The Masters 2024: Scheffler, Woods and the LIV players in the running at Augusta
The 2024 Masters at Augusta National gets underway on Thursday and there will be plenty of intrigue as ever.
There are all kinds of storylines coming into this event with the whole PGA vs LIV rivalry, the buzz around the sensationally good Scottie Scheffler who continues to play some insanely good golf, and of course, there will always be plenty of the spotlight focused on a certain Tiger Woods.
For the sake of this preview, we’re going to gloss over both of those stars for this 2024 Masters, select who we favour coming into this week and why, and also give you the in-form LIV player who has the best chance of upsetting the PGA with a victory on Sunday afternoon.
Why aren’t we talking about Scottie Scheffler or Tiger Woods?
Well, for very different reasons. Scheffler is the best player in the world right now and his level of consistency is incredible. That said, it is impossible to back him at 4/1 which many bookmakers are offering.
As for the legend that is Tiger, he simply has no chance. The television cameras will be on him on Thursday – just in case he doesn’t make it through to Friday – and the best he can hope for is a par round. Save your money, don’t let sentimentality trick you into what the bookies want by betting on Tiger.
Which players are worth considering this week?
In the build-up to this week, there are few players that have been in better form than Irishman Shane Lowry. The 37-year-old has one major title under his belt having won The Open back in 2019, and he has warmed up for Augusta nicely with a T4 finish at the Cognizant Classic followed by third at the Arnold Palmer in back-to-back tournaments at the start of March. Lowry has done well in recent editions of the Masters, tying for third back in 2022, and there is every chance he is competing for top ten finish come Sunday afternoon.
As is so often the case, Hideki Matsuyama goes about his business under the radar and his recent form has very much done so. He won The Genesis Invitational in the middle of February, and then has followed that up with T12 at the Arnold Palmer, T6 at THE PLAYERS CHAMPIONSHIP, and the T7 at the Valero Texas Open in his last four starts. He won at Augusta in 2021 and in his other three appearances since 2020 has finished T13, T14 and T16. His form is strong coming into this and Hideki gives more confidence than any other player not named Scottie this week. Consider Hideki to win or go for the safety net of each-way.
Who should we avoid this week?
We would love nothing more than to be writing about Rory McIlroy in a different part of this preview, but we are struggling not to include him here. There is a mental block as much as anything around Augusta for Rory and even when he is competing for honours each week on the PGA Tour, there’s a bad round or poor spell just around the corner every week preventing him from really dominating.
Who are the outsiders worth a punt?
One player who has enjoyed a solid start to the season in 2024 is 26-year-old Cameron Young. He had a T4 finish at the Cognizant Classic at the start of March and then came runner-up at the Valspar Championship at the end of the month. He will not be a name that will scream out to many but Young has caught the eye in the last couple of years and shown he is not phased at the Majors. After missing the cut at the Masters in 2022, he was T7 last year. He also performed well at the PGA in 2022 finishing T3 and grabbed second at The Open in 2022 and a T8 in 2023. Young, can and will rise to the occasion, and anything around 40 or 50/1 represents good each-way value.
Which LIV player is the one worth backing?
There are plenty of big names over at LIV and that number is growing all the time but be wary about backing them. They will have good motivation to do well this week but preparations simply will not be as good as so many players on the PGA. Some of the veterans like Rahm could very well go deep into Sunday while still in contention but our pick is Chilean Joaquin Niemann. He has been the standout player in LIV and has led the way in recent times, upsetting many of the bigger names. He does not have much pedigree around Augusta, but his form and belief are high right now and do not rule out a top ten finish for him come Sunday.
Final thoughts
It is rare that a nobody wins at Augusta. Danny Willett back in 2016 was the last person to do so and otherwise, the winners list is very much a who’s who of the golfing world. That said, the world of golf is very much upside-down at the moment with the PGA/LIV split so that could easily open the door to some unfamiliar faces as we have seen on both tours this season. Each-way and top ten finishes do offer good opportunities and hopefully this analysis will help you identify one or two, and perhaps deter you from others!
