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday on CBS Sports Network and CBSSports.com. CBSSports.com will also have live streams of featured groups, as well as coverage from Amen Corner (holes 11, 12, 13) and holes 15 and 16. Featured group coverage starts at 9:15 a.m. Thursday and Friday; Amen Corner coverage begins at 10:45 a.m. and holes 15 and 16 coverage begins at 11:45. Consult the full live stream schedule here.
The Golf Channel has “Morning Drive” on TV and online from 6 to 8 a.m. Thursday and Friday, and “Live from the Masters” on TV and online beginning at 8 a.m.
has “Morning Drive” on TV and online from 6 to 8 a.m. Thursday and Friday, and “Live from the Masters” on TV and online beginning at 8 a.m. AT&T/DIRECTV has coverage of featured groups, Amen Corner and the 15th and 16th holes starting at 3 p.m. each day (at 2 p.m. Sunday) on Channels 703, 704 and 705. There’s a 4K package from Amen Corner on Channel 105 and the 15th and 16th holes on Channel 106 starting at 10 a.m. on Thursday and Friday; at noon Saturday and Sunday for Amen Corner and 12:30 for the 15th and 16th holes. You also can stream the coverage.
has coverage of featured groups, Amen Corner and the 15th and 16th holes starting at 3 p.m. each day (at 2 p.m. Sunday) on Channels 703, 704 and 705. There’s a 4K package from Amen Corner on Channel 105 and the 15th and 16th holes on Channel 106 starting at 10 a.m. on Thursday and Friday; at noon Saturday and Sunday for Amen Corner and 12:30 for the 15th and 16th holes. You also can stream the coverage. Masters.com offers much of the same live coverage, too.
Tee times: The full list of tee times for Thursday and Friday is here, along with breakdowns of the top groups.
Pin placement information for the first round of #themasters. pic.twitter.com/LPnP8H3XSN — Masters Tournament (@TheMasters) April 5, 2018
Woods, one of the betting favorites to win his fifth Masters, will tee off at 10:42 a.m. Thursday, playing in a group with Tommy Fleetwood and Marc Leishman. He’ll be followed on the tee at 10:53 by Sergio Garcia, the 2017 champion, and his group of Justin Thomas and 20-year-old amateur and Clemson sophomore Doc Redman.
Phil Mickelson, Rickie Fowler and Matt Kuchar will tee off at 1:27 p.m. A trio of international stars in Adam Scott, Rory McIlroy and Jon Rahm will tee off at 1:38 p.m. Jordan Spieth’s group will tee off at 1:49 p.m. World No. 1 Dustin Johnson is in the day’s final group, teeing off at 2 p.m.; he’ll play with Justin Rose and Rafael Cabrera-Bello.
The weather report: Temperatures were in the in the low 40s at the start Thursday, and you could see everyone’s breath as Nicklaus and Player got things started with their honorary tee shots. But things should warm up to about 70 before all is said and done in the first round, with sunny skies and winds 5 to 10 mph.
It will remain sunny and should be even warmer Friday, though the winds will pick up a bit. Saturday’s third round could get a little dicey with rain and even more wind in the forecast, especially in the morning. Whether it will be enough to halt play remains to be seen, but it very well could. The wet weather should help soften Augusta’s notoriously tricky greens.
The skies will clear a bit for Sunday’s final round, though it will be cool with highs in the mid-60s.
Favorites: The Post’s Barry Svrluga identifies five players who could win this weekend, including Rory McIlroy, Phil Mickelson, Jordan Spieth, Bubba Watson, and yes, Woods. Who could win but won’t? Jason Day heads that list. Read the rest of Svrluga’s breakdown here. The Post’s Neil Greenberg, meantime, gives the highest win probabilities to Johnson, Justin Thomas and Garcia. His explanation is here. Josh Planos analyzes which six holes may decide Woods’s fate.
You might want to wait until the end of the first round to make your choice. As Kyle Porter of CBS Sports points out, the last 12 Masters winners have been in the top 10 after the first 18 holes. The last one outside the top 10? Woods, who was tied for 30th after the first round in 2005 before storming back to win his fourth and most recent Green Jacket.
Dilly Dilly: Although a report earlier this week indicated that Masters officials were threatening to expel fans who yelled anything from a list of banned phrases, like “Dilly Dilly” or (we hope) “get in the hole,” but a Yahoo investigation reveals that there is no list. Which means that those phrases, and perennial favorites like “mashed potatoes” and “Baba Booey” still might randomly echo across Augusta.
