With LIV Golf players not garnering World Ranking points like PGA Tour players, picking a potential winner for the Masters is a challenge. Sure, you could just go with World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler, who seems to win each week, but who else has a shot?
The Masters is the latest barometer of where players stand in the world of golf. The best of LIV—Brooks Koepka, Dustin Johnson, Jon Rahm, and Joaquin Niemann, who received a special exemption into the tournament—remain among the top players in golf.
Scheffler, Rahm, Koepka
Two of the picks here are winners and one has 3 Top 5 finishes in his last five tournaments. Yep, these aren’t exactly tough choices. Rahm is the defending champion, and Scheffler won in 2022. Both are clear favourites going into the tournament, with Rahm winning recently on the Liv Tour, and Scheffler with two wins and seven Top 10 finishes in eight tournaments this year. In fact, with renewed confidence in his putting, Scheffler has to be the favourite at Augusta. Koepka, of course, is only the dark horse in this group because the other two are so outstanding. But he’s a force in potentially every major championship, with five majors under his belt.
Is A Breakthrough Coming For Rory?
Which McIlroy shows up at Augusta? The one who came from way back to shoot 64 on Sunday in 2022 and finish second, or the golfer who played miserably for two days last year and missed the cut? That’s always the question for McIlroy, who has six Top 10 finishes, and has had his shots at winning (remember the 2011 meltdown?) Is there too much scar tissue at Augusta for Rory? Will his marginal putting hold him back?
Dark Horse Options — Ludvig Aberg, Joaquin Niemann, Sam Burns
Bombers who make putts win a disproportionate number of Masters. That’s why it is easy to consider a couple of players who might make a run at the Masters this year. Aberg looks the part—he’s long with a nice touch around and on the greens. He’s also playing extremely well. The issue is it is his first Masters—and no one wins the first time they tee it up at Augusta.
Niemann needed a special exemption to get into the field, and the powers-that-be at the Masters elected to give the Chilean golfer an opportunity after he won twice on LIV Golf earlier this year. He’s beaten big players lately—taking down Sergio Garcia in a playoff—but will his success translate to Augusta, where his best finish is a tie for 16th?
Sam Burns is the dark horse pick for many. He hits it a long way and is great with a putter. It is only his third Masters, and he’s only made the cut once. But he has four Top 10 finishes coming into the tournament and is one of the leaders in total driving and strokes gained putting. Don’t be surprised to see the American creeping up the leaderboard come Sunday.