The inaugural men’s major of the year is slated to kick-off at Augusta National, Georgia. The event will take off on Thursday, April 11th, in the afternoon according to Irish time. The golf tournament, which is seen as a tradition, will be introduced by Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player, and Tom Watson, who are all previous winners of 11 Masters. The tournament will conclude on Sunday, April 14th.
Sky Sports and NowTV will air the Masters exclusively throughout the week. Full coverage will begin at 7.30pm, while coverage of selected groups will commence at 2pm on Thursday. To stay up-to-date, golf enthusiasts can download the Masters app to watch every shot of the match on their mobile phones.
Rory McIlroy will kick-start his pursuit for a green jacket at 3:42 PM (Irish time) on Thursday, and will return to the greens at 6:48 PM on Friday. He will join a powerful group comprising Scottie Scheffler and Xander Schauffele for the initial two days. Shane Lowry’s week starts at 5:24 PM on Friday. He will be grouped with Akshay Bhatia and JT Poston.
Highlighted Masters tee times are as follows (all times in Irish):
– Scottie Scheffler, Rory McIlroy, Xander Schauffele: 3:42 PM on Thursday and 6:48 PM on Friday.
– Akshay Bhatia, JT Poston, Shane Lowry: 5:24 PM on Thursday and 2:12 PM on Friday.
– Jon Rahm, Matt Fitzpatrick, Nick Dunlap: 3:30 PM on Thursday and 6:36 PM on Friday.
– Tiger Woods, Jason Day, Max Homa: at 6:24 PM on Thursday and 3:18 PM on Friday.
– Phil Mickelson, Sepp Straka, Tony Finau: 2:36 PM on Thursday and 5:48 PM on Friday.
– Patrick Cantlay, Min Woo Lee, Rickie Fowler: 3:06 PM on Thursday and 6:12 PM on Friday.
Hideki Matsuyama, Will Zalatoris, and Justin Thomas are set to tee off on Thursday at 3:18 pm and on Friday at 6:24 pm. Wyndham Clark, Viktor Hovland, and Cameron Smith have their tee times lined up for Thursday at 3:54 pm and on Friday at 7 pm. Brian Harman, Brooks Koepka, and Tom Kim will take their shots on Thursday at 6:36 pm and Friday at 3:30 pm. Jordan Spieth, Ludvig Aberg, and Sahith Theegala are due on the green on Thursday at 6:48 pm, Friday at 3:42 pm. Lastly, we have Dustin Johnson, Collin Morikawa, and Tommy Fleetwood taking their turns on Thursday at 7 pm, Friday at 3:54 pm.
In terms of Irish participants, only two, namely Shane Lowry and Rory McIlroy, are participating this time, a decrease from the former two-year trend of four Irish golfers. It’s worth noting that just four golfers in history have played more than 13 Masters before winning their first. This year marks Rory McIlroy’s 16th participation and Shane Lowry’s ninth. Sergio Garcia, who emerged victorious on his 19th try in 2017, proves that all hope isn’t lost.
The question of if Rory McIlroy can ultimately secure a win is a complicated one. Despite having demonstrated aptitude in Augusta, and even leading by four strokes in 2011, mental blocks, slow starts, and off days have been his major impediments. Should he be able to consolidate his best performances throughout the days at Augusta, he would stand at 26-under-par, a whole six shots above the tournament record. His performance has recently seen improvement, particularly in the shots gained approaching the green at the Texas Open. The fact that famous coach Butch Harmon has been reviewing his golf swing signals a potential turnaround just in time for Augusta.
Inquiring about Shane Lowry’s prospects?
There is no doubt that his odds are promising. Although he’s not a top favourite, Lowry is indeed a powerful competitor in the following cluster of contenders. Ranking third on the tour in the previously mentioned approach to the green statistic, a factor particularly applicable to Augusta where iron play matters and setting oneself for uphill putts is crucial. Downhill putts, on the contrary, leads nowhere. His previous good performance in which he finished in a tie for third place here in 2022 and his preference for the course will boost his assurance in his game. He would consider it a missed opportunity if he does not make a significant impact this week.
Who are the front-runners?
Scottie Scheffler carries hopeful odds of 7-2 for the tournament, reminiscent of Tiger Woods in his prime, and rightly so. His victories in the two keynote events in March – the Arnold Palmer Invitational and the Players Championship – were attributed to his exceptional ball-striking on quick greens. His weak link had been his putting, but a transition to the mallet putter at Bay Hill has enhanced this facet of his game, making him an intimidating opponent for his rivals. He is also the past champion of 2022.
Assessing the caliber of some of the LIV Golf competitors is challenging due to the structure of their tour, however, Jon Rahm, last year’s champion, and Brooks Koepka, a five-time Major winner, were the last duo standing in the previous tournament, and it’s plausible to anticipate them vying for the title once again this Sunday. There’s a high probability of debutants taking the victory – fresh talents like Sweden’s Ludvig Aberg, US Open champ Wyndham Clark, and the winner from the previous week, Akshay Bhatia, are among them.
Will Tiger Woods take part?
Yes, indeed, but one should maintain moderate expectations for the five-time champ. Woods has been vocal about getting fit recently and had intended to participate in one tournament a month this year. In contrast, his sole appearance has been at the Genesis Open in Riviera, from which he pulled out due to sickness. Woods still boasts an array of skills and is intimately familiar with the course, but the four-round walk has proved challenging since his 2021 car accident. Nevertheless, his participation boosts any event’s stature, particularly significant in an era when golf’s tours are experiencing internal discord.
How does the weather in Augusta look?
Regrettably, there’s the possibility of disruptive thunderstorms on Thursday, which could cause certain hold-ups in the proceedings if the weather predictions are correct. Following that, the forecast predicts clear skies and a predominantly sunny atmosphere, accompanied by a powerful wind on Friday, poised to challenge all participants.
What does the victor of the Masters earn?
The champion of the 2024 Masters will pocket €3 million ($3.24 million), but arguably, the most prestigious gains include earning the iconic green jacket, an open-ended invitation to partake in future Masters, an enduring replica of the Masters champion’s trophy that permanently stays at Augusta National, and a gold medal.