Masters 2023 Preview: Everything You Need to Know about This Year’s Iconic Golf Major
With it already being April, the first golf major has already come along as The Masters is set to take place imminently. With the first round set to tee off on April 6, and the final hole and the champion being handed a green jacket on April 9, anticipation is rife for this sporting spectacle.
The Masters 2023: The Iconic Augusta National
The 2023 edition of The Masters is the 87th time it will have been played, and many eyes will be on the iconic Augusta National Golf Club. The course is one of the most challenging in the world despite it appearing extremely easy on the eye in terms of its aesthetics. It has pristine greens, stunning waters, sandy bunkers, and other incredible scenery, but that is what makes the course so awkward and difficult for so many of the world’s best golfers.
Totaling a length of 7,545 yards (6,899 meters), the Par 5 on the 13th hole – which is known as Azalea – has been extended for this year’s major, with a longer tee box being used. The hole has a distance of 545 yards, which makes it the fourth-longest on the course for players to navigate.
Elsewhere, Hole 12 Golden Bell is one of the most renowned holes in the entire sport of golf, with the Par 3 155-yard hole challenging the best golfers regularly. Players need to ensure they select the right club to hit the ball with while making sure they land it in the right spots on the green. If they get either of these aspects wrong, then they could easily end up in the drink.
Hole 12 is part of the famous trio of holes that are collectively known as ‘Amen Corner’. The 11th and 13th make up the trio, and it is believed that getting these three correct and shooting them without fault will give players the best chance of finishing their rounds in good order. Of a Par score of 72 around the whole of Augusta, these three holes account for a total of 12, which is why it is so important for players to get them right. That is why so many are said to be praying when they reach this section of the course, hence the name ‘Amen Corner’.
Which Golfers Could End Up As 2023 The Masters Champion?
Scottie Scheffler set the golfing world alight last season with his efforts on the PGA Tour, and with the defending champion currently the world No. 1, there is a lot of pressure on him to retain his title and obtain another iconic green jacket.
The pressure will have only intensified on him further recently as he managed to win The Players tournament last month by a distance of five shots. This has caught the attention of sports bettors and sportsbooks, as they have ranked him as a favorite to be crowned the champion.
In the latest Masters odds to have been made available, Scheffler has been listed at a price of +700, although Rory McIlroy is the one name that is above him as the main favorite to win a green jacket. The Northern Irishman has been listed at +650, despite the World No. 2 missing the Cut at The Players and finishing poorly (by his standards) in other recent tournaments.
One of the reasons he has been made a betting favorite, though, is that he finished just behind Scheffler in last year’s edition of The Masters. Many believe it is the 33-year-old’s time to finally win the one major that has eluded him his entire career thus far.
Elsewhere, Jon Rahm is priced at +850, whereas Jordan Spieth and everyone else that is involved in the competition is valued at +1,500 or greater.
2023 Masters Schedule
The 2023 Masters will commence on April 6, with the first tee time taking place at 08:00 EST when Group 1 participants Mike Weir and Kevin Na begin. Groups of three will then follow every 12 minutes from that point onwards.
Group 12 is one of the triples to look out for, as it contains Tiger Woods, Viktor Hovland, and Xander Schauffele. The trio will begin their first round at 10:18 EST. Group 14 is another to keep a close eye on as it consists of Justin Thomas, Jon Rahm, and Cameron Young at 10:42 EST.
Brooks Koepka features alongside Gary Woodland, and Danny Willet in Group 20 at 11:54 EST, while Group 26 will be made up of Dustin Johnson, Corey Connors, and Justin Rose as they tee off at 13:12 EST.
Scottie Scheffler will begin his defense of the championship at 13:36 EST as part of Group 28 alongside Max Homa, and amateur Sam Bennett before Rory McIlroy takes to the first tee 12 minutes later alongside Tom Kim, and Sam Burns as part of Group 29.
A total of 30 Groups will be playing the Augusta National Golf Club course, with Tommy Fleetwood, Tony Finau, and Jordan Spieth rounding things off with their tee time at 14:00 EST.