We are just weeks away from The Masters with the tournament getting underway on April 6 at Augusta National. The excitement for the biggest date on the golfing calendar is palpable and fans cannot wait for the beginning of the most prestigious golf tournament in the world.
Masters odds currently have Scottie Scheffler as favorite but only by a narrow margin and there are plenty of top contenders for the green jacket this year.
With the biggest stars in golf taking part in the tournament there are plenty of names among the prospective winenrs. Let’s look at those with the best form heading into Augusta.
Scottie Scheffler
Reigning champion Scottie Scheffler will head into the tournament on the back of a win in the Players Championship. He earned $4.5 million for his troubles and became just the third player in history to simultaneously hold The Players and The Masters. The PGA Tour Player of The Year has played exceptionally since his incredible rise to the top of the PGA world rankings when he won four tournaments in a six-hole stretch last year. It is worth noting though that nobody has won back-to-back masters tournaments since Tiger Woods in 2001 and 2002 and before him just Nick Faldo and Jack Nicklaus managed the feat. However, that alone should not be enough to rule him out and a big win in The Players will have done the world of good for his confidence heading into the big one.
Top PGA Stats – 1st Strokes gained off the tee, 1st Strokes gained tee to green, 1st Official winnings
Jon Rahm
Rahm has earned himself two wins already in 2023 and his resolve in the face of defeat is second to none. This was proven in January when he shot a 10-under 63 in the final round of the Sentry Tournament of Champions to pip Colin Morikawa to the post. He then won The Desert Classic two weeks later, beating David Thompson by one shot when he shot 27-under-par for four rounds. It seems Rahm has gotten over the relatively quiet start he had to the year and is now firing on all cylinders. He did have a disappointing outing in this tournament last year, but there’s no doubt he’ll be determined to put things right in 2023.
Top PGA Stats – 1st Strokes gained overall, 1st Eagles, 1st Birdie average, 1st Scoring average
Rory McIlroy
Will Rory McIlroy ever get his hands on that ever elusive green jacket? The Masters is the only major keeping him from the career grand slam and he was agonisingly close when finishing second last year. He started off the year well when he birdied the final two holes at the Hero Dubai Desert Classic to beat out Patrick Reed. With numerous top 10 finishes, McIlroy has always played well at Augusta but hasn’t quite been able to finish the job. This could finally be the former world number 1’s year as he bids to go one better than last season when he finished runner up.
Top PGA Stats – 1st Driving distance, 1st Going for the green.
Cameron Smith
Although he missed the cut in his debut Masters appearance last year, Cameron Smith did go on to be named the PGA Rookie of The Year. The defending Open Champion hasn’t had the greatest of years so far and has not played competitively for three months, but he is still fancied among the favourites. He has performed well in the LIV Golf league so far, the best performing member of his team Ripper GC.
Top PGA Stats – 1st Birdie average, 1st Putting average, 1st approaches from 50-125 yards
Patrick Cantlay
Cantlay is currently the highest ranked PGA player without a major to his name, but that could all change in Augusta. However, he does boast eight PGA Tour victories and was 2021 PGA Tour Player of the Year. He has three top 10 finishes this year, most recently a T4 finish in the Arnold Palmer Invitational. If he can come through once again with his clutch putting then he is a real player in this year’s tournament.
Top PGA Stats – 1st Par 4, 1st Putting from 3’, 1st Scrambling from the fringe
Max Homa
Maybe a surprising entry on this list, Max Homa has had a very impressive season so far. He has five top 10 finishes and two wins, reaching as high as sixth in the PGA rankings. Mis most recent win came in January at the Farmers Insurance Open which came off the back of a T3 finish at the Sentry. His most recent appearance was an impressive T6 finish at The Players.
Top PGA Stats – 1st Consecutive par 3 birdies, 1st Front 9 scoring average
