On Thursday, April 11, the Masters Tournament Golf begins in the American state of Georgia. It is the first major golf tournament of this season and the 88th edition since the tournament’s inception.
Masters Golf
The Masters is one of the four Major golf tournaments. Each year in April, it is played at the Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia. The other three majors are the US Open, the Open Championship, and the PGA Championship. The tournament was first played in 1934 and is the only one of the four Major golf tournaments held at the same venue each year. Normally, participants are only allowed to compete with an invitation, but Masters winners are granted a lifetime invitation.
Due to the rule that participants can only compete by invitation, the Masters Tournament has the smallest field of participants among all major championships. There are several criteria to obtain such an invitation. All previous winners are immediately invited, as well as recent winners of major championships, leading players in the PGA Tour, and so on.
In this 88th edition, participants compete for the green jacket, or ‘green jacket’. This jacket is traditionally awarded to the winner by the previous year’s champion.
Favorites
Golf legend Tiger Woods is likely to participate in the Masters for the 26th time. The five-time winner has already been spotted on the courses during training sessions. However, Woods has been struggling with injuries resulting from a serious car accident in 2021. If he wins again this time, he will equal Jack Nicklaus’ record.
Spanish golfer Jon Rahm managed to secure victory last year. In December, he signed a €300 million contract to join the Saudi-backed LIV Golf, becoming the most expensive athlete ever.
Scottie Scheffler is the world number 1 according to the PGA ranking. In December, he was able to win again against nineteen other top golfers in the Hero World Challenge. He also finished twenty strokes ahead of Tiger Woods.
Rory McIlroy is just below Scheffler and is also one of the favorites for this championship. The former world number 1 hasn’t won a major in a long time, but he consistently performs well in other tournaments.
The Course
Augusta National Golf Club is an iconic golf course. Before the club was established, it was an indigo plantation until Bobby Jones and Clifford Roberts bought the land in 1931. With its diverse holes, it is one of the most challenging courses for golfers. The golf club is also known for its many flowers and shrubs. The total distance of the course is 6321 meters for amateurs and 6799 meters for professionals, and the average professional player requires 72 strokes for the entire course. Below is a list of some special holes.
Hole 1: Tea Olive: The Tea Olive is a challenging first hole. An average professional golfer requires 4 strokes here. Participants start on a grassy area that slopes slightly upward. Especially the mental aspect is important at this hole: after working towards this tournament for so long, the moment of the swing finally arrives.
Hole 2: Pink Dogwood: This hole is the longest of all holes. Over a total of 585 yards or nearly 535 meters, participants first need to hit a ball to the right side, then make the turn towards the hole. On average, they need 5 strokes here.
The most notorious part of the course is ‘Amen Corner,’ consisting of holes 11, 12, and 13. In this stretch, a lot can go wrong for the player, and players are usually very relieved if they come out of the three holes with minimal loss. Byron Nelson also excelled here and won his first Masters largely because he made a birdie (one stroke less than average) and an eagle (two strokes under average) here.
Hole 17: Nandina: Former US President Dwight D. Eisenhower was a member of Augusta National Golf Club. He found the large tree on the left side of hole 17 troublesome and demanded its removal. The members’ meeting was immediately adjourned, and the request was denied. The ‘Eisenhower Tree’ remained standing until it was damaged by a storm in March 2014.
Magic Betting live
Do you want to make these competitions even more exciting? Take a look at the Magic Betting App or via the website www.magicbetting.be for the best online sports bets. Be sure to check out the various promotions. Take your chance and win!
