The 2022 Masters Tournament Preview

Story posted April 6, 2022 in CommRadio, Sports by Christopher Reynolds

Arguably the best weekend in golf is coming up as some of the biggest names play in the Masters Tournament. Round one begins on Thursday, April 7, and as always, the final round will be on Sunday, April 10.

Most attention heading into the tournament is on Tiger Woods. This year is the 25th anniversary of his historic win at Augusta in 1997 when he won his first major and really took over the golf scene.

Woods has said on his Twitter account that he’ll be a “game-time decision,” but his presence at Augusta and practice round on Monday creates optimism that he can play. During a press conference on Tuesday morning, Woods said he believes he will play, but won’t know definitively until Thursday.

It’s been just 14 months since his scary car accident, which resulted in numerous leg surgeries. The fact that Woods might play is remarkable in itself, once again proving why he is one of the greatest players of all time.

Another Masters win is unlikely given the fact that Woods hasn’t played competitively in quite some time. Regardless of this, Woods has said he believes he can win if he plays, and his last Masters win in 2019 has shown that he can pull off anything.

Other big names in golf are looking to get their first win at Augusta National Golf Course.

Rory McIlroy has yet to complete the career grand slam, the Masters being the final event he needs to win. If McIlroy can win, he’d become just the sixth person ever to complete the career grand slam, cementing his place in golf history.

John Rahm is the odds-on favorite to win, followed by Justin Thomas, Dustin Johnson, Cameron Smith and Scottie Scheffler. Rahm has finished in the top-10 at the Masters in his last four appearances there, giving hope he can get the job done this time around.

Scheffler just passed Rahm to become the top-ranked golfer last week after he secured his third PGA Tour win in just a little over a month. Rahm may be the favorite to win, but Scheffler hopes to prove why he is now the top-ranked golfer with a win on the biggest stage in golf.

Last year’s winner, Hideki Matsuyama, is dealing with a neck injury, which made him withdraw last Friday from the Valero Texas Open. If Matsuyama is healthy enough to play and win, he would be the first back-to-back winner since Tiger Woods when he won in 2001 and 2002.

One person to keep an eye out for is Xander Schauffele, who has performed well consistently at Augusta. He has finished in the top-three twice, and was the runner-up in 2019, in just four appearances. It will be interesting to see if Schauffele can keep up his superb play this weekend.

The most notable changes to the course this year are on holes eleven and fifteen, both of which were lengthened even more so. Holes three, thirteen and seventeen have also been revamped, each with a different green than the year before.

Changes to the course are common, so this is nothing to be alarmed about. The new additions this year make the course the longest it has ever been, which will most notably impact Woods, whose concerns about playing are about his ability to walk the whole course.

The Masters Tournament will certainly be exciting this year, especially if Woods plays. Even if he doesn’t, the field is packed and the historic course brings a certain energy like no other, making it one of the greatest sporting events out there.

 

Christopher Reynolds is a first-year majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, email him at clr5971@psu.edu.