The Masters golf LIVE: Odds, tee times and latest updates as storms delay start at Augusta

Joaquin Niemann was the one golfer eager to lean into the LIV-PGA Tour rivalry earlier than final yr’s Masters, suggesting he had a fireplace beneath his stomach to outperform his PGA Tour rivals “understanding that they hate us”.

An eventual T16 end didn’t give him a lot cause to brag however the Chilean returns to Georgia in the perfect type of his life, having loved a productive winter on the DP World Tour adopted by two wins in LIV’s first 4 occasions.

Such shows earned the 25-year-old a late invite to the Masters however, with final yr’s end at Augusta marking his first top-20 in a serious, he should now take his sport to a different stage but once more if he’s to again up his invite and cope with the sport’s greatest.

Clark received for the primary time on the PGA Tour just one month previous to tasting main success final yr however, since then, the American’s shows have ensured he received’t be considered a flash-in-the-pan main champion.

Capturing his second victory on tour on the Pebble Seashore Professional-Am in February this yr, the 30-year-old completed runner-up to Scheffler in back-to-back weeks on the Arnold Palmer Invitational and Gamers Championship. This April will probably be Clark’s first journey round Augusta in competitors however there isn’t any suggestion to this point in his flourishing profession that such a prospect ought to faze him.

Following a tricky spell with accidents in 2022, Brooks Koepka appeared able to re-announce himself on the most important stage at this match final yr earlier than falling quick after Rahm’s excellent Sunday displaying.

The American, although, didn’t have to attend lengthy to interrupt his close to four-year winless main run, tasting victory on the following month’s PGA Championship at Bay Hill with a commanding two-shot victory.

The place Scheffler revels in his unnerving consistency, Koepka’s day-to-day document is extra cold and hot. He has three wins since his transfer to LIV however has completed inside the highest ten simply as soon as of their first 4 occasions.

However the 33-year-old is the person for the massive event and there’s no better stage than Augusta. With two second-place finishes at Augusta in his final 5 begins and fairly probably the best main championship participant of his era, he isn’t somebody to be neglected.

Most golf followers are effectively conscious of the statistic which makes Aberg seem an unlikely contender, specifically that Fuzzy Zoeller was the final participant to win the Masters on their match debut again in 1979.

As well as, the Masters will probably be Aberg’s first look in any main, however the 24-year-old Swede has defied the percentages since turning skilled in June 2023, successful on the DP World Tour and PGA Tour and justifying his wild card by serving to Europe regain the Ryder Cup.

Schauffele insisted the perfect was but to return in his profession after narrowly lacking out on the Gamers Championship title, the Olympic champion taking a one-shot lead into the ultimate spherical solely to get overhauled by a charging Scheffler.

Failing to recover from the road perpetuated the idea in some circles that Schauffele has underachieved, though he has seven PGA Tour titles to go along with his gold medal from Tokyo, together with 11 top-10 main finishes, together with three in his final 5 begins at Augusta.

McIlroy’s tenth try and win the Masters and full a profession grand slam comes on the again of some underwhelming type since successful in Dubai in January, though the world No 2 stays second favorite behind Scheffler.

His latest document at Augusta Nationwide features a thrilling remaining spherical of 64 in 2022 and two missed cuts and the four-time main winner is reportedly set to skip the pre-tournament par-three contest to completely deal with his bid to make historical past.

Began final yr with a four-putt double bogey on the primary however nonetheless shot a gap 65 and ended up successful his second main title by 4 pictures over LIV Golf duo Brooks Koepka and Phil Mickelson.

Remarkably returns to Augusta as a fellow member of the Saudi-backed breakaway, a shock transfer which ensures his aggressive sharpness will probably be beneath scrutiny.

Shall be hoping Koepka and Mickelson proved final yr that have of the course is extra necessary than present type.

The 2022 champion has been in good type in 2024, successful the Arnold Palmer Invitational by 5 pictures and 7 days later turning into the primary participant to win back-to-back Gamers Championship titles at Sawgrass.

Switching putters on the recommendation of Rory McIlroy has proved very important, though missed quick putts did value him a 3rd straight win within the Houston Open. Rightly rated favorite for a second inexperienced jacket on the form of odds beforehand solely provided for peak-era Tiger Woods.

It’s arduous to overlook Christo Lamprecht. At six-foot-eight, the enormous 23-year-old towers over most of his {golfing} rivals, an instance of super-sized South African megafauna. However match by match, Lamphrect is growing a status to match his large body.

Born on the Western Cape, Lamprecht makes his debut in The Masters this week to take one other large stride in the direction of the PGA Tour. One of many world’s main non-professionals, the teenager secured victory at The Novice Championship final yr at Hillside Golf Membership on Merseyside to safe entries into the game’s three most prestigious majors.

The Masters is among the highlights of the sporting calendar and you’ll learn our three outright picks for the inexperienced jacket by clicking on this hyperlink.

Right here, although, the main focus is on the handfuls of specials markets for the primary main of the yr, which begins on Thursday (from 1.30pm, Sky Sports activities Golf)