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Power Rankings: Genesis Scottish Open

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As the PGA TOUR races down the home stretch of the 2022-23 season, it’s going two-wide with the DP World Tour for the next two weeks. Each of the four co-sanctioned tournaments will feature a 156-man field and an official PGA TOUR victory.

A Power Rankings will accompany all four as well. The series begins with this one for the Genesis Scottish Open. It’s the second time that it’s been an official competition on the PGA TOUR and the fifth consecutive edition hosted at The Renaissance Club in North Berwick. Expectations for the field and more below.

Max Homa, Jordan Spieth, Justin Thomas and 2022 runner-up Kurt Kitayama will be among the notables reviewed in Golfbet Insider.

Not unlike Royal Liverpool’s exposure to menacing sea breezes, The Renaissance Club is adjacent to the Firth of Forth. This, of course, is among the staples of links-style courses, so the entrants will be battling conditions more often than usual during this fortnight.

Wind promises to punish early and late in Scotland for which the cut is a standard low 65 and ties. Gusts could exceed 30 mph by Sunday. The only relative break in the forecast is on Friday. Daytime temperatures will eclipse 60 degree throughout. A sprinkle of rain almost never can be ruled out in these climes, but the strongest threat is on Saturday.

The Renaissance Club is a par 70 that can extend to 7,237 yards. It’s not stock in that it has five par 3s and three par 5s, but despite only 10 par 4s, three of them ranked among the top-15 hardest of 533 par 4s used during the entirety of the 2021-22 PGA TOUR season. With a scoring average of 4.617, the finishing hole was the hardest of all. Of 462 scores posted on it, only six were birdies. There were no eagles and, surprisingly in the context of its challenge, the worst score was a double bogey.

At +0.286 strokes to par, the par-3 ninth was the fifth-toughest of 204 par 3s on TOUR last year. Overall scoring for the tournament checked in at 71.732, thus securing The Renaissance Club as the hardest par 70 among non-majors.

To assist the golfers in retaining some control, fescue greens max at 11½ feet on the Stimpmeter, but there’s nowhere to hide. Splitting fairways between primary rough cut to 2½ inches, hitting greens in regulation, converting GIR into par breakers, salvaging pars, scoring on all pars, etc. … all measurements landed inside the top-10 hardest of all courses in The Renaissance Club’s debut on the PGA TOUR.

Xander Schauffele’s winning score of 7-under 273 in 2022 is a fair target again this week. Incidentally, Schauffele’s aggregate equaled Aaron Rai’s tournament-high (in 2020) among the first three winners at The Renaissance Club (2019-2021), but the course played as a par 71 for each.

ROB BOLTON’S SCHEDULE

PGATOUR.com’s Rob Bolton recaps and previews every tournament from numerous perspectives. Look for his following contributions as scheduled.

MONDAY: Power Rankings (Scottish)

TUESDAY*: Power Rankings (Barbasol), Sleepers (Scottish)

WEDNESDAY: Golfbet Insider

SUNDAY: Payouts and Points (Scottish), Payouts and Points (Barbasol), Medical Extensions, Qualifiers, Reshuffle

* - Rob is a member of the panel for PGATOUR.COM’s Expert Picks for PGA TOUR Fantasy Golf, which also publishes on Tuesday.

Rob Bolton is a Golfbet columnist for the PGA TOUR. The Chicagoland native has been playing fantasy golf since 1994, so he was just waiting for the Internet to catch up with him. Follow Rob Bolton on Twitter .

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2024 zurich classic pga power rankings: top 10 teams to watch.

Take a breather, Scottie Scheffler is not going to win this one. 80 2-man teams are headed to the Zurich Classic to take on TPC Louisiana in one of the more unique formats that we get all season long...team golf! Despite it feeling like an off week, this event has provided numerous dramatic finishes over the years.

