Preview of the Masters Golf Tournament at Augusta National

At Augusta National in the US state of Georgia, the Masters, the golf highlight of the year, will take place on the lawn from Thursday.

89 participants are eligible to take part in the 88th edition of what is probably the most famous of the four major tournaments for the legendary “Green Jacket”. His third appearance at Magnolia Lane will be Vienna’s Sepp Straka, who wants to make the cut for the third time.

The top favorite is world number one Scottie Scheffler (USA). But all eyes will be on his US compatriot Tiger Woods.

Straka achieved an impressive 30th place in his Masters debut in 2022. Last year, the US-based professional caused a stir with a hole-in-one during training on the par-72 course, and after four rounds of the tournament he was ranked 46th.

Current season not as desired

The two-time tournament winner on the US PGA Tour impressively demonstrated last year that the 30-year-old has the potential for even better results. Austria’s number 1 came up trumps in two of the four major events, finishing second and seventh at the British Open and the PGA Championship respectively.

Foto: © getty

However, the current season has not gone as planned for the University of Georgia graduate, which is also reflected in the ranking.

After ranking 18th at the end of 2023, Sepp Straka is currently ranked 29th in the world rankings. However, with 16th place at the Players Championship in March, Straka showed that he is a force to be reckoned with again this year.

Question marks over Tiger Woods

Tiger Woods will once again be in the media spotlight. The five-time Masters champion wants to tee off in Augusta for the 26th time, but there are question marks about the 48-year-old’s health. Last year, the US superstar had to give up after two rounds despite making the cuts.

Since then, Woods has only teed once on the PGA Tour, failing to complete his own Genesis Invitational in February due to health reasons.

The golf icon has been struggling with leg problems since his serious car accident three years ago. There are also back problems. On Sunday, Woods completed a practice lap at Augusta National GC. If he is fit, a record could fall if Woods makes the cut at the Masters for the 24th time in a row.

Top favorite Scheffler: “That’s great fun”

For US star Scheffler, it’s about his second green jacket after the 2022 triumph. The number one in the golf world impressively demonstrated his top form, both physically and mentally, with two top-class victories in March (Arnold Palmer Invitational, Players Championship).

“There’s definitely a big mental aspect. But that’s the most fun. I think the most fun you can have on a golf course is playing for the win,” said the 27-year-old, who is in his eight Finished in the top 6 six times at the start of the season.

Rory McIlroy wants to complete the “Career Grand Slam” once again. The only thing the Northern Irishman is really missing is the Masters.

“Good golf in Augusta feels like boring golf. I’ve always struggled with that because it’s not my game,” said the 34-year-old world number two. “For me, it’s the biggest test of discipline and patience of the year. It’s about staying in control of yourself and controlling what you can control.”

Top line-up – despite the defending champions changing sides

Jon Rahm goes into the tournament as defending champion. The Spaniard switched sides at the start of the year and is now playing on the Saudi-funded LIV series. A total of 13 LIV golfers are at the start, including last year’s runners-up Phil Mickelson and Brooks Koepka from the USA.

The Masters guarantees that the absolute elite play for the green jacket. And what’s particularly pleasing for Austria’s golf fans is that Sepp Straka, a Viennese, is among the world’s elite.

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2024-04-09 11:24:51
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