The first major on the golfing calendar is on the horizon, with the prestigious Masters gearing up to take place at its iconic home of Augusta National in Georgia between 6-9 April. It’s arguably the one event of the year that every professional wants to win, but it takes a perfect four rounds of golf to win the sought-after Green Jacket.
That’s why form is at the essence for those lucky enough to receive an invite to participate in this year’s event, which will also be the first tournament of 2023 that will see PGA Tour players tee-off alongside those who joined the controversial, Saudi-backed breakaway league LIV Golf.
It’s almost as hard picking a winner from the odds on the US Masters as it is winning the tournament itself, but let’s try narrowing down the field by picking out some of the in-form players heading into the 2023 renewal of the event.
Jon Rahm – 8/1
The second favourite to land the Green Jacket behind Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy at 8/1, Jon Rahm’s recent results are not the most convincing — finishing T39 at the Arnold Palmer Invitational before pulling out of The Players through an illness and being knocked out of the WGC-Dell Match Play by Billy Horschel.
However, the current World No.2 has been a figure of consistency for much of the season to date. The Spaniard has won three of his PGA Tour starts, lifting the Sentry Tournament of Champions, The American Express and The Genesis Invitational since the start of the year. If he can rediscover that game before heading to Augusta, then he must be in with a chance.
Max Homa – 20/1
Max Homa doesn’t have the best record at the major events, failing to make the cut on seven starts in the last three seasons. However, he made something of a breakthrough at the 2021 Open, finishing T40 and then featured in the weekend rounds at the following Masters, PGA Championship and U.S. Open — with his best result (T13) coming at the PGA.
The American has been in red-hot form thus far this season however, winning the Fortinet Championship and Farmers Insurance Cup in his nine starts while also registering a second-place finish behind Rahm at The Genesis Invitational and five top 10 finishes — including T6 at The Players. He’s yet to miss a cut all this season, so could be there or thereabouts come Masters Sunday should he perform better than last year’s T48.
Scottie Scheffler – 8/1
Defending your Masters’ title is not an easy feat. In fact, just three players — Jack Nicklaus, Nick Faldo, and Tiger Woods — have managed to do so in the tournament’s storied history.
So, Scottie Scheffler will need to be at the very top of his game to join that elite shortlist.
The current World No.1 has the form to do so however, winning The Players Championship — what many deem as an unofficial major — by five strokes of England’s Tyrrell Hatton at TPC Sawgrass last month. That was his second win in nine starts this season, with his other coming in the form of defending his Phoenix Open title in February. Add to that six top-10 finishes and no missed cuts and he’s in with a great chance.
