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Will Scottie Scheffler dominate The Masters? Can Rory McIlroy full the profession Grand Slam? What can we anticipate from Tiger Woods? Will Jon Rahm return to again at Augusta Nationwide? A better have a look at the key week forward, reside on Sky Sports activities Golf…
Will ‘celebrity’ Scheffler get pleasure from extra main success?
Scottie Scheffler has turn out to be the dominant drive in golf and has a commanding benefit on the high of the world rankings, with the American now seeking to construct on a robust begin to the yr and add to his main tally.
The 27-year-old has gained eight instances in simply 26 months on the PGA Tour, together with a breakthrough main success at The Masters in 2022, with the world No 1 arriving at Augusta Nationwide with six top-six finishes in his first eight begins this yr.
Sir Nick Faldo believes Scottie Scheffler’s angle to golf is what units him other than his rivals. Hearken to the complete interview on the Sky Sports activities Golf Podcast from 6am on Monday.
Scheffler cruised to victory on the Arnold Palmer Invitational and overcame harm to say a profitable title defence at The Gamers, then threatened a 3rd consecutive win earlier than having to accept a share of second on the Texas Youngsters’s Houston Open final month.
He missed a five-foot putt on the 72nd gap in Houston that will have pressured a play-off, together with his performances on the greens the one facet of his recreation displaying any indicators of inconsistency. He tops the strokes gained and tee-to-green statistics as soon as once more this season, identical to final yr, though languishes round one hundredth within the placing metrics.
Rob Lee and Jamie Spence do not consider it is real looking to anticipate Scottie Scheffler to win all 4 majors this yr after Dame Laura Davies tipped him for the Grand Slam.
On Scheffler’s hopes, Sky Sports activities’ Nick Dougherty stated: “There are sufficient reps of excellent reminiscence for him now with the putter for him to consider that he has made a shift in that division. We all know his lengthy recreation is dependable as clockwork, he has clearly gained at Augusta earlier than, and the whole lot factors in the direction of him being the man to beat.”
Can McIlroy full the profession Grand Slam?
It appears ridiculous to suppose Rory McIlroy’s main drought is coming into a tenth yr, given how a lot he has achieved over the previous decade, however the Northern Irishman arrives at Augusta Nationwide with one other probability to hitch golf’s elite membership.
Talking on the Sky Sports activities Golf Podcast, Sir Nick Faldo says Rory McIlroy ought to give attention to training together with his irons if he’s to have an opportunity of profitable the Masters.
McIlroy gained the newest of his 4 main titles on the 2014 PGA Championship and simply wants The Masters to turn out to be the primary participant since Tiger Woods to finish the profession Grand Slam, with the previous world No 1 as soon as once more among the many pre-tournament favourites.
The 34-year-old has six top-10 finishes at Augusta throughout that run, together with second place behind Scheffler in 2022, though has missed the lower in two of his earlier three visits to the occasion. McIlroy bounced again from a sluggish begin to his PGA Tour marketing campaign to complete third on the Valero Texas Open and can now look to take that type into the opening main.
As The Masters approaches, watch a number of the very best and worst photographs from Rory McIlroy at Augusta Nationwide.
McIlroy’s method play has been a selected space of inconsistency in current months, revealing forward of The Gamers that he felt like he had ‘two completely different swings’ for his woods and irons, resulting in him taking a visit to Las Vegas final month for a four-hour lesson with legendary coach Butch Harmon.
“He [McIlroy] has received a great recreation plan and it is only a matter of executing it,” Harmon stated about McIlroy. “He is received to determine a method to let himself calm down and let himself play golf. That is the massive key and if he can do that he’s going to provide himself an excellent probability to win.”
Talking on the Sky Sports activities Golf Podcast, Gary Murphy and Richard McEvoy consider decrease expectations may assist Rory McIlroy at The Masters.
Might Rahm defend his title at Augusta?
Solely three gamers have efficiently defended their title at The Masters – Jack Nicklaus, Sir Nick Faldo and Tiger Woods – with Jon Rahm having the chance to get pleasure from that illustrious group after final yr’s four-shot win over Brooks Koepka and Phil Mickelson.
The Masters – Reside
Thursday eleventh April 2:00pm
Rahm final featured on the PGA Tour at August’s Tour Championship and hasn’t performed on the DP World Tour for the reason that DP World Tour Championship in November, with the Spaniard becoming a member of the LIV Golf League forward of the 2024 marketing campaign.
The previous world No 1 has had 4 top-eight finishes in his 5 begins on the LIV Golf circuit this season, together with a share of fourth in Miami on Sunday, though Faldo has questioned whether or not the shortage of 72-hole preparation will hamper Rahm’s probabilities.
Sir Nick Faldo says Jon Rahm should step up the depth of his play if he’s to be in with an opportunity of defending his Masters title.
