2017 Masters Picks
AUGUSTA, Ga. -- What is required to win a green jacket as the Masters Tournament champion?
Masters history: Winner in 2015; Runner-up in 2014 and 2016.Current. Top Debutant – Thomas Pieters (+700); The popular pick is Jon Rahm, which I admit is a solid choice, but I’m all in on Pieters. He bombs it off the tee and has the ability to. Matt Abbatacola. April 6-9, 2017. Dustin Johnson, Jordan Spieth, Hideki Matsuyama. Rory McIlroy, Dustin Johnson, Phil Mickelson. Dustin Johnson, Jordan.
Guys have to hit it long and accurately off the tee, bravely fire second shots to avoid Rae's Creek and other pitfalls, and of course, putt exceptionally well on some of the slickest greens in the world.
A winner must do all of that while controlling his emotions in front of huge crowds and knowing that there's a good chance the course will play differently each of the four days.
Who has what it takes to win the Masters this week? Here's a look at each of the 87 players in the field, divided in groups from the legitimate contenders to the past champions to the amateurs:
Tier I: The guys who can win
Here are the legitimate contenders to win the Masters Tournament. They have the games, guts and nerves to handle four pressure-packed rounds on one of the most treacherous tracks in the world.
Rory McIlroy
For the fifth time at Augusta, McIlroy will try to complete the career grand slam by winning a green jacket. He finished tied for fifth in 2018 after posting a 74 on Sunday.
Dustin Johnson
He's arguably the most talented player in the world, but his experience at Augusta is mostly marked by heavy jet skis and tricky stairs. His best finish in eight tries is a tie for fourth.
Justin Rose
Rose is almost a modern-day Lee Trevino. He has 11 top-25 finishes and five top-10s at Augusta, including runners-up in 2015 and '17.
Bubba Watson
His courage, creativity and newly found yardage off the tee make him a contender to win a green jacket for the third time. Will his putting -- he's ranked 162nd in strokes gained in putting -- prevent him from doing it?
Brooks Koepka
The three-time major champion says his dramatic weight loss has cost him distance off the tees. The good news: He won't have a problem finding meat-and-threes in Georgia.
Francesco Molinari
The Italian was playing some of the best golf in the world until he lost in the semifinals of the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play last month. His best finish at the Masters is a tie for 19th in 2012.
Jon Rahm
The talented Spaniard had a pair of top-5 finishes in majors last year and seemed more mentally equipped to finish big events until his meltdown on Sunday at the Players. He had a solo fourth at Augusta last year after opening with a 75.
Rickie Fowler
The best player in the world to never win a major would probably like to shed that title. He finished second at the Masters in 2018, 1 shot behind champion Patrick Reed.
Jason Day
Day had a tie for second and a solo third in his first three Masters appearances, but he hasn't been nearly as good since. Hopefully his back holds up for four rounds.
Paul Casey
The Englishman won the Valspar Championship last month after a woeful appearance at the Players. He rallied to finish tied for 15th at the 2018 Masters after posting 74-75 his first two rounds. He had three straight top-10s at Augusta before that.
Bryson DeChambeau
Who can't wait for DeChambeau to ruffle traditionalists' feathers by leaving pins in the holes while putting on the most revered golf course in the world? At least he's deliberate on tee boxes.
Justin Thomas
Augusta National has been the former Alabama star's Clemson so far. He has posted only one score in the 60s in 12 career rounds at the Masters and hasn't finished better than a tie for 17th.
Tommy Fleetwood
The Englishman is still seeking his first PGA Tour victory after a near-miss at the Players. He tied for 17th in his second Masters appearance in 2018.
Tiger Woods
The four-time Masters winner keeps giving us hints of his former dominance, albeit without the results. He finished tied for 32nd in 2018, with three rounds of par or worse.
Phil Mickelson
The three-time Masters champion is trying to become the oldest majors champion, at more than 48 years. After finishing tied for 36th in 2018, Lefty wants to give Jake Owen his money's worth.
Tier II: If everything goes right ...
Here are the dark horse candidates to slip on a green jacket on Sunday. The list features past champions, including the most recent one, whose games have been works in progress so far this season. Will it all come together at Augusta?
Jordan Spieth
The 2015 Masters champion's game still seems to be a work in progress, especially off the tee, but Augusta National seems to bring out his best. He came into the 2018 tournament in a similar slump but finished solo third, two shots behind Reed.