“Yelling ‘Get in the hole’ from the tee box of a par five might get a hole punched in your badge – two punches and you’re gone – or it might get you heaved out of the course with no warning. Same with a group chant,” the report states.
Re Dilly Dilly ban:
I remember at the height of Tiger covering a tournament at Pebble Beach, and a guy standing near the tee box bellowing the tired, "YOU THE MAN!" at the moment driver touched ball.
Silence.
Then another fan, calmly, softly: "You the idiot."
Golf clap. — Sam Farmer (@LATimesfarmer) April 4, 2018
A fist pump is a better way to celebrate: Tony Finau scored a hole-in-one during Wednesday’s Par-3 contest and celebrated so darn hard that he dislocated his left ankle. And popped it into place. Read all about it and how Jack Nicklaus’s grandson scored a hole-in-one that reduced his proud grandpa to tears.
With all due respect to @themasters, allow me to put my 6 Green Jackets in the closet for a moment and say that I don’t know if I have had a more special day on a golf course. To have your grandson make his first hole-in-one on this stage.... WOW! #Family #memoryofalifetime pic.twitter.com/3TSLwlV0m9 — Jack Nicklaus (@jacknicklaus) April 4, 2018
According to the Golf Channel’s Todd Lewis, Finau had an MRI exam on his ankle Thursday morning and it revealed no significant damage other than a high-ankle sprain. He plans to gut it out and play his round Thursday.
The champions dinner was tasty: Spanish golfer Sergio Garcia was the winner of last year’s tournament, which meant that he selected the menu for the champions dinner.
He went with a pretty delicious sounding menu that included Arroz Caldono de Bogavante (described as traditional Spanish lobster rice):
So excited and honored to host my first Champions Dinner @TheMasters! I hope everyone will enjoy the food. Can’t wait to sit around all those great champions and listen to their stories! pic.twitter.com/Qcs3Tmj8Oj — Sergio Garcia (@TheSergioGarcia) April 3, 2018
Boren and Bonesteel contributed to this report from Washington.
More Masters coverage from The Post:
Svrluga: When Tiger and Phil play a practice round, it’s anything but meaningless
For 10 bucks, you can eat like a king at the Masters
Augusta National to host a women’s amateur event in 2019
Tiger and Phil teamed up for nine holes of golf. (They won.)
The pinnacle of golfing excellence is upon us. The 2018 Masters is officially here with 87 of the best golfers in the world set to tee it up at Augusta National beginning Thursday morning. The smallest field since 1997 just happens to feature arguably the best golfers at the top in recent memory.
With Tiger Woods playing great, Phil Mickelson with a win under his belt this season, Rory McIlroy, Dustin Johnson, Jon Rahm and Justin Thomas all with wins in 2018 and innumerable young stars ranked in the top 10 in the world, this could be an all-time major.
The Masters starts today at Augusta National and here is how I rank the field from most to least likely to wear a green jacket on Sunday afternoon.
Want to watch the Masters this week? Stream Featured Groups, Amen Corner, Holes 15 & 16 and On the Range live on CBSSports.com and the CBS Sports App.
1. Jordan Spieth (Won in 2015): He should be the favorite until he gives us a few years' worth of reasons to think otherwise. Spieth should have two green jackets, could have three and at least had a shot at four. This is his fifth trip to Augusta. Is the putting an issue? Yes, the putting is an issue. But I can't, with a clear conscience, use four months of evidence that goes against four years of evidence of how Spieth plays on this course.
This is Jordan Spieth's fourth Masters.
It's the first time he doesn't hold the 54-hole lead. He's 2 back.
Let that sink in for a second. — Sean Martin (@PGATOURSMartin) April 8, 2017
2. Justin Thomas (T22 in 2017): It feels odd to rank somebody who has never finished in the top 20 at Augusta this high, but his game is almost perfect for this course. He hits it higher than most, and the course for him (like many of the longest guys) plays to a par of 69 or 70. He also lives for the moment. Toss him into the second nine on Sunday with the world at stake, and I already know what I'm going to get.
3. Dustin Johnson (T4 in 2016): It seems almost … too obvious. This course (and almost every course) plays as a par-69ish for D.J. so, theoretically, if he shoots D.J. Par then he wins five of the last six green jackets. It is obviously not that simple, and he's never really been in the hunt on a Sunday, but his path to a 44 long seems cleaner than most.
