The Masters is one of the most popular golfing events in the world. This year’s edition begins on Thursday, April 6th, with serious competition expected among the elite golfers to challenge for the 2023 Masters title.
Most attention will be drawn to the legend Tiger Woods, who will make his 25th appearance at the 2023 Masters. The five-time winner said at a press conference on Tuesday that the thought of retiring has finally crossed his mind.
“I can’t tell how many more appearances I have. I know more players on the Championship Tour than those in the regular Tour.”
Analysts say that Wood’s sentiments are not in a way meant to show resignation on this year’s Masters. He was admitting and reminding people that he is in the same body shape after the 2021 car crash that nearly got his leg amputated.
However, his mental strength and stubbornness to practice, compete, and win at the highest levels were evident when he battled the crash to make it at the 2022 Masters.
The 47-year-old says that the overall desire to win has always been there, and this time is no different. Therefore, he can pull a surprise by remaining the last man standing at Augusta National Golf Club.
When asked for a comment about Woods on Monday, Fred Couples said that he looked dangerous even in a limited space.
Woods has 75/1 odds of winning this tournament, falling far from 7/1 co-shared by the favourites.
PGA VS. LIV
Organizers face the challenge of deciding how to handle the players at the 2023 Masters who are currently playing in the rival LIV Golf. Sergio Garcia, Patrick Reed, and Dustin Johnson are among the previous Masters’ winners participating in LIV Golf.
Others like Cam Smith, Joaquin Niemann, and Brooks Koepka are other contenders from the rebel competition who will participate in this year’s Masters. This will be the first time these players play alongside PGA golfers since joining LIV Golf.
They will face stiff competition from PGA elites such as Rory Mcilroy, Jon Rahm, and Scottie Scheffler. Who will reign supreme?
2023 MASTERS TOURNAMENT ODDS
| Golfer | Odds |
| Scottie Scheffler | 7/1 |
| Rory McIlroy | 7/1 |
| Jon Rahm | 9/1 |
| Jordan Spieth | 16/1 |
| Patrick Cantlay | 18/1 |
| Jason Day | 20/1 |
| Tony Finau | 20/1 |
| Justin Thomas | 20/1 |
| Dustin Johnson | 22/1 |
| Xander Schauffele | 22/1 |
| Cameron Smith | 22/1 |
| Collin Morikawa | 25/1 |
| Max Homa | 25/1 |
| Cameron Young | 28/1 |
| Brooks Koepka | 35/1 |
| Viktor Hovland | 35/1 |
| Sungjae Im | 35/1 |
| Will Zalatoris | 35/1 |
| Sam Burns | 35/1 |
| Hideki Matsuyama | 35/1 |
TOP PICKS FOR THE THE 2023 MASTERS
SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER
Scottie Scheffler is the defending champion and has so far performed well at this season’s PGA Tour. Already, Scottie has the Players Championship and Waste Management Phoenix Open under his belt this year. He aims to equal Tiger Woods’s record of lifting back-to-back Masters Titles (2001 and 2002).
He is the co-favourite alongside Rory McIlroy to lift the title again on 7/1.
RORY MCILROY
Rory has made it to the top ten in his last eight appearances at the Masters. He was the second during last year’s edition, where he was six strokes better than anybody else in the last two rounds.
McIlroy hopes that this will finally be his year when he wins the elusive trophy at the 2023 Masters. He co-shares the favourite position with Scottie Scheffler.
JON RAHM
The world No. 3 will aim to regain the momentum and win his second major this weekend. The Spaniard is among the elite golfers who have never won at Augusta National. He looked unbeatable a month ago, but his form dipped in March, and he finds himself aiming to play his best game.
He had won three tournaments in three weeks before enduring a rough March.
PREVIOUS MASTERS WINNERS
| Year | Winner |
| 2022 | Scottie Scheffler |
| 2021 | Hideki Matsuyama |
| 2020 | Dustin Johnson |
| 2019 | Tiger Woods |
| 2018 | Patrick Reed |
WEATHER FORECAST
The current weather forecast for the 2023 Masters is not that favourable for spectators. This is the forecast according to AccuWeather;
- Thursday: It is expected that temperatures will go as high as 80 degrees during the tournament’s first round. It is also predicted that there will be high humidity all day through. There is a 55% chance of rain and a 22% probability of thunderstorms.
- Friday: This day is projected to be cooler, with highs of 68 and the overnight low at 49. There is a 88% chance of precipitation.
- Saturday: There is a high likelihood of rain on the third round, at 82% probability. You can also expect wind gusts as high as 23 miles per hour.
- Sunday: There is a 60% chance of rain during the final round. It is expected that there will be at least 4 hours of rain.
2023 MASTERS PREVIEW CONCLUSION
The biggest golfing event is finally coming. Will a regular face win the tournament or someone else who has never lifted the prestigious 2023 Masters’ trophy? We can only wait and see.
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