Patrick Cantlay, Xander Schauffele maintain one-shot lead at Zurich Classic

The Masters is finally here. It's been a long 19 months since Tiger Woods completed one of the game's most historic wins. As always, there are plenty of storylines surrounding this year's Masters. Let's discuss some of the top ones before the final major of a trying year. 1. As it's been for many, 2020 has been one to forget for Tiger Woods. He is coming off a T72 in his title defense at the ZOZO CHAMPIONSHIP @ SHERWOOD and a missed cut at the U.S. Open at Winged Foot. What do we expect from our defending champion? BEN EVERILL: Rocks and diamonds. After seeing what he was able to do in 2019, I won't be dismissing the notion of another win anytime soon, but I get the feeling this time a few mistakes will do enough damage to pull him out of the mix. Without the roars and energy to help him float around the pines Woods will finish somewhere in the ballpark of 25th. CAMERON MORFIT: As we know from Jack Nicklaus, Fred Couples, Bernhard Langer and others, people who learn how to play Augusta National don't just suddenly unlearn it. Woods hasn't looked right in 2020, his speed is down, and I STILL think he'll be in the mix for at least a couple rounds. Even he doesn't really know what he has when he shows up to tournaments these days, but so what? I'd argue that was the case at the TOUR Championship, Masters and ZOZO CHAMPIONSHIP, his last three wins. SEAN MARTIN: He hasn't missed a Masters cut since his sophomore season at Stanford, so I think that's out of the question. He has 14 top-10s in 20 Masters starts as a pro. Familiarity with Augusta National goes a long way, but it also can't overcome physical limitations. I agree with Ben. I think a T25 is in the offing. 2. Good times for the oldies lately, with 40-somethings Stewart Cink (Safeway), Sergio Garcia (Sanderson Farms) and Brian Gay (Bermuda) picking up wins. Martin Laird, 37, also won at the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open. Which wily veterans are on your radar at Augusta? EVERILL: Woods has the capacity to be what we saw multiple times from the likes of Jack Nicklaus, Fred Couples and Bernhard Langer but if we are using 40 as the barrier to veteran status I'll also put in a vote for Adam Scott. He had decent form through the Vivint Houston Open to show his bout with COVID-19 hasn't hampered him too much. MORFIT: He's still just 37, but Francesco Molinari is starting to play well again just in time for another Masters. He'll want to make a new memory after his painful wreck on 12 (on the way to a T5) that opened the door for Tiger last year. And you'll think I'm crazy, but 2007 champion Zach Johnson, 44, is starting to show something again with a T8 at the U.S. Open and top-25s at the Sanderson Farms Championship and Shriners Hospitals for Children Open. If Augusta plays fast and bouncy and cool, I could see a top-10 finish from him. MARTIN: Paul Casey's form has been a bit off since, but he did finish runner-up at the PGA Championship. Combine that with the fact that he had four straight top-15s at the Masters from 2015-18, including three finishes of sixth or better in that span. 3. Adam Scott, the 2013 Masters champion, had a nice showing at the Vivint Houston Open. Anyone else from the last 10 years of winners we should be keeping an eye on? EVERILL: As noted above, I see Scott having a good crack at another title but if I have to shove away from my Aussie mate, I'll say Bubba Watson is a serious sleeper for a third Masters win. He's been showing flashes of form in recent weeks and he can curve the ball around the joint better than most. MORFIT: I agree that Watson is trending in a nice direction with a T4 at the ZOZO and T7 at THE CJ CUP @ SHADOW CREEK. I'd also throw Sergio Garcia in there after watching him win the Sanderson. As much as I'd like to say to keep an eye on Phil Mickelson, I just can't. Patrick Reed would be a better bet. MARTIN: I'll have to give another mention of Watson because of his good form and the fact that he has made steps to work on the anxiety that can hamper him. He admitted in a Golfweek story that his drastic weight loss a few years ago was caused by anxiety but he has been getting help and doing breathing exercises. Watson has all the physical gifts in the world. If his mental game is improving, as well, that could be a dangerous combination. 4. Much of the attention since golf returned in June has been on Bryson DeChambeau. He won the U.S. Open on a course that many didn't think would suit him, and now heads to Augusta, which as Jordan Spieth said recently should suit him perfectly. Is Bryson the clear favorite? EVERILL: Short answer, yes. While he hasn't putted well at Augusta before this new and improved Bryson is much steadier on the greens and he will be hitting wedges on most holes so his putts will all be shorter anyway. While finishing off a Masters win is very difficult, the fact no patrons will be in attendance will also limit the pressure. MORFIT: He's the clear favorite. We forget that in 2016 then-amateur DeChambeau was just one off the lead as he stood on the 18th tee Friday, but triple-bogeyed the hole and finished 21st. He likes the course, and this will showcase the aspect of his game that remains underrated, his putting. MARTIN: How quickly we forget about the No. 1 player in the world, a guy who has finished in the top 10 in the last four Masters. And it wasn't long ago we were calling HIM unbeatable because of his dominant run to the FedExCup. Johnson has figured out how to play Augusta National and has the physical skills to boot. I give Johnson the edge because of his history at Augusta National. 