4. Rory McIlroy (4th in 2015): Like D.J., McIlroy's path to next year's Champions Dinner seems frictionless. So many have predicted so much from McIlroy, and interestingly his closest call (2011) is not even close to his best finish (he's been in the top 10 in each of the last four years). In a year in which three different golfers have a chance to complete the career Grand Slam, McIlroy's quest is the most compelling because he needs Augusta to clinch it. A win this year would ensure he's the third-youngest to the Slam just behind (are you ready for this?) Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods.
Want more on who may win the Masters? Listen to this week's edition of SportsLine DFS where we break down the field. Available for free on iTunes
5. Tiger Woods (Won in 1997, 2001, 2002, 2005): His institutional knowledge of Augusta National is unassailable. I'm convinced he could break 90 blindfolded. He played in one of the final four pairings on a Sunday in 2015 after not having played for two months. I'll believe he can't win Augusta when they roll him into the Champions Dinner in a wheelchair. Until then, he'll remain in my top 20. And given that he's top 10 in strokes gained on the PGA Tour this year, I have to put him in the top five. It's a minor miracle that we've gone from "will he play this year?" one year ago to "which pairing will he be in on Sunday afternoon?" one year later.
6. Justin Rose (2nd in 2017): The stats on Rose at Augusta are staggering. He's finished in the top 10 five times in his last 10 appearances and in the top five three of those times. His average finish on the leaderboard in the last five years is 10.6. He's clearly proven he has what it takes to win this event (I'm talking about the monster shades for early spring and pure long irons for the par 5s, of course), and the question for me this year is whether someone different gets in his way.
7. Bubba Watson (Won in 2012, 2014): He used to be my go-to guy at the top of this list. He kind of fell off the map last year, though, and he still only has four top 10s at major championships. Of course, two of those are green jackets, and he has already won twice on the PGA Tour this season. How good is this tournament if Watson is ranked seventh on this list?!
8. Jason Day (T2 in 2011): Day in the cauldron on Sunday would be fascinating. His best finish is still that T2 in 2011 when Charl Schwartzel upended the leaderboard at the very end. But Day has had two other top 10s and four top 20s since that event. His ball flight is great for any course, but it's essentially perfect for an Augusta bereft of wind.
9. Phil Mickelson (Won in 2004, 2006, 2010): If you're into ridiculous numbers games, Mickelson's history at Augusta National presents an interesting case. He won his second green jacket two years after his first. He won his third four years after that. If we're doubling the time frame between jackets, this year marks eight years since the last. I do think Mickleson gets close to or wins one final time at the Masters. I just don't know what year it will be.
10. Jon Rahm (T27 in 2017): I think he wins here at some point in his career. Of course, he's probably just as likely to snap a driver on the Hogan Bridge. Either one would be a compelling viewer experience.
11. Sergio Garcia (Won in 2017): It's still crazy to type the words "Sergio Garcia won the Masters," but he did. It was a real thing that I watched happen just 12 months ago. If Garcia wins another major, and I think he will, I suspect it's going to be one of the Opens because, I mean, he can't win two Masters, right?!
12. Rickie Fowler (T5 in 2015): I just realized my pick to win the Masters only has one top 10 here in his career. He does, however, have three top-12 finishes in the last four years. Last year was crystallizing for me, too. He didn't have anywhere close to his best stuff, and yet, he figured out how to play his way into the second-to-last group on Sunday with Spieth. That matters. His record in closing 54-hole leads concerns me, but he certainly has the goods to win here. Will it happen in 2018? I have no idea. I do think he has a big week, though.
13. Louis Oosthuizen (2nd in 2012): It's always so easy to see him winning a major championship, isn't it? My favorite stat in golf is that Oosthuizen is four swings from four majors. He has the 2010 Open in the bag, lost in playoffs at the 2012 Masters and 2015 Open and finished one stroke out of a playoff at the 2015 U.S. Open. He's also seven strokes from five majors as he lost the 2017 PGA Championship by three to Justin Thomas.
14. Matt Kuchar (T3 in 2012): Kuchar has four top-10 finishes in his last six showings here, including one last year that included an ace on the 16th hole. We're not supposed to root (yeah right), but there aren't many in this profession -- not to mention players, caddies and everyone else associated with this sport -- who would lament Kuchar throwing on a green jacket.
