**2020 Masters Thread**

[Fumbleweed 422]

The opening tee shot for the Masters is now just 30 days away, so Masters 2020 will soon be upon us...for a few of us, it is just about our favorite sports weekend of the year. For most, probably not, but still a weekend of interest. Here are my initial top ten favorites for this year as has been done for several years now. List is certain to change as players round into form and/or fall out of it prior to April. Should be a great tournament!

Top Ten:

1. Jon Rahm- I think his time has arrived. If not at Augusta, then later in the year for sure with respect to winning his first major. Rahm should be able to chew up the par-fives at Augusta and with an underrated short game rounding into form, I don't see many who can challenge sans Rory. 

2. Rory McIlroy- Simply put, Rory is always in contention anymore every time he tees it up. His B-game has become good enough for a top-5 finish and it's hard to think he won't have at least that in the tournament he wants to win most. 

3. Xander Schauffele- Much like Rahm, I think Schauffele's time to win a major is coming soon. And while I don't think it will be here, I do think he will contend on Sunday just as he did last year. Gritty player whose grit fits with major championships. 

4. Hideki Matsuyama- Quietly playing very well of late. Tee to green, he's been awesome and on the greens, he's been hot and cold. A hot week on the greens, thus, could mean his first major title. Even an average week for him on the greens, though, likely gets him into contention. 

5. Justin Thomas- JT either contends or he doesn't as evidenced by his play over the past two years. Here's thinking he'll be a birdie machine at Augusta with a blow-up or two over 72 holes as all that's standing between him and a title. I think the blow-ups are likely, though, and it keeps him this low. 

6. Adam Scott- Scott, much like Tiger used to be, is the master of playing just enough prior to majors to be rested and ready to peak at the right time. His win at Riviera was impressive and could be a foreshadowing of him winning a long anticipated second major in 2020. 

7. Tony Finau- Hard to believe Finau is still stuck on one PGA Tour victory and an opposite-field win at that. Tee to green game screams success at Augusta, but work on the greens could be a detriment. Still, I like him to be top-ten by Sunday afternoon. 

8. Matthew Fitzpatrick- Pretty solid history at Augusta thus far in his short career and I think his overall trending up continues this time around. Don't know that Fitzpatrick will ever win a major, but I do think he's capable of being in the conversation.

9. Webb Simpson- With his putting now figured out somewhat, we're seeing what Simpson is capable of. He might have taken a second major already had the putting rules not changed. As is, he is an incredible ball striker and should be in contention in all four majors this year from my perspective. 

10. Henrik Stenson-  Call it a hunch. I liked what I saw of Stenson in December at the Hero World Challenge. As he hasn't played much since, he should be rested and ready. Will look to his play in March as a barometer. 

 

Players outside of my top ten who still have a very legitimate shot at winning: Patrick Cantlay, Patrick Reed, Tiger Woods, Tommy Fleetwood, Bryson DeChambeau, Gary Woodland,  Paul Casey, Marc Leishman, Bubba Watson

Highly ranked players who are off to slow start in 2020, but could catch lightning in a bottle for a week: Brooks Koepka, Dustin Johnson, Justin Rose, Louis Oosthuzien, Rickie Fowler, Jason Day

Young, exciting players with little Masters experience, but tons of game: Abraham Ancer, Tyrell Hatton, Sungjae Im, Cameron Smith, Jazz Janewattananond, Matt Wallace, Matthew Wolff, Joaquin Niemann, Cameron Champ, Byeong Hun-An

Solid, tested players...wouldn't be a shocker if they won: Matt Kuchar, Shane Lowry, Bernd Wiesberger, Francesco Molinari, Kevin Na, Lee Westwood, Danny Willett, Kevin Kisner, Billy Horschel, Sergio Garcia, Rafa Cabrera-Bello, Phil Mickelson, Jordan Spieth, Ian Poulter, Brandt Snedeker

Guys who have a punchers chance, but would make for a somewhat shocking winner: Chez Reavie, Shugo Imahira, Erik Van Rooyen, Victor Perez, Zach Johnson, Charl Schwartzel, Adam Hadwin, Jimmy Walker, Si Woo Kim, Justin Harding, Max Homa, Sung Kang, C.T Pan, J.T. Poston, Brendon Todd, Corey Conners, Lucas Glover, Charles Howell III, Jason Kokrak, Sebastian Munoz, Lanto Griffin, Tyler Duncan, Andrew Putnam, Andrew Landry, Nick Taylor 

Guys who have no real shot at winning from my perspective: Angel Cabrera, Fred Couples, Trevor Immelman, Bernhard Langer, Sandy Lyle, Larry Mize, Jose Maria Olazabal, Vijay Singh, Dylan Fritelli, Nate Lashley, Mike Weir, All amateurs

 

Not playing due to injury: No one (yet)

[BufordT 371]

Bold prediction: Collin Morikawa sneaks into the field and finishes top 10. 