5. This Masters will be played seven months later than usual. Will it still be the same? EVERILL: No. But that's OK. We will all miss the roars and atmosphere we've become accustomed to but hopefully it's a one-off and can be one of those things you can talk about well into the future. Remember the 2020 Masters when we could see the entire course without grandstands? Remember how pure the product looked on tv? It was like being right in the middle of the action yourself. And how about that epic finish when Jason Day, Adam Scott Cameron Smith and Marc Leishman all made the playoff. MORFIT: Not exactly. One of the oddities of this Masters has been the qualification criteria, which didn't account for hot players since the PGA TOUR came back in June. So there's no Daniel Berger, no Stewart Cink. That feels odd. No fans will feel odd. The weather will be cooler, and that, too, will feel odd. So no, it most assuredly won't be the same. That said, it will feel good to be there again soaking up all that history amid the pines. Kudos to Augusta National for even finding a way to have the tournament. MARTIN: I'm OK with the field being frozen from April. Those other players will get their chance in 2021, as it's always been. It would be weird to me if a player won this year's Masters who was only in the field because the tournament was moved by a pandemic. To me, that would be more unfair. The biggest adjustment will be the two-tee start and early weekend finishes. It will be interesting to see how, if at all, these new tee times will impact the tournament.

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Perhaps 100 yards remained on his walk to the first tee. But no worries. John Daly knew he had plenty of time. It was the Sunday before the Masters would start, the serenity was thick, traffic on the golf course thin, and the lure of the pro shop was impossible to fight off. He veered left and went shopping. For ashtrays. Boxes of them, the volume requiring assistance from a few others to carry out to his car. Daly knew it looked curious, so he stopped to answer the inquiry. “Love the ashtrays,â€� he said to a reporter. OK, that explained buying one or two. But not boxes of them. Daly laughed. Lots of friends who deserved, and would get, gifts. Then he shrugged. “Plus, who knows how many more times I’m going to be in this thing?â€� Which is a layer of the story that supports the notion that the Masters is unlike any other week of the golf year. The merchandise – only available on-site at Augusta National; there is no online shopping presence — is such a huge attraction, even the players partake. The same players who every other week of the golf season see only the golf course, the practice range, and the dining area. Even Mark Calcavecchia – a notoriously fast player who wouldn’t strike you as the sort who’d meander through the shirt or hat rack to find the perfect gift – concedes he made the merchandise shop an annual stop in his 18 Masters. “They have a lot of cool stuff,â€� Calcavecchia said. “Basically, it was my Christmas shopping.â€� Of course, there was a strategy, given the crowds and his desire to get in practice rounds. “You always went on Monday, to get ahead of people and you’d have lot more stuff to choose from.â€� Chances are, Calcavecchia crossed paths with other players and caddies, because veteran Augusta visitors knew the secrets. Hitting the merchandise shop on Monday was one of them. “A high priority,â€� said Jim “Bonesâ€� Mackay, longtime caddie for Phil Mickelson, a three-time winner of this fabled tournament. “Having been blessed to be there quite a few years, I realized early that they ran out of some merchandise quicker than others.â€� And when you have a shopping list from your wife and friends, you cannot fail. So, Mackay said his mission on Mondays was the go-to items. Near the top of the list, if not the very top, wasn’t the golf shirt with a Masters logo, it was the onesie for the newest editions to various families. “My wife (Jennifer) loved them,â€� he said. “They are the best gift in the world, a cool onesie with the logo on it.â€� His assignment had other must-stop points on the merchandise trail. Passing hats and other popular items, Mackay was a big fan of some “really good workout shirts that made for cool gifts.