Tony Finau
Finau dislocated his ankle while celebrating a hole-in-one during the Par-3 Contest -- and then popped it back into place -- and somehow finished tied for 10th.
Xander Schauffele
Schauffele has two wins and six other top-25s in 10 PGA events this season. He finished tied for 50th in his first Masters appearance in 2018.
Louis Oosthuizen
The South African was runner-up in 2012 with a memorable albatross and had a hole-in-one -- off J.B. Holmes' ball -- in 2016. He missed the cut four times and hasn't finished higher than a tie for 12th in his nine other appearances.
Adam Scott
The 2013 Masters champion has one top-10 finish at Augusta since he beat Angel Cabrera in a playoff to win the green jacket. He tied for 32nd last year.
Matt Kuchar
The former Georgia Tech star will find friendly galleries at Augusta, where he has four top-10s in his past seven appearances.
Hideki Matsuyama
The Japanese golfer has finished in the top 20 four straight times at Augusta, including 19th in 2018. He posted scores of par or better in 12 of his past 16 rounds at Augusta.
Patrick Reed
The reigning Masters champion hasn't won anything since he held off Fowler, Spieth and Rahm on Sunday last year. He has one top-10 finish in 10 Tour starts this season.
Sergio Garcia
The Spaniard followed his 2017 Masters title by missing the cut with 81-78 last year. It was only the 11th time a defending champion missed the cut the next year. Even worse, Garcia's 36-hole total of 15 over was the worst by a defending champion. Of course, that 13 he recorded at the par-5 15th in the opening round didn't help.
Marc Leishman
The Australian won the CIMB Classic in October and finished in the top 10 in half of his 10 Tour events this season. He had a solo ninth at the Masters in 2018.
Cameron Smith
The 25-year-old Australian provided a glimpse of his enormous potential by firing a 66 on Sunday last year to tie for fifth at the 2018 Masters.
Kevin Kisner
The Aiken, South Carolina, native grew up about 20 miles from the gates of Augusta National and would love nothing more than to win a green jacket. He took down some of the game's best to win the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play.
Brandt Snedeker
Snedeker has found his game again and is back after a one-year absence. He finished tied for 15th or better in four of his 10 Masters appearances.
Henrik Stenson
Stenson finished in a tie for fifth at the Masters last year, with four straight rounds under par. He struggled this season before reaching the round of 16 at the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play.
Tier III: Hey, miracles happen
They are the long shots. This tier includes a handful of aging former champions, a hometown favorite making his long-awaited return and some first-timers.
Webb Simpson
Kevin Na
Keegan Bradley
Charles Howell III
J.B. Holmes
Keith Mitchell
Gary Woodland
Rafa Cabrera Bello
Ian Poulter
Emiliano Grillo
Charley Hoffman
Jimmy Walker
Branden Grace
Si Woo Kim
Zach Johnson
Fred Couples
Bernhard Langer
Haotong Li
Tyrrell Hatton
Eddie Pepperell
Satoshi Kodaira
Thorbjorn Olesen
Matt Wallace
Matthew Fitzpatrick
Patrick Cantlay
Billy Horschel
Tier IV: Happy to make the cut
They aren't expected to be among the contenders, unless something magical happens. Some know-it-all probably said the same things about Danny Willett, Charl Schwartzel and Trevor Immelman before they unexpectedly won, too.
Martin Kaymer
Stewart Cink
Andrew Landry
Aaron Wise
Michael Kim
Kevin Tway
Adam Long
Patton Kizzire
Kyle Stanley
Alex Noren
Kiradech Aphibarnrat
Lucas Bjerregaard
Justin Harding
Shane Lowry
Corey Conners
Shugo Imahira
Tier V: Past champions
2017 Masters Picks Odds
They're here only because they own green jackets and earned the right to come back and play. Their days of competing are in the rearview mirror, however.
Angel Cabrera
Trevor Immelman
Sandy Lyle
Larry Mize
Jose Maria Olazabal
Charl Schwartzel
Vijay Singh
Mike Weir
Danny Willett
Ian Woosnam
Tier VI: Amateurs
They're the new kids on the block and the most talented (and most fortunate) amateur players in the world. They're trying to do what Ryan Moore (tied for 13th in 2005), Hideki Matsuyama (27th in 2011) and Bryson DeChambeau (21st in 2016) did before turning pro.
Viktor Hovland
Devon Bling
Jovan Rebula
Takumi Kanaya
Alvaro Ortiz
Kevin O'Connell
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2017 Masters Predictions
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