Davis Riley and Nick Hardy are the defending Champions and this week literally made their year in 2023 and secured their Tour cards for the future. This is a fun event to bet and track throughout the week. We will see some ridiculously low rounds during the best ball portion and things can go haywire fast when they play alternate shot. Sit back, relax, and I have you covered for the teams that you need to be looking out for.

As always with this article, my primary goal is to provide a place to start your research and preparation for the incoming week. I have carefully evaluated the field to project course fits and past results in team golf formats. This will give you a glimpse at how my brain operates when it comes to handicapping this unique event. Here are my top 10 teams to watch and a brief write up for my reasons why.

#10. Billy Horschel and Tyson Alexander

A few weeks ago, Sam Burns texted his annual partner Billy Horschel and told him the bad news that he wouldn't be playing in the Zurich Classic this year. Sam's wife is due with their first child, forcing Billy to look elsewhere. He landed on Tyson Alexander who is coming off his best finish of the season, a T14 at the Valero Texas Open.

What a great come-up it is indeed for Alexander who gets to play with Horschel. He has come close on multiple occasions to winning this event with Sam Burns and is rounding into form. Horschel just shot the course record at Corales to get himself back in the winning circle this past weekend. Both are hoping to carry their form to New Orleans.

Billy Horschel is back in the winner’s circle! 🏆 He ties the course record en route to his victory at the @CoralesChamp . pic.twitter.com/SGBJ2vOJZx — Golf Digest (@GolfDigest) April 21, 2024

#9. Davis Riley and Nick Hardy

Let's be honest, both of these players are genuinely on the struggle bus lately. They have missed a combined 8 of the last 12 cuts on the PGA Tour. Both Nick Hardy and Davis Riley are desperate for a shot of adrenaline into their 2024 season and they are hoping that positive vibes at the Zurich Classic are just what the doctor ordered.

As a team, they are defending champions at this event which is the primary reason they made their way into the rankings. They shot a score of -30 last year as a team which was the best number we had seen in a number of years. Riley showcased his love for this event in 2022 by finishing in 4th with Will Zalatoris. He then came back in 2023 with Nick Hardy and the rest is history. Can you bank on these guys just owning team golf or is the form to much to be concerned about?

#8. Keith Mitchell and Joel Dahmen

You're frontrunners for the team most likely to have a good time on Bourbon Street has to be Keith Mitchell and Joel Dahmen. This will mark their first time competing together but Keith Mitchell has played really well in this event during previous stints with Brandt Snedeker and then last season alongside Sungjae Im.

Dahmen seemed to briefly right the ship in March but it's Mitchell that has been playing wonderfully this spring. He's been unusually consistent and played near the top of several leaderboards. This team will be flat-out fun, and that is worth something in my book. I wonder what their walk-up music is going to be?

#7. Corey Conners and Taylor Pendrith

Team #7 in my rankings this week holds a special place in my heart. Corey Conners and Taylor Pendrith both graduated together from my alma mater, Kent State University. The golf program at Kent State has a rich history and has been lucky enough to garner several high profile Canadian players through the years.

This will be their first time playing this event together, although they did partner up during the most recent Presidents Cup. Pendrith has had a rough season both OTT and has been loose with his irons on approach. It will be comforting to match up with a player who is consistently great at both of those things like Corey Conners. Let's see if the Golden Flashes can rekindle some lightning from their college days.

Corey Conners ( @coreconn ), Mackenzie Hughes ( @MacHughesGolf ) and Taylor Pendrith ( @TaylorPendrith ) helped Kent State to the 2012 @MACSports championship. 8️⃣ years later, they're all vying for the @usopengolf title this weekend! 📰 https://t.co/wCFbZpttLN #FlashesForever pic.twitter.com/kytL0My9yj — Kent State Mens Golf (@KentStGolf) September 15, 2020

#6. The Fitzpatrick Brothers

After an impressive T19 at last years Zurich Classic and plenty of Full Swing coverage around their experience, Matthew and Alex Fitzpatrick are set to team up once again in 2024. I have a lot of respect for Matt for providing this opportunity for his younger brother. This event has the chance to earn him a PGA Tour card should they win, creating a life-changing moment for the younger brother.