â€� He also fell for the Masters gnomes that became quite popular a few years ago. OK, maybe he was partial to it because the little fella is dressed as an Augusta National caddie – the famed white jumpsuit even features the players’ registration number on the left chest – with a golf bag over his shoulder. Of course, the hat is green with an iconic logo. While many of his purchases are for family and friends, Mackay concedes that he and his wife very much like the gnomes and have the collection strategically spread out in various potted plants in their home. While they may not resonate like the personal rewards of those Mickelson wins in 2004, 2006 and 2010 – that being flags from the 18th hole – Mackay said the gnomes draw plenty of attention from visitors. That is the power of the iconic Masters logo. “All the stuff has the logo on it and people everywhere see that and know it’s a prestigious place,â€� Calcavecchia said. “Yes, I did,â€� said Brandel Chamblee, when asked if he included shopping duties when he qualified for the Masters in 1999. “Not only to remember the week, but because it is the one place where all of your friends and family make requests of the players for gear from the event.â€� Chamblee’s visit 21 years ago left an indelible impression, because he opened with a 69 to share the first-round lead with Nick Price, Davis Love III and Scott McCarron. Jose Maria Olazabal would win the green jacket for a second time that year, but Chamblee acquitted himself nicely with a share of 18th, and should he need reminders of his one Masters appearance, there are the prizes he earned (crystal vase for his low score in the first round, crystal goblets for an eagle at No. 13, also Thursday) and purchases he made. “I still have the T-shirt I bought that week and the high-ball glasses I bought with all the former champions on it,â€� he said. Brett Quigley, like Chamblee, got only one start in the Masters (2007) but confirms that merchandise was a big part of it. “We had two houses rented that week, so we had lots of friends there,â€� said Quigley. “Both houses were full of the Masters gear – hats, T-shirts, golf shirts, baby clothes, umbrella, and chairs.â€� Just so you don’t think it’s only first-time visitors like Chamblee or Quigley who are part of the shopping corps, there was the legendary Billy Casper. He first competed in the Masters in 1957 and for all his 44 other starts and all those years through 2014 that he regaled the pageantry with is presence, gifts were a must. True, he entrusted his wonderful wife, Shirley, to organize the gift list, and “each year she bought an item for each of the 150 players in my dad’s charity event,â€� said Bob Casper, one of Billy’s 11 children. One-hundred-fifty gifts, at the minimum? “We always enjoyed shopping at the Masters,â€� said Bob. Truth is, who among the fortunate attendees doesn’t? “I would always go early Monday or late Monday,â€� said Mackay, who would be out of uniform (not wearing the caddie jumpsuit), yet it wouldn’t stop fans from pointing him out or even engaging in conversation. “But people were always nice,â€� said Mackay, who never had an issue. The reason, he suggested, was simple. “When you get in (the merchandise shop), you have a responsibility,â€� he said. “You’re there to get it done. Everyone has shopping on their minds because there are amazing keepsakes.â€� Amazing socks, too, and if you find yourself laughing, chances are Fred Couples will not see the humor. The 1992 champion is arguably one of the most popular Masters participants of this and any other era, and few love the place like he does. So, if Couples suggests that his impeccable longevity – 30 cuts made in 34 starts, a win and 10 other top-10s – is built from the bottom up, starting with the socks, then who would argue? True, his cool nonchalance is God-given, but the youthful spring in his step when he’s on property at Augusta National? Couples’ friends will tell you it comes from the new pair of socks he purchases every day. “He loves the socks,â€� confirmed former longtime caddie Joe LaCava. Not that the popular attractions don’t stretch beyond onesies, gnomes, and socks. They surely do, something Billy Andrade always knew, though it was reinforced last April. Andrade, who played in six Masters and concedes that he was a typical shopper, was in Augusta doing some corporate hospitality. He’s done it in the past and has become friendly with many of the guests. When a woman sat down at his table, Andrade noticed a couple of merchandise bags. “Get everything you needed?â€� he asked. The woman said yes, then laughed and revealed the highlight of her trip to the merchandise shop. “You wouldn’t believe it,â€� she said, “but a man in a coat and tie was in line and he bought 150 Masters flags.â€� Andrade said he chuckled, didn’t think anything of it until the woman stole a glance at a TV that was showing the Golf Channel’s coverage of the Masters. “There he is,â€� the woman exclaimed, pointing to a gentleman in suit coat and tie. “The man who bought the 150 flags.â€� Andrade laughed. Yes, he knew the person the woman was pointing to; it was somebody well-known in golf circles. But we’ll keep it a mystery. Shopping at Augusta, even very large orders, is just part of the experience – for patrons, players, and golf analysts.