Watch Matt Kuchar's hole-in-one on No. 16 to move into a tie for third. #themasters pic.twitter.com/fyh44hVSuh — Masters Tournament (@TheMasters) April 9, 2017
15. Hideki Matsuyama (5th in 2015): Is it an absurd take to think that Matsuyama might never win a major championship? It feels like it is, and yet, his closest calls (2015 Masters, 2016 PGA Championship and 2017 U.S. Open) have all been when he goes low on Sunday but has no real chance to win. I don't think it's that Matsuyama lacks talent (he obviously has that in bunches), there's just something about him closing out Augusta or Shinnecock or Troon on a Sunday that is difficult for me to envision. Which means he'll shoot a 30 on the second nine at Augusta this year to clip Spieth by one.
16. Paul Casey (T4 in 2016): Casey has three straight top-six finishes, which is a thing I had to stare at for five minutes to confirm. Again, three straight top-sixes! That's a Spieth-ian number. The difficult part to reconcile is that Casey, even after taking the Valspar Championship in March, only has two wins on this side of the pond in his career. Still, he's playing some of the best golf of his life and could force Augusta National to rethink what type of material it uses to make the forearm sleeves in its jackets.
17. Adam Scott (Won in 2013): Scott has finished in the top 20 in six of the last eight years at the Masters (including a win). It's almost always a question of putting when it comes to Scott, though, and he noted at the end of 2017 that he's going to go to the not-anchoring style of putting (that certainly looks like anchoring) used by Bernhard Langer and Scott McCarron.
18. Thomas Pieters (T4 in 2017): Pieters had a tough post-Masters 2017, but I'm still purchasing stock (and the exchange rate is solid). His length and ball flight off the tee are ideal for Augusta National. He predictably played the par 5s in 9 under last year when he finished top five. If he plays the other 56 holes in even par, he's in a playoff. Star to superstar.
19. Marc Leishman (T4 in 2013): There's a bit of a misnomer (maybe just by me?) that Leishman crushes at big boy events. The reality? He only has four top 10s at majors, and only one of those has come outside The Open. His T4 in 2013 when he played with eventual winner Adam Scott late on Sunday is his best finish at Augusta. And yet it's still easier for me to see him winning on Sunday than most of the guys on this list. Props to Leishman for having the reputation that probably outpaces his reality.
20. Tommy Fleetwood (Cut in 2017): His game shapes up better for one of the opens, but his form hasn't changed since last year's career breakout. I'm not sure the hair and blade collar would play at the 2019 Champions Dinner, but he'd be an awesome winner.
21. Charl Schwartzel (Won in 2011): Schwartzel only has two top-20 appearances in eight tries, but one was a win and the other was a solo third behind Justin Rose and Sergio Garcia in 2017. Wait, Schwartzel finished solo third last year?! That's right. After opening with a 74, the South African shot 68-68 on the weekend to fall three shots shy of a playoff. I wouldn't wager on him, but he's at least in the conversation.
22. Patrick Cantlay (T47 in 2012): Remember the name because you're going to be saying it for a long time. I remember as a patron watching Cantlay hole out for eagle in 2012 on the first nine back when he was low am as a student at UCLA. The labels have changed (for both of us), but his game has only gotten better.
23. Tony Finau (First appearance): He probably won't win in his first appearance, but I think he has the best shot of the first-timers. Course plays to a par 69 with his length -- currently averaging over 320 yards off the tee, which is No. 1 on the PGA Tour -- but he'll have to get hot with the putter. Like, really hot.
24. Henrik Stenson (T14 in 2014): It's amazing to me that Stenson has never finished in the top 10 at this event. Early-40s star whose game seems to have slipped ever so slightly since his Open Championship win in 2016 and doesn't perform great at Augusta to begin with. I don't love him here. Of course, he's been lights out in 2018 so far so he'll probably win by five.
25. Alex Noren (Cut in 2017): Noren is ahead of Rory McIlroy, Jon Rahm, Rickie Fowler, Jordan Spieth and Tiger Woods in strokes gained overall on the PGA Tour this year. He might upend Stenson as low Swede at Augusta this year. He has gone, in my mind anyway, from being one of the more overrated players in the world to one of the more underrated in the span of about six months.
