PGA – MY 2020 MASTERS PICKS

The Masters Tournament is my favorite sporting event to watch all year.  I’m not kidding when I say that if a close family member or friend invited me to their wedding or some other important life-changing event on Masters weekend, I would probably choose my beloved golf tournament instead. 

So, when Augusta National postponed the event from its traditional early April weekend due to coronavirus fears this year, it was disappointing to say the least. With most other sporting events being cancelled or postponed, it just felt like the world was caving in. When would we return to normal and enjoy our favorite pastimes again?

Fast forward seven months and the rescheduled Masters Tournament is upon us this weekend (Nov 12-15). It’s almost symbolic that the event will be played the same week medical experts announced that a promising Covid-19 vaccine had early excellent results and could be in circulation by years end… 

AUGUSTA NATIONAL 2020 – WHAT WILL BE DIFFERENT AND THE SAME

For the first time in 86 years, there will be no patrons at Augusta National during the Masters (except club members). It probably won’t make a huge difference to viewers watching on TV, or the players in action.  Traditionally, officials have a very tight policy on noise at Augusta to the point that cell phones are prohibited at all times during the tournament. 

Where it will be different without patrons, are the big moments when the roars of the crowd travel throughout the course.  The players will miss those special moments, as will we.  But, the players are used to the lack of fans and distractions for several months now.  Some might even like the super quiet and all the eyeballs not peering down at them on such a big stage.  Will this help a rookie or, someone who tends to cave under pressure more easily?

As for scoring at Augusta, the weather is looking quite fair this weekend with temperatures in the low 60s in the mornings and mid to upper 70s by midday.  That isn’t much different from early April conditions.  Unless excessive rain enters the forecast and temps drop dramatically, it’s hard to see how much of a difference there will be in scores, especially with the top-notch system Augusta has in place.

Interesting to note – According to a recent Golfworld article, Augusta is typically only open from mid-October to late May because the Bermuda grass in the fairways grows “aggressively” in the late spring and summer.  But, in the fall, the Bermuda goes brown and dormant with the falling temperatures.  The fairways are then “scalped” and replaced by perennial ryegrass seed which needs a lot of water to grow.  That is when the course is generally reopened.  So, there is some danger the ryegrass will not have the same lushness as in April which could make the course “softer” which could make for lower scores.  

MY TOP FIVE PICKS

Having such a strange and shortened 2020 PGA Tour schedule due to the coronavirus may not give us the most accurate picture of which players are ready to take on the big challenge of winning a Masters right now.  So, I focused on who exceled throughout the season combined with which players are performing well now.  

TOP WINNING PROSPECT: JOHN RAHM – What I like most about the 26-year-old Spaniard’s 2020 season was his stout consistency.  He started the year hot, won mid-season, won late season and almost won the ZoZo Champs on Oct 25.  His stats also showed just how good this guy has been from tee to greens to the putter.  Add in his three prior appearances (and two Top 10s), plus his desire to get another green jacket for the legacy of Spanish players, I think Rahm is at the perfect time in his career to get this big win. 

MAJOR CONTENDER 1: DUSTIN JOHNSON – Similar to Rahm, this 36-year-old American sprinkled in fine performances throughout the 2020 season and finished on a high note, winning the Tour Championship and the FedEx Cup.  He’s also done very well at the Masters in his past performances which included a runner-up finish in 2019.  But, the real reason I think the world Number 1 could pull this off is the confidence he seems to keep building on in his career.  He’s always had the talent and athleticism, but mentally, he seems to be more poised on the big stage as he moves forward in life, which could help him secure a green jacket.     

MAJOR CONTENDER 2: WEBB SIMPSON – When I combed through the top stats of 2020, I was pleasantly surprised to see the 35-year-old North Carolinian coming up over and over and over.  But, what stuck out the most was how efficient Simpson was from driving the ball to his putter, all of which helped him finish first in Scoring Average and Late Scoring Average; fourth in SG – Total; sixth in SG – Approach; eleventh in Greens in Regulation and Proximity to the Hole; and fourth in Total Driving Efficiency.  And, in 2019, Simpson finished tied for fifth place, which was his best performance to date at Augusta. 

MAJOR CONTENDER 3: BRYSON DECHAMBEAU – This past season was a career year for the 27-year old and a controversial one.  After making massive changes to his body by adding 40 pounds of bulk, he also added notable distance to his driver all while keeping the ball relatively straight.  There were those that poo-pooed this approach, but DeChambeau secured 11 Top 25s in 17 events played and got the last laugh when he won the US Open by six strokes and was the only player to finish under par at that event.  This all sounds great statistically, but this man’s attitude and perseverance to change the game of golf is what makes me think he has the doggedness to push the envelope further and battle with Augusta his way.  Does that mean it’ll put him in a green jacket?  I’m not going to poo-poo it. 

LONG SHOT: SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER – This 24-year-old Dallas native was named the 2020 PGA Tour Rookie of the Year and it was well-deserved.  He finished the season ranked Number 5 in the FedEx standings, which was only the second time a rookie had finished in the top five since Xander Schauffele in 2016-17.  He also shot a 12-under 59 at the Northern Trust which was tied for the second-lowest score in history. I think if he can hold his nerve, this man has the talent and skills to score really well at Augusta this weekend which would be his first start at the Masters.

THOUGHTS ON RORY MCILROY: It seems crazy to create a list of winning candidates for the Masters and not include this man.  But, I haven’t seen that spark in the Northern Irishman that makes me think he’ll get past his own emotional and mental struggles to conquer golf’s Career Grand Slam in the near future.  We all know McIlroy has the talent and the perfect game for Augusta, but something seems to be holding him back since he sacked his former caddie JP Fitzgerald in 2017 for reportedly “getting very hard on him” to perform better.  What McIlroy doesn’t seem to realize is that he needs just that very thing to help push him forward.  Or, maybe he does?  Perhaps that is why he keeps his best friend on his bag… But, what may ultimately help turn things around for McIlroy is the recent birth of his daughter.  It seems that sometimes, when players get comfortable in their personal lives, it makes the future look that much clearer.  I hope for McIlroy’s sake and for the legacy of golf, that is the case and he is finally able to become the sixth man to have won all four majors. 

  

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. Permissions beyond the scope of this license may be available at https://theladylovessports.com/contact.