Who's going to win 2023 Masters Tournament? Here's a short list of favorites and longshots
AUGUSTA, Ga. — The PGA Tour calendar is turning the page this week to second phase of the schedule.
With the early events out of the way, the next four months will include the four majors, and that always starts with the Masters.
This year's event presents plenty of storylines: the first Masters with LIV golfers, Tiger Woods returning for his second Masters since his 2021 auto accident, Scottie Scheffler's attempt to go back-to-back, among others.
Here are a few names to watch, some obvious favorites, others perhaps under the radar.
Can Rory McIlroy join Ben Hogan, Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods?
McIlroy's head appears to be in a good space as he continues to chase history. The Jupiter resident, and four-time majors winner, is making his ninth attempt to complete the career Grand Slam. He would join Ben Hogan, Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus, and Tiger as the lone golfers to have won all four majors.
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McIlroy not only had his best Masters a year ago, making a charge on Sunday to finish runner-up to Scheffler, but he's coming off a third-place finish in the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play.
Scottie Scheffler seeking to repeat as Masters champion
He's No. 1 in the world. Defending champion. Two wins in the last two months, including The Players. If not 1, he is 1A. Scheffler is on a 14-month roll, starting with the 2022 Phoenix Open, that saw him win six times. He also was second in the 2022 British Open.
Scheffler is trying to make history. A win would put him in the company of Nicklaus (1965-66), Nick Faldo (1989-90) and Woods (2001-02) as the lone golfers to repeat as Masters champions.
Corey Connors is a longshot on the rise
This 31-year-old from Jupiter may be a longshot (+7500, which ties him with Tiger and Koepka) but he's on the rise. Connors not only is coming off a win at the Texas Open, he's improved each of the last three years at the Masters. going from a T10 in 2020 to T8 in 2021 to T6 last year.
The Canadian has two career PGA Tour titles since turning pro in 2015.
Brooks Koepka coming off win at Orlando's LIV tournament
The Jupiter resident and four-time majors winner has a lot to prove after an uncharacteristic 2022 in which he lost his confidence, joined LIV Golf and was a non-factor in the four majors. Koepka missed the cut in the 2022 British Open and Masters, and was 55th in the PGA Championship and U.S. Open.
But we got a glimpse of that confidence and game (along with his health) returning last week when he won the LIV event outside of Orlando. Now he has to prove he can do it for 72 holes (not 54) and against a world-class field (not a LIV field).
Tiger Woods is ... Tiger Woods
So, you want to count out Tiger? How'd that go in 2019? Is he among the favorites? No. In fact, he's not close as a +7500 longshot. But he's still Tiger Woods and if he's in contention on Sunday, this place would be electric, and we could have a repeat of 2019.
Tiger knows his physical limitations since his horrific car accident 26 months ago. And he's picking his spots hoping to just play the four majors each year and possibly one more, like Genesis, which is the last time we saw him on a course. But if anyone can overcame anything, it's Tiger.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Who's going to win 2023 Masters Tournament that includes LIV players?
