The annual return to a fabled track and familiarity with the setting has over the past 90 years created its own distinctive tradition. And though the tournament tends to reward those with the deepest knowledge of its nuanced twists and turns, the magic of the place inspires the novice to dream.
Thus it is fair to include among the power candidates a name that might surprise, indeed one that has yet to register at all with casual observers. Only three have won at their first attempt and just five at their second crack, so experience remains the biggest driver, but that will not deter neophytes high on the operatic scale of this scented Georgia garden.
So topping my five to watch, I give you…
Marco Penge
The career of the 27-year-old hotshot from Horsham exploded into a new dimension with three wins on the European Tour last year after serving a three-month ban for breaching the tour’s betting protocols. His long hitting is already finding its level on his PGA Tour debut season with a top four finish at the Valspar Championship last month. Can be erratic, but he who dares.
Patrick Reed
Ludvig Aberg
The long-striding Swede with the Ernie Els vibes looks made for this place. He will know, however, how history treated Els, who had the game to prosper here but never did. Aberg had a three-shot lead with nine to play at The Players only for that beautiful tempo to quicken under the strain of closing out. If learning is greater in defeat, he might be grateful for lessons learned and on Sunday go one better than his runner-up spot in 2024.
Robert MacIntyre
Another who has blown a sizeable lead, losing by a shot on the final day in Texas last week after leading by four at half way, MacIntyre has the mentality to turn bad energy into good at Augusta. Lefties have gone well here in recent years with wins for Mike Weir, Phil Mickelson (3) and Bubba Watson (2) since 2003. And MacIntyre could hardly be in better form having also finished fourth at the Players to rise to 11th in the world rankings.
Read more
- Kevin Garside: Tiger Woods is over
- Danny Willett: I won the Masters but now I’m ranked No 400 – golf is f**king hard
Bryson DeChambeau
The Marmite warrior has learned a little respect since Augusta crushed his par 68 boasts of some years ago. His new-found modesty has made him a better golfer and a serious candidate after coming close in the past two years. He lost the mental battle to McIlroy in the final group last year and fell away 12 months prior after sharing the halfway lead. Fired by back-to-back victories on the LIV tour, DeChambeau is pumped for another go.