26. Bryson DeChambeau (T21 in 2016): I know it's crazy to have the No. 94 player in the world just a few weeks ago this high on the list, but I can't get that vision of him playing with Spieth on Friday afternoon in 2016 while flirting with the lead out of my head. I don't think he will win, but I know he thinks he can (which at this level can take you pretty far … maybe not all the way to Sunday afternoon, but he could make it interesting). Goodness, I'd pay an entrance fee into his presser if he won, too. See the dynamic load of my shoulder allows me to wear a 42 long whereas most people my size would be in a 42 regular.
27. Daniel Berger (T10 in 2016): He sure gets lost in the young American debate, doesn't he? Berger can be streaky, but he has a strong (albeit small) resume at this course. Two top 30s in two appearances, and he has the sense of the moment you absolutely need to win big time golf tournaments.
28. Kevin Chappell (T7 in 2017): If I were to ask you about the top 10 at the 2017 Masters, you wouldn't be able to name the next two guys on this list between Chappell and Ryan Moore. Chappell is to me a Tier 2.5 player on the PGA Tour, which means he gets lost in the conversation a lot of the time. Moore is much of the same. If D.J. is Tier 1 and Kuchar is Tier 2, those two guys aren't quite weak enough to be Tier 3 but aren't quite good enough to be with the Kuchars and Caseys and Leishmans in the world. In other words, it would be a surprise if Chappell or Moore win the 2017 Masters.
29. Ryan Moore (T9 in 2017): See above.
30. Zach Johnson (Won in 2009): In the last four Masters, Johnson has one top 10 … and three missed cuts. It's always been feast or famine for him at this course, though. In 13 appearances, he's only made the cut seven times, but one of those was a fat W back in 2009. Tough to see him repeating that barring some crazy weather that really neutralizes what the big boppers do well.
31. Matthew Fitzpatrick (T7 in 2016): His babyface-ness makes Spieth look like Thomas Bjorn with a full-blown winter beard by comparison. Might get his credential and his driver's license checked by the security guard at Magnolia Lane.
32. Martin Kaymer (T16 in 2017): The two-time major winner has five missed cuts to just one top 20 in 10 appearances here. He infamously changed his swing to contend at Augusta National. I think he might have a better chance of winning by petitioning the good folks of ANGC to move the event to Augusta Country Club.
33. Kevin Kisner (T37 in 2016): The last six winners of the Masters have all been terrific drivers of the golf ball. Danny Willett in 2016 was the "worst," and he still would have ranked in the top 40 in strokes gained in 2016. Kisner's ranking this year is well outside the top 100. He's good enough to overcome it, but the margin for error is small.
34. Brian Harman (Cut in 2015): It's a stunner to me that Harman has never made a cut here, but it's true. In fact, he's only played in one Masters, and he shot 76-72 to get the weekend off. Don't be surprised when he's in, say, the fourth-to-last pairing on Saturday, though. Loves the moment. Lives for big weekend pairings. Scared of nobody.
35. Branden Grace (T18 in 2013): Grace has five top 10s in major championships but none at Augusta National. He has such a low ball flight that I'm not sure his game is conducive to this course. Although, if he (or anyone) gets hot with the putter, all bets are off. Related: There are no trains at Augusta National.
36. Tyrrell Hatton (Cut in 2017): After finishing in the top 10 in the last two majors of 2016, Hatton missed the cut at all four in 2017. He's rebounded from that, though, and played some magnificent golf in 2018. And hey, he won't have to worry about bumpy greens at Augusta.
Perhaps the most dramatic Spike Mark Blame in the history of #TourSauce pic.twitter.com/4i6hkxBMpl — No Laying Up (@NoLayingUp) February 26, 2017
37. Ian Poulter (7th in 2012): I'm so glad he made it. The more characters the better. And yes, I realize who I ranked just behind him. I crave a Sunday morning Reed-Poulter pairing just less than I crave a Sunday afternoon Tiger-Phil one.
38. Patrick Reed (T22 in 2015): If Reed ever wins this event, I'm praying it's in a year after Spieth has won it so Spieth can suit him up in an alternate jacket lined with stars and stripes. Reed can do that NBA Draft thing where players who are drafted show off the inside of their jacket. It would of course be lined with bald eagle feathers, and the buttons would be made from paper-mache of a replica U.S. Constitution.
39. Rafael Cabrera-Bello (T17 in 2016): His odds for low Spaniard are pretty intriguing given Garcia's relative volatility at this place (::remembers Jon Rahm is playing:: … never mind), but I don't think he's going to legitimately contend for the win.