“I believe he feels that [lack of intensity],” Faldo advised the Sky Sports activities Golf podcast. “He is a hell of a participant, however he’ll must make somewhat little bit of effort to step it up and get the proper depth. Whether or not coming into defend you are able to do it, or whether or not he is simply not fairly sharp sufficient as a result of he hasn’t examined himself fairly as a lot, we’ll have to attend and see.”
On his personal probabilities, Rahm stated: “Hopefully I can maintain doing all the great issues I’ve performed this week subsequent week and keep away from a pair foolish errors and hopefully go back-to-back.”
What can we anticipate from Tiger’s return?
Woods returns to motion for the primary time since withdrawing mid-round from February’s Genesis Invitational, with {the golfing} world intrigued to see whether or not the 15-time main champion’s physique can deal with 72 holes.
The PGA Tour reside workforce take a better have a look at Tiger Woods’ swing through the Genesis Invitational and the way it has advanced over time.
Woods has solely performed all 4 rounds of an occasion 3 times since sustaining career-threatening leg and ankle accidents throughout a automotive crash in February 2021, with the previous world No 1 having to chop quick final yr’s look at Augusta Nationwide as a result of reaggravating plantar fasciitis in his foot.
This yr’s occasion marks the fifth anniversary of Woods’ unimaginable 2019 success, the place he claimed a primary main victory in 11 years and gained The Masters for a fifth time, whereas merely reaching the weekend this week would see him break the Augusta report for many consecutive cuts made at 24.
It is 5 years since Tiger Woods shocked the world by profitable The Masters. We revisit his iconic win in 2019 with a number of his greatest photographs from the week.
Former coach Harmon believes Woods feels his physique can deal with the bodily check of Augusta, saying: “Tiger has by no means been a participant who performs for the sake of enjoying. He does not tee it up until he is 100 per cent assured in his means to compete to provide himself an opportunity.
“From what little I’ve seen of his swing, it appears to be like fairly good. It is whether or not he can deal with the bodily pressure of strolling all these holes on one of many hilliest golf programs we play. He is aware of find out how to get round Augusta however the massive query is will his physique enable him to turn out to be Tiger Woods once more.”
The Masters – Reside
Wednesday tenth April 7:30pm
Will a LIV participant win The Masters?
There are 13 gamers from LIV Golf at The Masters this yr, down from the 18 who earned an invitation for the 2023 contest, with Rahm among the many hopefuls from the circuit seeking to win the Inexperienced Jacket.
2017 Masters champion Sergio Garcia arrives off the again of a play-off loss on the LIV Golf occasion in Miami on Sunday, the place Tyrrell Hatton was in rivalry and former main winners Patrick Reed and Bryson DeChambeau – each within the Augusta subject – completed inside the highest 10.
Nick Dougherty believes Scottie Scheffler, Jon Rahm and Rory McIlroy will all be competing to put on the inexperienced jacket in Augusta and hopes McIlroy can full a profession grand slam to jot down his identify in historical past.
Joaquin Niemann additionally completed tied-ninth, persevering with his sturdy begin to 2024, whereas 2020 Masters champion Dustin Johnson has already gained a LIV Golf League occasion this yr and Brooks Koepka – the reigning PGA champion – arrives seeking to go one higher than his runner-up end final April.
Phil Mickelson, Bubba Watson, Charl Schwartzel and Adrian Meronk additionally function alongside Cameron Smith, who needed to withdraw from the Miami occasion by means of sickness, with Koepka assured that this yr’s Masters champion may come from the LIV Golf contingent.
The Masters – Reside
Thursday eleventh April 7:30pm
“I like the possibilities [of a LIV winner],” Koepka stated. “Loads of guys enjoying properly.” We should see the place the five-time main champion’s predictions come true later this week.
When is The Masters on Sky Sports activities?
Wall-to-wall protection from the event begins at 2pm over the primary two rounds on Thursday April 11 and Friday April 12, with Featured Group motion and common updates from across the course out there to get pleasure from on Sky Sports activities Golf till the worldwide broadcast window begins at 8pm.
The Masters is upon us and you may watch all of the large motion reside this April on Sky Sports activities Golf
There will likely be numerous additional motion all through all 4 days through the pink button on Sky Sports activities Golf, together with Sky Q and Sky Glass, offering loads of bonus feeds and permitting you to comply with gamers’ progress by means of varied components of Augusta’s well-known format.
Sky Sports activities Golf will present prolonged build-up content material over the weekend and occasional reside updates from the course earlier than the worldwide broadcast window begins at 8pm for the third spherical and 7pm for the ultimate day, with early motion out there all through through the pink button.
Who will win The Masters? Watch reside from April 11-14 completely on Sky Sports activities. Reside protection begins with Featured Teams on Thursday April 11 from 2pm on Sky Sports activities Golf. Stream the PGA Tour, DP World Tour, majors and extra with NOW.
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