Think about the Masters for a moment, and what comes immediately to mind?
Augusta National, all green and white and crisp as a sharp salute, perhaps the best stage in all of sports?
Jack raising his putter on the 17th hole on Sunday in 1986 as Verne Lundquist shouted, “Yes, sir!”?
The time you got practice-round tickets, spent a day walking the hills and watching the stars before heading home with a sunburn, a bagful of shirts and caps and a headful of memories, the taste of pine pollen on your lips and an egg salad sandwich on your tongue?
Tiger in 1997?
Tiger in 2019?
The sounds, those roars coming up from down the hill near Rae’s Creek, the murmurs when the numbers change on the hand-operated scoreboards and the conversation that’s created when no one can be on cellphones because they’re locked away in the parking lot?
Catching a glimpse of Ben Crenshaw in his green jacket under the big tree behind the clubhouse?
Phil threading a 6-iron between two trees on the 13th hole?
The stories about Seve?
The memories of Arnie?
Masters week is the best week in golf for those reasons and scrapbooks full of others. There is nothing else like it, and even if you’ve never set foot on Augusta National, it still feels somehow precious and personal because of what happens each April.
So, who’s turn is it this year?
Five names come immediately to mind.
SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: It feels as if every tournament these days begins and ends with Scheffler because, well, almost every event he plays begins and ends with him often holding another trophy.
Scheffler checks all of the relevant boxes regarding playing Augusta National including the most important – he won there two years ago.
The angst about Scheffler’s putting has faded – toss out the lazy Friday afternoon three-putt from 6 feet that cost him a victory in Houston two weeks ago – but every player is on edge dealing with Augusta’s crests, ridges and slopes, all polished to a spit-shine sheen.
If you’re looking for stats, Scheffler leads the tour in strokes gained (2.812) by nearly one full stroke over second-place Xander Schauffele.
Little wonder that Scheffler begins as one of the heaviest pre-tournament favorites since Tiger’s prime.
JON RAHM: It’s been difficult to get a read on Rahm since his move to LIV Golf, where he has seemed underwhelmed by his new workplace.
His passion for the place may be unmatched, having joined Seve Ballesteros, José María Olazábal and Sergio García as Spaniards with green jackets.
Augusta National tempts players into being aggressive, and the rewards can be enormous. On the flip side, it doesn’t take but one overaggressive mistake to ruin a week.
Rahm showed in winning last year that he can temper his foot-to-the-floor tendencies when it matters and he is not afraid of the biggest stage. He seems destined to win more than one Masters.
RORY McILROY: Here we are again, wondering whether this might be the year when McIlroy finally wins at Augusta.
His Masters record feels like a balancing act that McIlroy has never quite conquered. He’s tried to come in hot; he’s tried to play it cool; he’s gone flag-hunting; and he’s played conservatively.
More than anything, McIlroy needs to put himself close to the lead going into the weekend.
He has spent a good bit of time this spring chasing his swing. First, his driver was balky. Then, it was his iron play.
McIlroy knows the world is watching in hopeful anticipation, but, as he has said, no one wants him to win the Masters more than he does.
BROOKS KOEPKA: Of course, Koepka is on the short list.
He’s won five majors, most recently the PGA Championship at Oak Hill last May, and he’s been close enough at Augusta National that they’ve probably had a green jacket in his size on standby in the final round.
A wind gust at the devilish 12th got him in the final round in 2019 when Tiger Woods won, and Rahm outdueled him last year after Koepka led by two entering the final round.
Koepka has been a major-championship marvel with his barbell-strong mentality, and he’s adept at seeing the big picture in the churn of a major week. That’s an advantage not every player can claim.
XANDER SCHAUFFELE: He’s a tricky one to get a gauge on, but his habit of contending in majors suggests his name will be on the big white leaderboards.
Schauffele seems to have settled into the swing tweaks made by new coach Chris Como, but when he’s had chances to win this year, he hasn’t done it. In fact, he hasn’t won since the 2022 Genesis Scottish Open.
If you want to play the best-player-never-to-win-a-major game, Schauffele is at or near the top of the list with 11 top-10 finishes in the biggest events. At times, however, Schauffele has hit the stray shot in contention or seen his putter go cold at the wrong time.
He seems like a player ready to do something special. This would be the week to do it.
All of the conjecture will go out the window on Thursday morning when the competition commences and, if this Masters follows form, names will flash and fall back, others will disappoint and the best will rise to the occasion.
Tiger’s playing, sending imaginations racing. Joaquín Niemann has been excellent this year. Wyndham Clark adding a Masters title to his U.S. Open would not be a big surprise.
Jordan Spieth loves the place as much as anyone. Ludvig Åberg is a superstar in waiting. Hideki Matsuyama is trending the right way.
The best part?
Masters week is finally here.
E-MAIL RON