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Hey! Remember us? Yeah, so you’re wish didn’t come true in the offseason. It’s still Glass and Rob analyzing the PointsBet boards for PGA TOUR Pick ‘Em Live. Better luck next time. Then again, Rob put up a decent fight last season to keep his card. He recorded two top 10s among seven top-30 finishes in this game. The highlight was the solo third on the timeliness of the rain at the conclusion of The Honda Classic. It no doubt aided in Sepp Straka hanging on for a breakthrough victory. Rob’s a lifelong Chicago Cubs’ fan, so it’s not the first time he’s benefited from weather late in a competition. Glass forever is the formidable foil, which is just how he likes it. He has Rob exactly where he wants him, or something like that. Our fellas haven’t wasted any time in latching hope to the shiny new toys, er, the latest Korn Ferry Tour Finals graduating class for the Fortinet Championship. As always, they’ve baked strategic advice and tips into their analyses below. Register for PGA TOUR Pick ‘Em Live here and monitor Rob’s and Glass’ progress as Influencers. For a broader explanation of the format and FAQs, click here. TOURNAMENT TO WIN Rob … Austin Eckroat (+12500) Not that anyone remembers – well, except for me – but I’m fresh off shutting out Glass in the 2021-22 season finale, so I open 2022-23 with the honor. That said, Glass totally has the right idea here. I’m done with limping in with odds shorter than five digits because even when my pre-tournament choices have been in contention on a Sunday and without me touching the dial, the odds have been longer on Sunday. I vow, never again. I’ll call Glass’ sophomore with Eckroat the rookie. He was the runner-up at the KFT Championship just down the road from Glass in The Crossroads of America. Rollovers of KFT studs into the fall portion of the TOUR schedule has been the real deal over time, so in this last experience of the phenomenon, I want to hop on for a ride. Glass … Brandon Wu (+12500) California love usually reigns here and so does painting fairways and greens. The Stanford alum sat 63rd in fairways hit and 19th in greens in regulation on TOUR last season, and he won’t be overwhelmed by his surroundings. With a pair of top-10 paydays and four of six finishes of T30 or better, he is trending in the right direction. As always with this early decision, start high and work your way back down, if necessary. TOP 10 Glass … Will Gordon (+1100) I’m not shy endorsing bombers this week and there are plenty entered. His second tour on TOUR sees him roll into town in fantastic form. A pair of T5s preceded his win on Poa annua at Albertsons in the KFT Finals. Grinding out cuts in the next two events of the Finals suggests he’s not settling this time around. Rob … Justin Suh (+550) Here’s where we need to be sharp about our selection. With this bet historically opening during a reasonable hour in the U.S. after R1, but then infrequently at the same hour after R2 and R3, I want to open with a strong foundation who I believe will shorten after he signs his first scorecard as a member of the PGA TOUR. Suh is everything we want, so I was going to figure out a way to slot the KFT points leader times two into a bet. I’d have been elated with, say, +400. TOP USA PLAYER Rob … Maverick McNealy (+1600) At last check, Eckroat was +8000, which is favorable, but we don’t know how often this bet will unlock, if at all. Before you consider griping, remember, this is gambling and we’re all in it together. Homa is No. 1 in my Power Rankings – he should be as the defending champion and home-state stud – but in respect to the potential that he’s looking ahead to his debut in next week’s Presidents Cup, I’m sliding down to the No. 2. McNealy was the runner-up last year and Silverado is almost as comfortable a stage as its regional neighbor and his personal haunt, Pebble Beach. He’s among the best on TOUR without a victory, but he doesn’t need to win to yield coinage. Glass … Scott Harrington (+15000) Not his first rodeo as he’s cashed in both previous visits to Silverado (T36-T23). Has no problem sending it and his aggregate total of 20-under doesn’t have me panicking. Yet. Good news is the market can be timed over the weekend – if you handle it – and adjustments can be made. Let’s hope that’s not the case in Week 1! ROUND 1 LEADER Glass … Patrick Rodgers (+10000) Five straight entered, five straight paid. The last two have been 68 and 67 so I’m looking for another low one, this time off the second group Thursday morning. The former Stanford player is teeing it up here for the ninth consecutive season so I won’t have to worry about him being motivated getting out of bed. Always dream early so that you can find reality later in the day. Rob … Cam Davis (+6000) Silverado is the most equitable in terms of its nines and how every hole lines up within them. So, there’s no reason to consider either side of the course as the opening half among the morning wavers. With the tournament in my time zone, I don’t have to worry about this window closing before I’m lucid, so it’s nice to know that it’s not entirely a lottery ticket. The Aussie was lighting the world on fire for four months, so he’s a no-brainer to get after it out of the fifth threesome going off 10. Sure, like others, he might be distracted by what’s on deck at the Presidents Cup, but all we care about here is one round. I also believe in thinking less about the action in favor of letting the body and muscle memory do its thing, so therein lies the experiment. NOTE: While Glass and Rob typically stick with their selections as detailed in Pick ‘Em Preview, they are allowed the right to make changes at any time.

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