[Fumbleweed 422]

2 minutes ago, BufordT said:

Bold prediction: Collin Morikawa sneaks into the field and finishes top 10. 

I like it. He is ranked #51 right now and needs only to break Top 50 by March 29 to make the field. Very likely he will. Scotty Scheffler will also likely make the field by way of a top 50 ranking at that point. 

[Cruzer 1,992]

Prepare to face the wrath of KSB! 

[edjr 5,546]

GET RAHMED!

[WhiteWonder 2,170]

Patrick Reed

[Fumbleweed 422]

1 hour ago, WhiteWonder said:

Patrick Reed

As great as he's been putting, it's hard to leave him out...I went back and forth between him, Simpson, and Stenson. If he continues to play well in March, it will make it difficult to leave him out of a top ten list. 

[WhiteWonder 2,170]

30 minutes ago, Fumbleweed said:

As great as he's been putting, it's hard to leave him out...I went back and forth between him, Simpson, and Stenson. If he continues to play well in March, it will make it difficult to leave him out of a top ten list. 

He’s in my top 5. As well as he’s playing and as motivated as he is (no matter what he says) by others peoples comments. Knows how to win at Augusta..... I’ll be laying some coin in him

[Cruzer 1,992]

I'd drop Fitzpatrick, Webb and Stenson -

insert Tiger, DeChambeau and Reed.

[Fumbleweed 422]

58 minutes ago, Cruzer said:

I'd drop Fitzpatrick, Webb and Stenson -

insert Tiger, DeChambeau and Reed.

Tiger not playing again this week. I don't think his health is going to allow for any sort of worthy title defense. 

[Fumbleweed 422]

Monday (3/2) update:

Brooks Koepka, Rickie Fowler, and Justin Rose all showed this past week why they aren't in the Top Ten for Augusta as of now. All three missed the cut badly and none of the three are playing well. 

Meanwhile, Sungjae Im continues to make a case for Top Ten status with a win, but I'm not going there just yet. Fleetwood also looked good, but I still think he's more of a U.S. Open grinder or possibly an Open Championship winner than a Masters winner someday. 

[Cruzer 1,992]

On 2/28/2020 at 2:51 PM, Fumbleweed said:

Tiger not playing again this week. I don't think his health is going to allow for any sort of worthy title defense. 

Maybe - but could have copied and pasted this from last year too.

2019, just a month before Augusta - TW withdraws from Bay Hill (on the Monday of) - citing a "neck strain"..........goes on to win his 5th Green Jacket.

Been there, done that, with this dude's aches and pains......... I'm sure this is all precautionary (again) - and he'll be ready to roll come time.

[Reality 2,710]

Always pulling for Fowler.  Starting to get bummed, It may never happen.

[edjr 5,546]

14 minutes ago, Reality said:

Always pulling for Fowler.  Starting to get bummed, It may never happen.

What is the drive for a 31 year old that married Allison Stoke and lives in a 14 million dollar mansion with 3 acres on the water in Florida? How do you stay motivated?

[Fumbleweed 422]

2 hours ago, Cruzer said:

Maybe - but could have copied and pasted this from last year too.

2019, just a month before Augusta - TW withdraws from Bay Hill (on the Monday of) - citing a "neck strain"..........goes on to win his 5th Green Jacket.

Been there, done that, with this dude's aches and pains......... I'm sure this is all precautionary (again) - and he'll be ready to roll come time.

Well, he did play in Mexico last year whereas he skipped it this year. I guess we'll see how he looks at the Players (assuming he plays). 

The truth about Tiger and 2019 is that he won a major, but didn't even qualify for the Tour Championship. That's a rare feat unless you're talking about a player that plays almost exclusively in Europe. He was awful in the other majors and awful in general from the Masters until October. 

