NEWSLETTER
There’s nothing else in the world of sports quite like The Masters. For most, it signals the beginning of spring. The tight shots of the azaleas in bloom. The piano playing that ditty that we’re so accustomed to as the coverage goes in and out of commercial breaks. Jim Nantz whispering sweet nothings to us as he sends us to Amen Corner for an update. The tree-lined shots of Magnolia Lane leading to the clubhouse.
Full transparency, I’m a sucker for all of it. Like most, I’ve never had the opportunity to attend The Masters, but it’s as close to the top of the bucket list as anything can get for me. By all accounts, time stops when you’re on the grounds at Augusta National. No cell phones. No overpriced vendors. Even the schmucks that yell ‘get in the hole!’ after every tee shot seems to understand that this place is different.
As of this writing, we’re looking at 89 competitors for the 87th edition of the Masters, representing 20 different countries, competing for one green jacket and the lifetime invitation to come back that comes with it. It’s an exclusive club with just 54 members to date, 18 of which will be taking part in this year’s tournament. And yes, that includes Tiger Woods. The added element of drama and intrigue this year surrounds the 18 LIV Golf participants that will be here, reunited on the course with their former PGA Tour comrades for the first time since The Open Championship last summer.
I could wax poetic about the “tradition unlike any other,” but let’s get to the goods.
Below is a list of this year’s participants, along with their Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR), notes on their history at Augusta, and a quick nugget regarding their recent form.
The “Last 4 Masters Finishes” show the most recent first (2022-2019), but if a golfer hasn’t played in every recent event but played previously, their past appearances are listed in order.
Abraham Ancer
Current OWGR: 30th
Best Finish At The Masters: 13 (2020)
Last 4 Masters Finishes (2022-2019): MC, 26, 13, -,
Abraham Ancer left for LIV Golf back in July, so he’s been out of sight, out of mind like many of his peers, unless you’re the one person tuning into the new CW coverage. I had to pause when I saw his recent run of strong finishes, remembering that LIV is a no-cut limited-field 54-hole exhibition.
Ok, enough picking on the low-hanging fruit. Ancer did win on the Asian Tour back in February, taking down the PIF Saudi International, a full-field cut event with a respectable field. I believe that shorter hitters like Ancer need to be perfect everywhere else in order to compete at Augusta, and that’s a tall task for anyone. He missed the cut here last year, making a mess on and around the greens, and he won’t make my betting card this year, either.
Sam Bennett (A)
Current OWGR: n/a
Best Finish At The Masters: n/a
Last 4 Masters Finishes: debutant
Sam Bennett became the first Texas A&M Aggie to win the U.S. Amateur back in August of 2022 when he defeated fellow 2023 Masters debutant Ben Carr at Ridgewood CC in New Jersey. This is his first trip to Augusta but not his first major championship golf experience after he qualified and made the cut (T49) at the 2022 U.S. Open at The Country Club in Brookline.
Keegan Bradley
Current OWGR: 22nd
Best Finish At The Masters: T22 (2015)
Last 4 Masters Finishes: 43, 52, 22, MC
Keegan Bradley played in five straight Masters from 2012 to 2016, but it’s been tough sledding ever since. He qualified for the 2019 event, which was his last appearance here, finishing T43. If anything, that opening summary makes Bradley’s recent run all that more impressive, considering he was outside of the top 125 in the OWGR just two years ago.
He finished inside the top 20 in 36% of his 2022 starts, his best rate since 2014. That form has rolled over into 2023, with a win at the ZOZO Championship early in the season and a solo second-place finish at the Farmers in late January. He ranks inside the top 15 in total strokes gained per round over the past six months, with very few holes in his game now that his putting has improved. Betsperts Golf subscribers know I’m not afraid to go to the well with Keegan, but I’m going to cheer him on from the sidelines this week.
