The 90th edition will be played over four days at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia, a par-72 course. Started in 1934, the Masters is the only one of golf’s four majors held at the same venue every year. The field is smaller than other majors because it is invitation-only rather than qualifying-based. This year’s field includes 91 players.
The main storyline is whether defending champion McIlroy of Northern Ireland can repeat. He won last year to become the sixth man in golf history to complete the career Grand Slam by capturing all four majors. If he wins again, he would become the first back-to-back Masters champion since Tiger Woods won in 2001 and 2002, 24 years ago.
McIlroy’s recent form has been uneven. After tying for second at the PGA Tour’s Genesis Invitational in February, he withdrew from the Arnold Palmer Invitational with back pain and tied for 46th at The Players Championship. In the PGA Tour’s Masters power rankings released April 7 (Korean time), he was seventh.
With both leading contenders showing some uncertainty, other players are being discussed as potential winners. Matt Fitzpatrick, who rose to No. 1 in the power rankings after winning the Valspar Championship and finishing runner-up at The Players Championship, is among them, along with Ludvig Aberg of Sweden and Xander Schauffele. Jon Rahm of Spain and Bryson DeChambeau of the United States, who play on LIV Golf, are also seen as capable of reshaping the tournament.
The PGA Tour said on its website, “Two favorites arrive at the Masters with big question marks — McIlroy about health, Scheffler about form,” adding that as doubts grow, “a deep group of challengers” has made this year’s Masters “more unpredictable than ever.”
South Korea will be represented by Si Woo Kim and Im Sung-jae. Kim, playing his ninth Masters, is ranked 28th in the world, the highest among South Koreans. His best Masters finish is a tie for 12th in 2021. “Over the past two or three years, I’ve played steady golf,” he said. “I think my game has improved, and I have more confidence and enjoyment now.”
Im is in the field for a seventh straight year. He finished second at the Masters in 2020. “The Masters is a tournament I’ve dreamed of since I was young,” he said. “Finishing second in 2020, my first time playing, had a big impact on my confidence.”
This year’s total purse will be announced during the third round. Last year’s purse was a record $21 million (about 31.7 billion won). As in past years, the stretch known as Amen Corner — holes 11 through 13 — is expected to be a key turning point in deciding the champion.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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