Good morning, and yeah—Augusta starts today. For most people, that’s basically the official beginning of the golf season, even if you’re not trying to babysit every fairway for four straight weekends.
Misryoum editorial desk noted that the Masters is one of those rare sports events where you almost need a guide, because the whole thing can blur together unless you know where to look. So here are four threads worth pulling as Round 1 gets underway over the next four days.
Rory McIlroy is the obvious anchor here, defending a green jacket after finally collecting his elusive win last year. Misryoum newsroom reported that he seems more relaxed this time around, which… honestly, it tracks. When you’ve been waiting a decade for something like the career grand slam, there’s a lot to exhale. Still, the practical question is whether “loose” turns into sharp. Misryoum analysis indicates he’s not exactly shown his best form entering the Masters: three PGA Tour events completed, a tie for 14th at the Pebble Beach Pro-Am, then a tie for second at the Genesis Invitational, one stroke behind Jacob Bridgeman, before back spasms forced him to withdraw from the Arnold Palmer Invitational. At the Players Championship, he finished even par in a tie for 46th. It’s a weird mix—hope and doubt in the same swing.
The other fan favorite Misryoum editorial team stated is Bryson DeChambeau, who’s not just chasing a Masters title but also basically operates like a walking content machine. He’s identified himself as a “Content Creator and Professional Golfer” in his Instagram bio, and whichever label comes first, the numbers are big: 4.4 million followers on Instagram and 2.7 million YouTube subscribers. Even if he competes on the less prominent LIV Golf tour, he may be the most famous active golfer on the planet right now. He already has two major championships—U.S. Opens in 2020 and ’24—and multiple near-misses, including second places in each of the past two PGA Championships and a top 10 at the two most recent Masters. Misryoum newsroom reported he’s also taking tinkering into full gear: DeChambeau told ESPN on Wednesday that he plans to use a 5-iron he 3D-printed himself. That club would need USGA approval before it can go in his bag. Or maybe it won’t—anyway, it sounds like exactly the kind of move that will dominate both leaderboards and feeds.
Then there’s Gary Woodland, the feel-good storyline that doesn’t feel like it should be undercut by golf coverage at all. Woodland underwent surgery for a brain tumor in 2023 and has been open about what it took to get back. He was diagnosed with PTSD last year and has said large crowds make him feel unsafe, though he credits PGA Tour security and his caddie, Brennan Little, with easing his anxiety on the course. Misryoum analysis indicates the mental health piece can flare during competition, like it did in the second round of last month’s Houston Open. The part that really lands: he still won the tournament. Woodland told reporters this week that he had a “big battle Friday of Houston,” got hypervigilant on the 9th hole, and spent the last 10 holes thinking people were trying to kill him—then, crucially, described talking to Tour security and having his security team behind him on the weekend as the difference. After that win (his first tournament victory since his 2019 U.S. Open), he earned his spot in this week’s Masters field. He didn’t play at Augusta last year because his five-year exemption expired, but now he’s back—still carrying all of it.
Scottie Scheffler’s chapter feels more like golf fans trying to read tea leaves. Misryoum newsroom reported that he’s starting to look human after dominating for a few years, with results that are “good but not great” this season. He opened by winning the American Express in late January, then posted top-five finishes in his next two starts. After that it was tied for 12th at the Genesis Invitational in February, then tied for 24th at the Arnold Palmer Invitational and tied for 22nd at the Players. Those aren’t disasters. But Misryoum editorial desk noted they’re not the lofty standard he set. One clear deficiency shows up in strokes gained on approach shots: he ranks 82nd in that category this season, even though he led all players last season. The counterweight is Augusta history—wins in 2022 and ’24, a tie for 10th in ’23, and fourth place last year. So maybe this is the place he flips the switch back. Actually, who knows—Augusta has a way of deciding things for you, and you can almost hear it in your head: the clink of clubs and the hush right before a putt.