What gives Tiger fans hope, though, is how well he played in Japan in October. He seemed to be able to turn it on for that event...so maybe you are right in your overall assessment. I still think Tiger's swan-song, majors wise, was last April, but you can never count out a player who has been in the winner's circle as often as he has been. He knows how to win. Just don't see him coming to Augusta with no form as being the recipe for success and his horrendous putting at Riviera casts further doubt. 

[Reality 2,710]

13 minutes ago, edjr said:

What is the drive for a 31 year old that married Allison Stoke and lives in a 14 million dollar mansion with 3 acres on the water in Florida? How do you stay motivated?

Legit question, dude is living about as perfect a life as one could wish for.

[Fumbleweed 422]

10 minutes ago, Reality said:

Legit question, dude is living about as perfect a life as one could wish for.

Could change, I guess, if/when he has children. Might want to enhance his legacy on the golf course for his kids's sake. I know my kids are a driving force for me to do a lot of things. 

[Cruzer 1,992]

21 hours ago, Fumbleweed said:

Well, he did play in Mexico last year whereas he skipped it this year. I guess we'll see how he looks at the Players (assuming he plays). 

The truth about Tiger and 2019 is that he won a major, but didn't even qualify for the Tour Championship. That's a rare feat unless you're talking about a player that plays almost exclusively in Europe. He was awful in the other majors and awful in general from the Masters until October. 

What gives Tiger fans hope, though, is how well he played in Japan in October. He seemed to be able to turn it on for that event...so maybe you are right in your overall assessment. I still think Tiger's swan-song, majors wise, was last April, but you can never count out a player who has been in the winner's circle as often as he has been. He knows how to win. Just don't see him coming to Augusta with no form as being the recipe for success and his horrendous putting at Riviera casts further doubt. 

Tiger won the Masters last year with his B game....... 100% Jedi mind tricked the contenders into a final round meltdown - never seen anything like the chain of events that transpired on #12.........prolly never will again.

There's something about Augusta that puts Tiger into another zone - same held true with Jack. As long as they showed up, they were going to find a way to contend.

Far as putting, I don't put too much stock into that. There's a monumental difference between putting Poa Annua and Bent - it's not even worth the comparison really.

[listen2me 23 1,529]

Ill defer to you guys on this but how do you think Dechambeau's game stacks up at Augusta?  I know he doesnt have great  results this far but with his new long and straight driver it has to help him here.  Seems like he is a good putter at times.

 

[Cruzer 1,992]

21 hours ago, listen2me 23 said:

Ill defer to you guys on this but how do you think Dechambeau's game stacks up at Augusta?  I know he doesnt have great  results this far but with his new long and straight driver it has to help him here.  Seems like he is a good putter at times.

DeChambeau is as volatile as they come - which in part, is what makes him so much fun to watch.

He always had the game to compete at Augusta.........but now, given his (new) re-dedication to fitness and putting - he's playing at another level.. I could totally see him winning a Green Jacket - he's got the game to do it.

 

[Fumbleweed 422]

I think DeChambeau is in the major mix this season. I am seeing about 10-15 guys who have a reasonable shot of winning a major this season. Of course, anything can happen, but there were fewer surprises last decade than there were from 2000-2009 (Ben Curtis, Todd Hamilton, Trevor Immelman, Shaun Micheel, etc). If I were forced to pick the four major winners this year at the moment, I would go with McIlory, Rahm, Adam Scott, and Schauffele. That's two new major champions and two repeats, just like last year. But, it's early March and a lot can change. As we've seen in recent years, scar tissue matters and some of that could get acquired via the Players and Masters. 

[edjr 5,546]

3 hours ago, Cruzer said:

DeChambeau is as volatile as they come - which in part, is what makes him so much fun to watch.

He always had the game to compete at Augusta.........but now, given his (new) re-dedication to fitness and putting - he's playing at another level.. I could totally see him winning a Green Jacket - he's got the game to do it.

 

He's so fun to watch too

[listen2me 23 1,529]

Im not a dechambeau fan.  But at 28 to 1 I may take him in thr Masters.  I feel like other than Rory, a healthy major Brooks he pretty much has to be in that next group in my eyes.  Maybe he is more of a PGA or US Open guy not sure but either way I feel his odds are solid here the way he is playing, entering a bit ot a prime age, and so on..