40. Charley Hoffman (T9 in 2015): The greatest first round golfer who has never actually won a major in major championship history. His 65 in Round 1 last year should go down in the annals.
41. Jason Dufner (T20 in 2013): After he wore Notorious B.I.G. and Toronto Blue Jays hats in his first tournament out this year, I'm hoping we see something special at Augusta. Maybe a hat with Bobby Jones face on it for the first two days and one that just says "Hootie" for the weekend.
42. Xander Schauffele (First appearance): Speaking of getting lost in the young American debate. I keep thinking, "This is the stretch where Schauffele fades!" and he keeps failing to fade. He's not going to win the Masters in his first rattle out of the box, but he could certainly finish in the top 10. Sort of a low-key good fantasy play depending where you can get him.
43. Haotong Li (First appearance): As my buddy Tron Carter has noted, there is nothing better than awakening to Li bucking his head across the pond. First appearance here, but he finished third at Royal Birkdale last year. I'm not sure if head-bucking travels like feels do, but I'm excited to find out.
44. Jimmy Walker (T8 in 2014): He did not start the year very well, but he does have a nice history at Augusta. It's incredibly unfortunate on a number of levels that the back part of his career has been upended by Lyme disease because he's had some really strong major performances and should probably be contending more at events like this one.
45. Danny Willett (Won in 2015): I'm a big believer in pedigrees, and Willett's is pretty good. He's among a list of 31 different golfers who have spent time as the No. 1 amateur golfer in the world. His ride following that 2015 Masters victory has been bumpy, to say the least, and maybe he goes down as more of an outlier than Weir. But I'm unconvinced we're done hearing from him. Plus he's got the next 50 years of playing Augusta to figure it out.
46. Si Woo Kim (Cut in 2017): Certainly he has a good pedigree for a 22-year-old with wins at the 2016 Wyndham Championship (at age 20!) and the 2017 Players Championship (at age 21!). The majors are a different story, though. Three cuts and a withdrawal in five appearances (although he was sixth going into the final round of the U.S. Open at Erin Hills, where he shot 75). Pending his back holding up, I think he's going to be quite good for a long time, but I'm going to have to see him light up Augusta on a more consistent basis to bump him into my top 25.
47. Ross Fisher (T15 in 2011): I like Fisher, but he only has one top 10 at a major championship. He might be a middle class man's Noren.
48. Francesco Molinari (T19 in 2012): The greater Molinari brother has won just once anywhere in the world in the last six years, and yet he's figured out a way to get into the OWGR top 25. If he's going to make the Ryder Cup team, a big time performance here might be needed.
49. Pat Perez (T18 in 2017): Perez has played here just once in the last eight years (last year's top 20). The champions dinner would be unfathomable if he was able to somehow win this tournament.
50. Kyle Stanley (Cut in 2012): I like Stanley, and last year was a tremendous season for him. As a fellow Kyle, I'm rooting for him, and as a connoisseur of ball-striking wunderkinds, I'm entranced. But he's not going to win the Masters (I don't think ...).
51. Cameron Smith (T55 in 2016): A sneaky fun pick for low Aussie. His T4 at the 2015 U.S. Open with an eagle at the final hole was as good as finishes get.
52. Gary Woodland (T24 in 2011): His record here is kind of shocking given his length. Woodland has never finished in the top 20 at Augusta, mostly because his short game isn't good enough to keep rounds tidy. He should start trying to drive every green just to see what happens.
53. Russell Henley (T11 in 2017): Henley has zero top-10 appearances in major championships, but he's had a decent record at Augusta. A pair of top 25s in his last two starts here, including a T11 in 2017 on the back of a 71-69 weekend.
54. Kiradech Aphibarnrat (T15 in 2016): The Barn Rat can really play, although I'm not sure vaping is allowed in the Augusta National clubhouse, so this could be an angsty week for him.
55. Fred Couples (Won in 1992): Like Tiger, I'll believe Couples can't win the Masters when he's in a wheelchair, and he'd certainly win a wheelchair Masters if they had one. Couples has finished in the top 20 in six of his last seven appearances at Augusta National, which is outrageously impressive. He turns 59 (!) later this year, so an actual win is getting more and more improbable, but I'm here for his contention until he turns 75.
56. Billy Horschel (T17 in 2016): It's amazing to me that Horschel only has one top 10 at a major championship in 19 appearances. We've seen him ride heaters, but he's not on one heading down Magnolia Lane. A victory here would be a stunner.
