The first Major of the year is upon us as the 87th Masters Tournament is ready to get underway from the iconic and much-loved Augusta National Golf Club in Georgia, USA.
The Masters is the true season opener in the professional game but also in the grassroots game too, as it spells the start of lighter evenings, better weather and inspiration to get out there on the golf course.
This year's tournament is set to be fiercely competitive and plenty of storylines are dominating the pre-event hype. Can Scottie Scheffler successfully defend a Masters title for the first time since Tiger Woods in 2002? Will Rory McIlroy finally seal the career grand slam? And what about Tiger, could he shock the world and don the Green Jacket for the sixth time?
Here, we take a look at five Team TaylorMade athletes and how their chances are stacking up this week at Augusta, with TaylorMade players winning four of the last six Masters tournaments.
Key Masters Info
5 Players Who Could Win The 2023 Masters
Scottie Scheffler
- PGA Tour wins: 6
- Masters starts: 3
- Best Masters finish: 1st (2022)
View Scottie Scheffler What's in the bag?
We have to start with the defending champion. The Texan, World No.1, has already proved that last year wasn't a flash in the pan when he won four times in six starts, with victories coming at the WM Phoenix Open, Arnold Palmer Invitational, WGC-Match Play and then The Masters.
He was winless from mid-April until February this year, where he successfully defended his title at TPC Scottsdale to win his second successive WM Phoenix Open and return to the World No.1 spot. And from there he went and won the PGA Tour's flagship event at TPC Sawgrass to seal The Players Championship.
It has been a truly whirlwind last 14 months for Scottie, and if there's ever going to be a back-to-back Masters champion these days, it seems like he has more than enough to get over the line again. Look out for the gold strap on Scheffler's TaylorMade Season Opener staff bag this week at Augusta as the brand starts a trend for the future to celebrate their Masters champions.
Rory McIlroy
- PGA Tour wins: 23
- Masters starts: 14
- Best Masters finish: 2nd (2022)
View Rory McIlroy What's in the bag?
The four-time Major champion's game is seemingly made for Augusta, with his towering ball flight perfect for shaping his way around the Georgia venue and his silky short game touch there to save him when missing the treacherous greens. A Green Jacket victory would secure him the career grand slam, as the sixth golfer to win all four of the modern day Majors.
McIlroy is always one of the pre-tournament favourites at The Masters but he comes in this week after winning the Dubai Desert Classic at the start of the year and an impressive showing at the WGC-Match Play, where he finished 3rd after narrowly losing in the semi-finals.
The Northern Irishman was second at Augusta last year to record his best-ever Masters finish, where he holed a sensational bunker shot on the 18th green to card a final round of 64. Can he do it this week? Of course he can.
Tiger Woods
- PGA Tour wins: 82
- Masters starts: 24
- Best Masters finish: 1st (1997, 2001, 2002, 2005, 2019)
View Tiger Woods What's in the bag?
The 15-time Major winner made a stunning return to Major championship golf last year, making the cut at Augusta just 14 months after his horrific car accident in LA.
Woods, a five-time Masters winner, reminded us all of how gifted he is and he's had a whole year to continue his recovery ahead of an improbable push for a sixth Green Jacket triumph and a 16th Major title.
The American, arguably the greatest player of all time, might not be as mobile as he once was but he can never be written off. His driving distance shown at February's Genesis Invitational was truly incredible and nobody knows how to manage their game better than him. A solid week in the long game and a good week around the greens could see him battling it out for victory come Sunday evening. How good would that be?
Collin Morikawa
- PGA Tour wins: 5
- Masters starts: 3
- Best Masters finish: 5th (2022)
View Collin Morikawa What's in the bag?
The Californian is one of the most impressive players to have burst onto the scene in recent years, with Morikawa capturing the 2020 PGA Championship and 2021 Open Championship in his tournament debuts.
Morikawa was playing with McIlroy last year when the Northern Irishman holed his final hole bunker shot, and he duly stepped up and did the exact same thing! That stunning sand shot gave him a 5th-place and his best Masters finish, and they're gradually getting better. He was T44th in his 2020 debut, T18th the next year and 5th in 2022. Could he go even better this week?
The two-time Major champion plays well at Augusta because it's a second shot golf course, and there's not many better with their irons than Morikawa. His ability to find the correct portions of the greens and avoid the disaster zones continue to stand him in good stead at Augusta.
Tommy Fleetwood
- DP World Tour wins: 6
- Masters starts: 6
- Best Masters finish: T14th (2022)
View Tommy Fleetwood What's in the bag?
Another elite, world class iron player is Tommy Fleetwood, who is looking to become just the third Englishman in Masters history to win the Green Jacket.
Tommy is one of the most likeable players in the game, but he's one of the best, too. With six DP World Tour titles to his name and two Ryder Cup appearances under his belt, including his stunning rookie debut in 2018 at Le Golf National, Fleetwood has plenty of experience competing against, and beating, the world's best.
He looks to be showing good form, too, with a T3 less than two weeks ago at the Valspar Championship.
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