A tradition unlike any other is here. Nothing says ‘Spring’ like The Masters. One week after the completion of March Madness®, the sports world turns its eyes to Augusta National and golf’s first major championship. In particular, everyone will have their eyes on Tiger Woods. 14 months after a grueling car accident that almost cost him his leg, Tiger Woods said on Tuesday that he plans to tee it up at Augusta National on Thursday with Joaquin Niemann and Louis Oosthuizen at 10:34am ET. That fact alone is remarkable, and that word doesn’t even do the feat justice. Regardless of his performance, it’s an incredible achievement for Woods to even compete, and everyone will be tuning in Thursday morning.
Hideki Matsuyama is the defending champion, but he had to withdraw from last week’s Valero Open due to a stiff neck. If Hideki doesn’t have the best week, he can at least take home the fact that his Masters dinner menu is off the charts. Here is The Masters TV schedule, how to watch, and five storylines going into Augusta.
How to Watch The Masters and Schedule:
Wednesday, April 6 (Par 3 Contest): 3-5 pm ET (ESPN)
Thursday, April 7: 3-7:30 pm ET (ESPN)
Friday, April 8: 3-7:30 pm ET (ESPN)
Saturday, April 9: 3-7 pm ET (CBS)
Sunday, April 10: 2-7 pm ET (CBS)
Storylines
Tiger Woods
When asked if he’d be surprised if Tiger Woods contended at The Masters, Rory McIlroy said it best: “I’ve been with him a little bit at home. The golf is there. He’s hitting it well, he’s chipping it well, he’s sharp. So would I be surprised? No. I’m not surprised at anything he does anymore.” It’s another comeback for the Big Cat. Tiger Woods said in his Tuesday press conference that, barring any unforeseen hiccups, he will be teeing it up Thursday at Augusta National. No matter what happens with Tiger this weekend, the fact he is even walking the course is a near miracle. But no one knows those hallowed grounds as well as Tiger. In terms of golf, he’s confident. It’s the walk on his surgically reconstructed leg that is the factor. He said “I can hit it just fine. I don’t have any qualms about what I can do physically from a golf standpoint. Walking’s the hard part. This is normally not an easy walk to begin with. Now given the condition my leg is in it gets a little more difficult.” Catch Tiger teeing off at 10:34am ET on Thursday, and 1:41pm ET on Friday.
Can Someone ‘Finally’ Win It?
Jon Rahm, Justin Thomas, Brooks Koepka, Cameron Smith, Xander Schauffele: These are just a few of the PGA stars who have had multiple attempts to secure the green jacket. Will one of them finally break through this week?
Rory Mcillroy
Speaking of players who have been knocking on The Masters door, Rory still finds himself trying to complete the career grand slam. Everyone knows Rory is arguable the most talented golfer in the world. Rory has six top tens in his last eight starts at The Masters, but he was never really sniffing the green jacket in those tournaments. Maybe avoiding the spotlight thanks to Tiger-mania helps free Rory up this weekend. Or maybe it’s more of the same. Time will tell.
Europeans
Who would have thought that the last European to win The Masters would be… Danny Willett? His unlikely win was back in 2016, and you’d have to go back to 1999 for the previous European Masters winner, which was José María Olazábal. This year Jon Rahm, Rory Mcillroy, Viktor Hovland and Shane Lowry lead the way for the Euro contingent, but don’t forget about Justin Rose, Matthew Fitzpatrick or Tyrell Hatton.
Spieth Revival?
After his Open Championship in 2017, Jordan Spieth faced a four year winless drought before winning last year’s Valero Open a week before The Masters. Everyone wondered if Jordan would continue his form at Augusta, and to be fair, he did. He finished T3, three shots off the pace. The shocking thing was that his usually scolding hot putter betrayed him on the slick greens of Augusta. Jordan now comes into the tournament with a funky new move in his swing. But don’t ever doubt him on this track.
Odds – Top 30 via DraftKings as of Tuesday:
Jon Rahm +900
Justin Thomas +1200
Scottie Scheffler +1200
Cameron Smith +1400
Dustin Johnson +1600
Rory Mcilroy +2000
Collin Morikawak +2000
Brooks Koepka +2000
Xander Schauffle +2000
Viktor Hovland +2000
Jordan Speith +2200
Patrick Cantlay +2500
Will Zalatoris +3500
Hideki Matsuyama +3500
Russell Henley +3500
Daniel Berger +3500
Bryson Deechambeau +4500
Louis Oosthuizen +4500
Tiger Woods +5000
Shane Lowry +5000
Sam Burns +5000
Corey Conners +5500
Matt Fitzpatrick +5500
Marc Leishman +5500
Adam Scott +5500
Tyrell Hatton +5500
Paul Casey +5500
Tony Finau +6000
Bubba Watson +6500
Joaquin Niemann +6500