57. Webb Simpson (T28 in 2015): The craziest Simpson stat might be that his only top 10 ever at a major championship was his 2012 U.S. Open victory (the anti-Sergio!). He's never finished in the top 25 at Augusta.
58. Adam Hadwin (T36 in 2017): At some point, all of these guys are the same guy when it comes to winning at Augusta. They all could because they're in the field, but none of them are going to.
59. Bernhard Langer (Won in 1993): He's been cut in two of the last four, but he also has a T8 finish and a T24 in there. His problem (obviously) is that he's shorter than I am off the tee, which doesn't play well when guys like D.J. and Day are in the field. He won't win, but a fun side game is, "Which winner from the early 90s will finish highest?"
60. Bernd Wiesberger (T22 in 2015): Wiesberger has made each of the last three cuts, which is more than Woods, Thomas, Mickelson, Fowler and D.J. can say!
61. Dylan Frittelli (First appearance): He might be the best player in the world that the fewest people know about. Frittelli has been cruising around the European Tour for the past year, racking up wins and top 10s. He has 10 top 10s worldwide since November 2017 alone! He should be a longshot for "low golfer who played on the 2012 national championship team at Texas," but he'd be a fun bet with the way Spieth is putting.
62. Patton Kizzire (First appearance): Two-time champ this season has a frame and lithe move at the ball resembling Ernie Els. Unfortunately for him at Augusta, his overall game doesn't approach the Big Easy's.
63. Brendan Steele (T27 in 2017): Steele is 0 for 13 in top 10s at major championships.
64. Jhonattan Vegas (Cut in 2017): Johnny Vegas might have the best name in sports, but he doesn't have the game to roll at Augusta National. He's currently an average drive and a poor putter. Not a great 1-2 punch for getting sized for a jacket.
65. Wesley Bryan (First appearance): To win this event he would have to take what Zach Johnson did in 2007 and blow it out of the water. Bryan is currently outside the top 200 (!) in strokes gained off the tee and hasn't really been using a driver. That's not a good formula for Augusta, although Johnson has proven it can work. You have to be absolutely unbelievable with your short game, though.
66. Shubhankar Sharma (First appearance): I'm all in on Sharma. I'm all out on him winning the Masters, though. He got overwhelmed by a Phil Mickelson grouping in Mexico. Imagine if he gets McIlroy or Woods in the final round on Sunday. Also, this remains a good take.
if you remove yourself from your amerocentric view of the world shub sharma and haotong li have the highest ceiling for stardom of any young player ok thanks bye — kyle robbins (@kylerrobbins) March 3, 2018
67. Yuta Ikeda (28th in 2010): The ultimate globalist. Ikeda has racked up OWGR points in far-flung locations all over Asia, but he doesn't have a top 25 at a major championship.
68. Chez Reavie (Cut in 2012): Three appearances, three missed cuts for the former Sun Devil.
69. Angel Cabrera (Won in 2009): The former champion has only missed two cuts since 2006 (he has four top 10s in that span), but one of those was last year when he shot 79-75. Cabrera finished in the top 10 of just one PGA Tour event last season, and it was the team event in New Orleans. He's on the fringe for me of players who can get into the top 50 and ties to make the weekend.
70. Satoshi Kodaira (First appearance): He did have a pair of top 50s at majors in 2017 ... which is more than Tiger Woods can say.
71. Austin Cook (First appearance): Only one missed cut so far this year. Also only one top 10. Thankfully for him, it was a win that got him into Augusta.
72. Yusaku Miyazato (First appearance): Has a top 25 at a U.S. Open. Won't have one at this year's Masters.
73. Ted Potter Jr. (Cut in 2013): Him winning here would be even more shocking than him holding off a thoroughbred like Dustin Johnson at Pebble Beach.
Ted Potter Jr. looks like the dude who takes his Golf Digests to the course on the weekend and double-checks DJ's "how to get the most power" articles every other hole. Leads by 2. #golf — Kyle Porter (@KylePorterCBS) February 11, 2018
74. Joaquin Niemann (First appearance): He's one of nine amateurs who have been world No. 1 for 30 or more weeks. The list includes Fowler, Rahm and Cantlay. He recently won the Latin America Amateur Championship by five with a 63 in the final round. Might be a superstar, won't win the Masters.
