2023 MASTERS: “Well it’s springtime in the valley, on Magnolia Lane. It’s the Augusta National and the Masters of the game. Who’ll wear that green coat on Sunday afternoon, who’ll walk that eighteenth fairway, singin’ this tune… Oh, Augusta, your dogwoods and pines, you play on my mind, like a song. Oh, Augusta, it’s you that I love, it’s you that I miss when I’m gone.”
Folk singer-songwriter Dave Loggins, the less famous of the musical Loggins (his cousin Kenny is, of course, responsible for some of the most recognizable 80s anthems, including the soundtracks to movies like Top Gun and Caddyshack), penned those words in 1981 while playing Augusta National’s 14th hole. With the help of a 12-piece ensemble he then worked up a soothing melody featuring the guitar and piano licks that have become so iconic, having been played on every Masters telecast since the song debuted in 1982.
Back in the 80s, when I was a young child, they used to play the song on the broadcast, words and all, and I can still faintly remember the sound of Loggins’ voice as he sung those words. Funny enough, it’s nearly impossible to find a “sung” Loggins version online now– all the YouTube versions are instrumental-only, or they feature some random people singing the song. I assume this is because Augusta National owns the rights, or something? Will we ever get to hear it again? I would like my childhood memory back, please.
Point is, there is probably no other golf course, and certainly no other tournament, that is worthy of writing songs about. Argue all you want about which of golf’s major championships is the most important, or most difficult to win, but there should be no argument about which holds the mystique and the magic: that is the Masters. Golf’s finest hour.
This year’s edition is without a doubt the most anticipated in years, due in no small part to the fracture in professional golf caused by the upstart LIV Tour, and the presence of 18 players from that tour, most of whom are now banned for life from the PGA Tour, in this week’s field. I know opinions are mixed on the matter, but I sure am happy the powers that be in Augusta decided to stay above the fray and once again invite the very best players in the world, regardless of Tour affiliation. For all the negative talk about the LIV defectors, the situation has actually made the majors a bit spicier, with bona fide heroes and villains for those who have strong opinions on the subject. As for me, I’m just glad all the best players are back together again, but what I’m most excited about over the next four days is watching Augusta National itself– how it changes, how it reacts, what it gives up, and what it takes away. The course is a timeless canvas on which a beautiful picture is painted every spring. There’s nothing quite like it.
Designed by the great Bobby Jones and Scottish architect Alister Mackenzie for the express purpose of hosting this tournament, Augusta National has undergone many renovations over the years and has been lengthened considerably, but its basic character remains intact: it’s a rolling, tree-lined layout with ample space off the tee and minimal rough. There are plenty of risk/reward opportunities, especially on the back nine, and the undulating, freaky-fast greens constitute the course’s primary defense. Imagination and a superb touch around the greens are more important at Augusta than most places, and great putters are at a distinct advantage. This is a week where you’d rather have an artful escape artist with a tremendous short game and putting touch than a fairways-and-greens machine who struggles with the flat stick.
Defending champion Scottie Scheffler and world No. 2 Rory McIlroy head BETDAQ’s Win Market, with both players trading at 8.9 at the time of this writing. As expected with a tournament of this nature, there are all sorts of intriguing options a bit further down the board, and though the blue-blood types often prevail here, there are some Danny Willetts and Angel Cabreras who slip through the cracks from time to time as well (an aside- this might be the first year since Willett won that we didn’t post a link to our preview that year, when we tipped him at 86.0. Well… it almost was). With that in mind, here’s what I’m thinking this week:
WIN MARKET
Recommendations to BACK (odds in parenthesis)
Jordan Spieth (21.0)- Spieth missed the cut here last year for the first time in his career, but I wouldn’t let that put you off: in eight previous Masters appearances he has five top-3 finishes, including a pair of runners-up, to go along with his victory in 2015. He owns Augusta National, in other words, treating it like his own personal playground for much of the past decade, and now that he’s back in top form I fully expect him to make another run at a green jacket. In case you haven’t noticed, Spieth has been hot lately, rattling off four top-20 finishes in his last five starts, including a T3 at the Valspar a couple of weeks ago. He’s been averaging over 4 birdies per round and currently ranks 25th on Tour in total strokes gained, so he’s regained the consistency that he seemed to have lost a bit in recent years. He won’t be fully “back”, however, until he wins another major. Could it happen this week? Wouldn’t surprise me one bit…
Brooks Koepka (54.0)– The LIV guys aren’t getting much respect in the market this week, and that is especially true of Koepka, who won LIV Orlando last week for his second victory this year on that tour. He sure seems healthy– I think it’s safe to say that the injury issues which have bothered him for the past 2+ years are behind him now, and his game looks crisp. His prowess in major championships is well known, and though he’s yet to don a green jacket, he’s had loads of success in this tournament over the years, finding the top-15 here in 3 of his past 5 appearances, including a runner-up finish in 2019. With his length off the tee and soft touch around the greens, Koepka is just the sort of player you look for at Augusta National, and we know he has the self-belief and steely nerve to finish the job on Sunday. He should be backed enthusiastically at better than 50/1.
Sahith Theegala (156.0)- Though we always hear about the key role that experience plays at Augusta National, there have been plenty of debutantes who tasted success in this tournament over the years, and while none have slipped on a green jacket since Fuzzy Zoeller in 1979, many have come very close. Theegala has learned all about “close” in his brief PGA Tour career, logging ten top-10s and a pair of runner-up finishes in the past season-and-a-half, but falling just short of victory each time. He certainly seems like a good fit for Augusta stylistically– he’s long off the tee, averaging over 300 yards per drive, and he’s an excellent putter, ranking 12th on Tour in putting average. An exciting, aggressive player, Theegala ranks 15th on Tour in total birdies this season and 19th in birdie average, and Augusta is the type of course that can reward aggressive play. Plus, he’s been playing well lately, finding the top-15 in 3 of his past 5 starts, including a T6 and a T4. As longshots go, Theegala is a live one, and is definitely worth chancing at the current price point.