[listen2me 23 1,529]

I think Schaffele has been overrated.  Hes good no doubt but isnt his thing shortened fields? He doesnt make it in my 2nd tier of guys here.

[Cruzer 1,992]

32 minutes ago, edjr said:

He's so fun to watch too

Oh come on, he's a riot... He's capable of a full blown meltdown at at moment.

I'd much rather watch him than Jim Furyk - he was the worst.

 

[edjr 5,546]

11 minutes ago, Cruzer said:

Oh come on, he's a riot... He's capable of a full blown meltdown at at moment.

I'd much rather watch him than Jim Furyk - he was the worst.

 

I wish the PGA would stop with the charade and let them use range finders. Use them in practice, not during a round, Focking dumb.

[Cruzer 1,992]

Just now, edjr said:

I wish the PGA would stop with the charade and let them use range finders. Focking dumb.

Omg - totally with you.

The Green books are a gazillion times more beneficial and advantage bearing than range finders. How in the fock those are considered acceptable in the confines of "tradition" is beyond me...... Not to mention they slow up play (imo).

[edjr 5,546]

1 minute ago, Cruzer said:

Omg - totally with you.

The Green books are a gazillion times more beneficial and advantage bearing than range finders. How in the fock those are considered acceptable in the confines of "tradition" is beyond me...... Not to mention they slow up play (imo).

Deshamblow looks at his book 11 times before each shot and putt. makes me crazy

[Cruzer 1,992]

2 minutes ago, edjr said:

Deshamblow looks at his book 11 times before each shot and putt. makes me crazy

You're penalized for asking your playing partner what he hit.............but the Tour gives you a book detailing each and every break/slope of the green.

[Fumbleweed 422]

3 hours ago, listen2me 23 said:

I think Schaffele has been overrated.  Hes good no doubt but isnt his thing shortened fields? He doesnt make it in my 2nd tier of guys here.

Runner up in the Masters last year. Lost in a playoff this year in two tournaments already. Dude is legit. 

[listen2me 23 1,529]

13 minutes ago, Fumbleweed said:

Runner up in the Masters last year. Lost in a playoff this year in two tournaments already. Dude is legit. 

Yeah you could be right.  Maybe im just pissed I bet him in the short field in Mexico and he sucked for the 1st 3 days.

[Cruzer 1,992]

Schauffele is a solid, cut making, money making machine who you can bet will (usually) finish on or near the leaderboard.

He also (imo) lacks a killer instinct - one I'dnever actually pick to win a given major. 

Could call him a modern day Lee Westwood.

 

[Fumbleweed 422]

Update: 3/9-

Gonna wait until after the Players to move anybody in/out of top ten, but certainly Leishman, Im, and DeChambeau look like players who are trending towards contention at Augusta. Not pressing panic button on Finau or Stenson yet, but lackluster showings at Saw Grass likely get them booted from top ten after next week. It’s fair at this point to wonder if Finau’s collapse at Phoenix is going to impact him for a while. 

[Fumbleweed 422]

Updates suspended obviously now until some clarity is obtained. Just an unbelievable turn of events. 

[supermike80 1,284]

11 minutes ago, Fumbleweed said:

Updates suspended obviously now until some clarity is obtained. Just an unbelievable turn of events. 

No clarity needed.  It's over

Make a 2021 Masters Thread

[Fumbleweed 422]

3 minutes ago, supermike80 said:

No clarity needed.  It's over

Make a 2021 Masters Thread

I think they might just be moving it two weeks. They could play it opposite the team event in New Orleans. 

[Cruzer 1,992]

5 minutes ago, supermike80 said:

No clarity needed.  It's over

Make a 2021 Masters Thread

This. ^

Augusta National closes down in late May - doesn't open back up until mid-October.

The 2020 Masters is dead and gone.

[supermike80 1,284]

4 minutes ago, Fumbleweed said:

I think they might just be moving it two weeks. They could play it opposite the team event in New Orleans. 

This is gonna be WAYYYYYYYYY worse in two weeks man

[Fumbleweed 422]

2 minutes ago, supermike80 said:

This is gonna be WAYYYYYYYYY worse in two weeks man

You're probably right. We'll see. Either way, cancelling the Masters is like cancelling Christmas. 

[TimmySmith 2,782]

If the PGA fires up in 2020 all the majors will be played.