Graham DeLaet returns after two years

Andy Ogletree has imagined hitting that tee shot many times. It always ends up in the same spot, just past the deep bunker that guards the right side of Augusta National’s first fairway. Ogletree was scheduled to hit that tee shot today in the first round of the Masters. But then the world was turned upside down by the coronavirus pandemic. Sports, like the rest of life, were impacted, and the Masters is no exception. The tournament was pushed back seven months, to Nov. 12-15. Related: The Masters in November: What to expect | Roundtable: Most emotional Masters | Ranking Tiger’s top 10 clubs Fans and players alike anticipate this rite of spring with unparalleled excitement, but Ogletree has a unique perspective. He wasn’t just scheduled to play his first Masters. He was going to play with Tiger Woods. “I’ve thought about it a lot. I’m not going to lie,â€� he said. He doesn’t let those thoughts travel past the first tee shot, though. “I’ve played that tee shot a lot in my head, but I don’t want to get ahead of myself. The gameplan is to focus on the first one and then add them up from there,â€� he said. Pairings for this year’s Masters haven’t been released, but pairing the U.S. Amateur and Masters champions is one of the tournament’s many traditions. Augusta National was co-founded by the greatest amateur of all time, the incomparable Bobby Jones, and its respect for the amateur game runs deep. Woods put on his fifth green jacket last April. Ogletree watched the final round in his apartment with his teammates. “We all went crazy,â€� he said. “It’s definitely a day I’ll remember forever.â€� Another one came four months later, at the historic Pinehurst Resort. Ogletree knew what was at stake when he faced John Augenstein in the final match of the U.S. Amateur. “(Playing with Woods) was a big interview topic throughout the week,â€� Ogletree said. Both finalists already had Masters invitations in hand, but only the winner would play with the 15-time major champion. Ogletree was 4 down after five holes but won four of the final seven holes for a 2-and-1 win. His four-hole deficit is believed to be the fourth-largest overcome by a champion. Woods was 6 down through 13 holes against Trip Kuehne in 1994. Two years later, he was 5 down after the morning round of the 36-hole match, as was Labron Harris in 1962. “I was definitely looking forward to it,â€� Ogletree said about the Masters. “I’ll just keep looking forward to it for a while. It’s all perspective. I just have to have a positive outlook. That’s all I can do now.â€� Ogletree also joins Jones and Matt Kuchar as Georgia Tech alums to hoist the Havemeyer Trophy as the U.S. Amateur champion. Kuchar, Ogletree and Jones’ grandson, Bobby Jones IV, all met at last year’s TOUR Championship at East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta. Kuchar also played with Woods in the Masters after winning the 1997 U.S. Amateur. Woods won that year’s Masters by 12 shots. Woods beat Kuchar by just a stroke, 71 to 72, in the first round and just three strokes for the week. Woods finished T8, six shots behind Mark O’Meara, while Kuchar, then a college sophomore, impressed with a T21 finish. He finished T14 at that year’s U.S. Open, as well. Kuchar and Ogletree are scheduled to play a practice round at the Masters, but perhaps Ogletree can also dispense some advice. He’s already played Augusta National in November. Last fall, he played the same weekend that that this year’s tournament is scheduled to be played. Now he has even more time to prepare for his first major. His senior season at Georgia Tech was cut short by coronavirus, so he returned home to Mississippi to be with his family. His hometown of Little Rock, Mississippi, has approximately 2,000 residents. “It’s a lot easier to social-distance here,â€� he said. His U.S. Amateur win also earned him spots in The Open Championship, which has been pushed to back to 2021, and U.S. Open, which is now scheduled to be played in September. These changes have likely delayed his plans to turn pro. Every aspect of life is full of uncertainty right now. For now, Ogletree is working on his game at two local courses. “I’m sure I’ll watch this week. Anytime it’s Masters week, I’m watching with multiple screens,â€� Ogletree said. “It was always a big week for my family, as golf fans.â€� This year, it will be even bigger.

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Harry Higgs … PGA National is no joke, but it doesn’t discriminate against newcomers. Since the current definition of a rookie was adopted during the 2013 season, 15 true rookies have recorded a top-25 finish at The Honda Classic. They’re led by Daniel Berger’s playoff loss in 2015, Luke Guthrie’s solo third in 2013 and Wesley Bryan’s T4 in 2017. Higgs has enjoyed a fruitful rookie experience in 2019-20 with six top 25s, including in each of his last three starts. He’s consistent throughout his bag, evidenced by ranking 16th in the all-around. He’s also 24th in bogey avoidance. Russell Knox … Before the Scot was twice a winner on the PGA TOUR, two of his three podium finishes occurred at PGA National, first with a playoff loss in his debut in 2014, and then with a T3 in 2015. His penchant in finding so many fairways and greens not only positioned him as a threat on challenging tracks, it also laid the foundation for sustainable success. Alas, he’s just 2-for-4 without a top 25 in The Honda Classic since, but the interim between the close calls and his latest appearance has allowed his stature to subside enough to qualify among this weekly fivesome. Still proficient with the irons, he slots 16th in greens hit and T28 in proximity. He’s also 25th in scrambling and 11th in bogey avoidance. Jhonattan Vegas … It’s no secret why he’s 6-for-7 at PGA National with three top 20s, including last year’s T16 when he opened with a field-low 64. The 35-year-old Venezuelan always has profiled as a ball-striker, and a long-hitting one at that when the occasion calls for it. He’s also proven to be streaky, so what better than a course-record 62 in his finale at Coco Beach upon which to spring into south Florida. Predictably en route to his T9 at the Puerto Rico Open, he ranked inside the top 15 in total driving and greens in regulation. Sam Burns … Until he wins a PGA TOUR event, it’s possible that fans’ lasting image of him is when he was in lockstep and matching smiles with Tiger Woods off the first tee at PGA National in the final round two years ago. Burns went on to birdie the hole and closed in bogey-free 68 to place T8. (Woods signed for an even-par 70.) After returning from a broken ankle last summer, Burns endured a quiet autumn, but he’s connected for a T6 (American Express) and a T23 (Genesis) more recently. He can hang with almost anyone off the tee, but his putting is the primary, albeit inconsistent weapon thus far this season. Tim Wilkinson … The 41-year-old southpaw from New Zealand has been the poster boy of resiliency throughout his career. Amid injuries and in between membership statuses, he’s managed to make 171 PGA TOUR starts while cracking the top 110 in FedExCup points or earnings (when it still determined status) only once. He’s poised for his seventh appearance at PGA National where two of his career four mid-tournament withdrawals have occurred and where he hasn’t finished inside the top 50 in 12 years. However, all three of his top 25s this season were logged in his last four starts, so his form is in as good shape as he’s displayed. Currently 18th in fairways hit, T25 in proximity, 28th in scrambling and T18 in bogey avoidance. NOTE: Sleeper is a relative term, so Rob uses unofficial criteria to determine who qualifies. Each of the following usually is determined to be ineligible for this weekly staple: Winners of the tournament on the current host course; winners in the same season; recent major champions; top 50 in the Official World Golf Ranking; recent participants of team competitions.

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