In a little more than a weeks time, the 2019 Masters will tee off. The expectations are high for an eventful tournament. The top names in professional golf come together in the greatest tournament the sport has to offer in hopes of dawning the coveted green jacket. The Masters is a tournament made for big moments, setting the stage for all the best golfers in the world to win the green jacket.
Each year, it is held at the same location, Augusta National Golf Club, in Augusta, Georgia. Each hole challenges the players’ abilities to the fullest. There is magic at Augusta during the Masters. It is anyone’s game until the end of Sunday afternoon; nothing is for certain on the course at Augusta. The greatest players in history have played there since it was established 85 years ago; quite a tradition.
“A tradition unlike any other,” Jim Nantz says as the Masters comes on every year on CBS Sports. Each year is history at the Masters and 2019 is no different. If the swagger of owning a green jacket wasn’t enough to incentivize the players, there is an $11 million pot at the end of the tournament. Last year’s winner racked in almost $2 million in prizes.
The 2019 Masters is set to be a good one as many extremely talented golfers are looking to add a green jacket to their closet. There are some early favorites. Dustin Johnson has been climbing up the ladder and playing impressive golf. He recently won the WGC-Mexico Championship.
A few weeks ago, Rory McIlroy won The Players Championship, another top golf tournament. The 29-year-old has not won a major since 2014, but has risen back to the top of the rankings. McIlroy has not traditionally played well at the Masters, but placed fourth in 2015. For the four time major winner, a green jacket is something he needs to solidify a legacy. Look for a strong run from McIlroy.
Justin Rose has been extremely consistent over the last year and has continued that play coming into this year’s tournament. Rose has played very impressive golf throughout his career, but at 38 years old, he has only one major title. According to Golf.com, he is “Golf’s best all-around player.” The number one ranked player in the world in 2018 is a player to look out for in the coming week.
Tiger Woods is also a player to keep an eye on. As he looks to add his first Masters victory in fourteen years, a victory and new jacket would be a nice compliment to his already impressive collection. At age 43, Woods has already won four Masters and is tied for the 2nd most wins at the event, only behind Arnold Palmer. He also sits at 2nd in major titles with 14, trailing the great Jack Nicklaus, who has 18.
Rickie Fowler, now entering his 30s, was runner-up at the 2018 Masters, and has yet to win a major title, but is not someone to count out. One thing that is certain is that anything can happen at the Masters. Fowler was close to catching Patrick Reed on the back nine in last year’s thriller, but came up short.
Another player that came up short at the Masters in 2018 is Jordan Spieth. Spieth has put on an exhibition time in and time out over various tournaments, including the Masters. He is an exciting player to watch and hopefully the 2019 Masters brings out the chest-bumping Spieth the world has seen in the past. The 2015 Masters Champion knows what it takes to get it done as well. His experience should pay off.
According the Golf Digest, this years Masters roster is smaller than in years past. This will allow some players to make a strong push with not as large of a field. Other players to look for include Phil Mickelson, Tommy Fleetwood, Tony Finau, Paul Casey and Jon Rahm.
As mentioned earlier, anything can happen at the Masters. With a small pool of players, look for an exciting 2019 Masters with world’s best gunning for the green jacket.