Azaleas, Magnolias, and Pimento Cheese

A tradition unlike any other, as Jim Nantz so eloquently says…that’s right it’s Masters week! The unofficial start to the golf season and the PGA Tour’s first Major of the year has arrived—the 86th Masters is coming up this week. Contested at Augusta National every year since 1934, this year is already shaping up to be a remarkable tournament!

Last year, Augusta crowned a first-time Major Champion in Hideki Matsuyama and it delivered one of the most memorable images ever as Matsuyama’s caddie bowed to the course at the conclusion of the 72nd hole. This year we have a newly crowned World No. 1, a few more all-stars gunning for their first major title, and a GOAT possibly returning to competition for the first time in over a year.

The Favorites and the Return of the GOAT

There are a lot of favorites this week, according to the oddsmakers in Vegas, but no one is really paying any attention to them right now. Instead, everyone has their eye on Tiger Woods and his potential return to competitive play for the first time in 14 months, after his devastating car crash caused a severely broken leg. Tiger says that ultimately his ability to play the Masters will be a game-time decision minutes before his first-round tee time. He has been at the facility practicing and putting his body through the motions of playing the physically demanding course. Some patrons at the course were able to grab some video footage of Tiger’s practice session from Sunday and I have to say, his swing is looking great!

If Tiger does commit to playing (of course he will), all the cameras are going to be pointed in his direction through most of the week. Famous SportsCenter announcer Scott Van Pelt said, “If Tiger plays, the rest of the field can play naked, and no one would notice.”

Despite all the fanfare surrounding Tiger, plenty of others will be playing their best to try and grab their five minutes of fame this weekend. The Vegas oddsmakers have the best golfers in the world ranked as follows for this week’s action:

• Jon Rahm: 11/1
• Justin Thomas and Scottie Scheffler: 14/1
• Cameron Smith: 16/1
• Dustin Johnson: 17/1
• Collin Morikawa and Rory McIlroy: 18/1
• Brooks Koepka, Jordan Spieth, Patrick Cantlay, and Viktor Hovland: 20/1

Rahm just dropped to No. 2 in the Official World Golf Rankings after Scottie Scheffler won three out of his last five starts. Rahm absolutely loves Augusta, and his record shows it—his rookie season in 2017 saw Jon finish in a tie for 27th at his first Masters. Since then he has finished no lower than tied for 9th, including a tie for 5th last year. He’s motivated to get back to No. 1 in the world, and what better way to do so than by slipping on the green jacket this week?

In terms of the odds, there are a lot of other big names in the top ten. A great pick would be Collin Morikawa and Patrick Cantlay at 18/1 and 20/1 respectively. Collin has won two out of the last eight majors and has a track record for showing up and showing out for the biggest events of the year. Patrick Cantlay has had a slower start to this season, compared to his dramatic 2021 that saw him win three times including the FedEx Cup, but he can get hot at any time and his nickname “Patty Ice” certainly describes his cool, calm, collected approach when the spotlights are on! I could see him breaking through and winning his first major title this weekend.

The Holes to Decide the Championship

They say that the Masters doesn’t really start until the back 9 on Sunday as that’s when the pressure mounts and the course start playing the toughest. Here are three holes to pay attention to this weekend that will for sure have a huge impact on the outcome of the tournament.

Hole 12: Golden Bell – Par 3, 155 yards

There have been so many memorable shots into this par 3 over the years! With Rae’s Creek protecting the front side of the green, players can be seen exhaling every time their ball finds a patch of green! On average, this hole plays 3.27 strokes—very rare to see a par 3 of this length on Tour play over par for the tournament average. It’s a true testament to how difficult this hole was. Remember Jordan Spieth in 2016? He had a four-shot lead before coming to 12 that Sunday…

Hole 13: Azalea – Par 5, 510 yards

This is a relatively short par 5 by today's Tour standards. Nearly every player in the field will have a go at this par 5 in two at some point during the tournament. However, it demands a well-placed tee shot or some bravery on the second shot as Rae’s Creek does continue to tumble down the hill and protect the green short. Some of the most memorable shots in Masters history have been hit here, but none more so than Phil Mickelson’s amazing shot from the pine straw on Sunday during his second win in 2010.

Hole 16: Red Bud – Par 3, 170 yards

This is one of the best holes in golf, especially with Sunday’s traditional pin location tucked into the left of the players' sightline, near the water. The green runs right to left down a small slope towards the hole; so if the tee shot is placed properly, it funnels the golf ball down towards the pin. Louis Oosthuizen hit one of the most improbable holes in one’s here on Sunday in 2016. And the infamous clip of Tiger’s ball hanging on the lip with the Nike logo facing the camera? Yea, that happened here on 16 in 2005 on Sunday. I am sure there will be some memorable shots on this hole this year as well!

Coverage Information

Coverage will be split this year between ESPN and CBS. Of course, I would highly encourage you to check out Masters.com as well as the Master’s app on iOS and Android for live 24/7 exclusive coverage provided by The Augusta National Golf Club.

2022 Masters TV schedule (ET)

• Wednesday, April 6 (Par 3 Contest): 3:00-5:00 pm on ESPN
• Thursday, April 7: 3:00-7:30 pm on ESPN
• Friday, April 8: 3:00-7:30 pm on ESPN
• Saturday, April 9: 3:00-7:00 pm on CBS
• Sunday, April 10: 2:00-7:00 pm on CBS

Stay tuned for a recap article with all the highlights (and lowlights) after the conclusion of the tournament, including a section on what awesome gear is in the winner’s bag! And, let’s see if my Patrick Cantlay pick pays off!

If you need any help with gear in your own bag or have any questions and want to chat golf, feel free to hit up me or any other of the awesome Golf Experts here on Curated!