75. Larry Mize (Won in 1987): Mize has made three (!) of the last four cuts at this event. I just quadruple-checked that, and yes, it seems to be correct. If you play a "former champs over 50" pool (and who doesn't?), Mize is definitely the value play.
76. Vijay Singh (Won in 2000): He doesn't have a top 20 in 2008. Singh is also going to be the future answer to the trivia question: "Who spent more money suing the PGA Tour than Augusta National spent purchasing property surrounding Augusta National?"
77. Trevor Immelman (Won in 2008): Immelman hasn't made a cut here since 2013 when he finished T50. In fact, Immelman has only made seven cuts in 33 events over the last three years. Making the cut this week would be more surprising than him winning back in 2008.
78. Mike Weir (Won in 2003): It's easy to make fun of Weir, and he's only made one cut here since 2010, but he also has nearly three times as many top 10s at major championships as Watson.
79. Jose Maria Olazabal (Won in 1994, 1999): Olazabal has only made two cuts here since 2008, and at age 52, he has pretty much no chance of winning as he hasn't won anywhere since 2005. Still, him and Garcia are going to have a delightful Champions Dinner.
80. Doug Ghim (First appearance): Ghim got into this event by way of finishing second at the U.S. Amateur. It would have been devastating to be leading the U.S. Amateur 2 up with two to play and not get into the Masters. Also, dude rocked a Masters hat at the semifinals, where he earned his spot, so his stones aren't all that small.
Takes some stones to wear this hat with a Masters berth on the line at the U.S. Am. pic.twitter.com/WLQmaiW58l — Kyle Porter (@KylePorterCBS) August 19, 2017
81. Doc Redman (First appearance): And speaking of that, Redman has stones so big they wouldn't fit in Rae's Creek, and they were on full display at the U.S. Amateur last year at Riviera, which he won in about as dramatic a way as you can possibly win a U.S. Amateur.
Doc Redman needed to win hole No. 35 to keep the match going. So he made eagle. To No. 36 we go. #USAmateur https://t.co/vNk8PXKxqR — USGA (@USGA) August 20, 2017
Clutch play from Doc Redman. Another must make, another center-cut putt. We're headed to extra holes. #USAmateur https://t.co/lGDXjJzKw0 — USGA (@USGA) August 20, 2017
82. Harry Ellis (First appearance): Ellis one of just three golfers to win both the English Amateur and The Amateur Championship (Britain's premiere amateur tournament). He's also the youngest English Am winner ever. Unfortunately for him, the Florida State sophomore will not become the youngest Masters winner ever.
83. Mark O'Meara (Won in 1998): O'Meara has only made one cut since 2005, but it was a surprising T22 in 2015. This is an annual reminder of how good his 1998 season was. Won the Masters, T32 at the U.S. Open, won The Open and T4 at the PGA Championship.
84. Sandy Lyle (Won in 1988): The Scot is playing his last Open Championship this year at Carnoustie. This won't be his last Masters, but he's clearly winding down. This is the part of your career where you're really grateful for having won this event when you did because for one week every spring you get to be part of golf royalty again. This to me is the greatest perk of winning the Masters. Also of note: Lyle has four top 10s in majors ever. Two are wins. One at Augusta. One at Royal St. George's. He made them count!
85. Lin Yuxin (First appearance): More stones from an am. Yuxin went 3-3-3 to shut down the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship in October. He's not going to win the Masters, but he could certainly make the cut like fellow Chinese player Guan Tianlang did in 2013.
Lin Yuxin becomes third player from China to win Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship. He will now play in @TheMasters and @TheOpen! #AAC2017 pic.twitter.com/dOgGRGaNWt — AAC_Golf (@AAC_Golf) October 29, 2017
86. Matt Parziale (First appearance): A movie that would cast a Massachusetts fireman who heroically made it to the Masters in his off time as its protagonist would be categorically rejected by most major media companies. And yet, here we are. Parziale won the U.S. Mid-Am in Georgia 8 and 6 in the finals to punch his ticket and made it back to his station in Massachusetts for work the next morning. If you're not rooting for Parziale to make the cut, then why are you even following sports?
87. Ian Woosnam (Won in 1991): Poor Woosie hasn't made a cut since 2008. He caught the blunt end of a humorous Rory McIlroy gaffe a few years ago when it was suggested that he has no shot at winning this tournament (which is true). Sorry Ian, I'm with Rory.
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