To say that this year’s Masters is wide open would be an understatement.
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Number 10, Jordan Spieth- It’s awesome to think people are overlooking this stone-cold killer on the golf course. Sergio’s Champions dinner has been served.
Then there’s the likes of Justin Thomas, Jordan Spieth, Jason Day of Australia, determined Englishman Ian Poulter (who won last week in Houston to earn a spot in the field), two-time victor Bubba Watson, and even defending champion Sergio Garcia of Spain.
McIlroy, trying to complete a career Grand Slam by winning his first green jacket, follows at 1:38 alongside Spain’s third-ranked Jon Rahm and Aussie Adam Scott, the 2013 Masters victor.
He was back to producing Sunday-sounding roars at the Masters by making eagles on the back nine.
The average ticket price for the 2018 Masters is $2,458 on sites like TicketIQ.
The story lines are endless and will start playing out this morning.
Then 24 hours before he was to tee off, calamity struck. Radio Times reports that strict coverage restrictions mean that United Kingdom viewers will not be able to watch the whole tournament live. While my brain may point me to other competitors, my heart will be pulling for Tiger to once again slide the green jacket over his shoulders.
World number one Dustin Johnson was a hot favourite 12 months ago on the back of three straight wins, only to injure his back in a fall at his rental home and withdraw just minutes before his first-round tee time. Players were not allowed to bring their own caddie.
“I had a similar build-up in 2000 to 2001, what that tournament would mean, but it’s the same thing. This uniform thus became a tradition – and Augusta National does like its traditions”. Also, many people who had flocked to the game realized it was actually pretty hard.
Asked if one or two memories really stand out, she said: “I wouldn’t know how to pick one. That’s right: Paul Casey”. His performance was more than legendary. Past year he had won three straight tournaments coming into Augusta and was an odds-on favorite.
You should’ve seen how many other quality golfers – Justin Rose, Jordan Spieth, Rory McIlroy, Sergio Garcia, Patrick Reed, Steve Stricker, Jimmy Walker and Matt Kuchar – got no fan love simply because everyone was infatuated, following Woods. I’ve described a little bit of it, the pain of just sitting there and the amount of times that I’ve fallen because my leg didn’t work or I just had to lay on the ground for extended periods of time. “They’re great players and they were great to talk to”.
“It’s flattering, it’s nice, but I still want to compete”, he says. “Inside I was sitting there thinking this guy is playing in the Masters, maybe the biggest tournament in the world, but he just pretends or is able to just let that go when he’s off the golf course”. More exciting than playoff wins for Bubba Watson and Adam Scott in 2012 and ’13, or Charl Schwartzel birdieing the final four holes on a frantic Sunday in 2011?
Storylines… Do I even have to list them? His last major came in 2008 at the U.S. Open, and his last Masters win was in 2005.
The golfers have clearly chosen hot women to become involved with romantically: from Rory McIlroy’s attractive wife, Erica Stoll, to Jon Rahm’s stunning former athlete girlfriend, Kelley Cahill. Videos have since surfaced of fans yelling it at golf tournaments after players tee off.
Follow Woods and the rest of the Masters field below with our live Masters leaderboard. Yet, thanks to the spinal fusion surgery he had last April, the 42-year-old is not only back playing in this event for the first time since 2015 but is one of those main contenders.
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ESPN has the main television broadcast on Thursday and Friday afternoon, as it usually does. Spieth’s ball striking has never been better – he descends on Augusta this week ranked third on Tour in strokes gained tee to green.