Matt Fitzpatrick is coming off a bit of a letdown trying to defend his tartan jacket in Hilton Head last week. Alex on the other hand has been quietly rising up the ranks. For the first time, he is inside the top-150 players in the OWGR. Alex has finished T21 or better in six of his last nine starts on the European Tour. It's a big week for the Fitzpatrick brothers, and they have a lot on the line to play for.

#5. Nick Taylor and Adam Hadwin

For our second all Canadian pairing, Nick Taylor and Adam Hadwin are checking in at the #5 spot in the rankings. The duo finished in solo 2nd place at this event last year and posted a final round 63 which was the best in the field. They did everything they could to apply pressure to Riley/Hardy but came up just short in the end.

Adam Hadwin has been plotting his way around nicely this season, but it's Nick Taylor who has really taken the reigns as the top Canadian on the PGA Tour. Taylor now has three wins since 2020, and has proved to be one of a small handful of players who have risen to the challenge of battling it out with Scottie Scheffler on a Sunday when he won the Waste Management Phoenix Open. These two players can get really hot and feed off one another.

#4. Collin Morikawa and Kurt Kitayama

Whatever IT is, Collin Morikawa found IT. He has been coy about discussing what it was, but a subtle change he made the week prior to Augusta National has Morikawa back to Ballstriking the face off the golf ball. It's a good sign headed into Zurich Classic week, an event which Morikawa has consistently played with subpar results.

He's been lackluster with a high profile list of partners as well. He missed the cut with Max Homa last year and with Matt Wolfe in 2021. Morikawa and Viktor Hovland finished T29. He'll try again this year, with Kurt Kitayama stepping in alongside him. Kitayama has been lurking on the 2nd and 3rd pages of leaderboards consistently but has failed to make a Sunday charge. It's an interesting pairing with 2 players in great form with their irons and should have ample opportunities to make birdies.

#3. Will Zalatoris and Sahith Theegala

I love this team. Two young studs that you know are going to go out there and pull off some amazing golf shots. Will Zalatoris and Sahith Theegala will have a deep crowd with them. There are great American counterpart teams like Xander Schauffele and Patrick Cantlay but if you want to watch high-level golf with a little entertainment flair, go follow Zalagala!

We've been on a rather exhausting run of golf post-Masters. This is a hard narrative to always connect the wires with but I feel confident that your backing two players hungry and giving maximum effort to win if you take this team. Their skillsets are very different, but I think they could actually complement

Making the charge early. Sahith Theegala is one shot back of the lead. 👀 pic.twitter.com/eN3gSw4DUe — Golf Digest (@GolfDigest) April 20, 2024

one another nicely.

#2. Xander Schauffele and Patrick Cantlay

In the second spot on the list, here we have former event Champions and the best duo of players in the entire field. Why aren't there #1? Well, this pairing is just dusty. I sense very little fire in this group, like a 15-year couple now forcing themselves to muster up some gas for date night.

That said, they will almost undoubtedly finish inside the top-5. Schauffele has been arguably the 2nd most consistent player on the PGA Tour season and Cantlay seems to be rounding into form after a nice showing at the Heritage. I love this team in a Ryder Cup, even a Presidents Cup, but I just feel like it will be hard to replicate the intensity required to win for the Zurich Classic after both players had disappointing finishes to the Masters.

#1. Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry

If Rory McIlroy can keep Shane Lowry from enjoying his time in New Orleans a little too much...then this time is going to win! This is a comfortable pairing of two veteran European Ryder-Cuppers. Lowry can afford Rory McIlroy the ability to set up and send it off the tee box. His positive attitude will render results on and around the green.

I think both players can build fuel off one another. It would be a fun one for them to win together, something neither has done in their careers with this type of format. Neither player has much history at this event and I am crazy enough to believe that it could be a good thing. Fresh minds, fresh spirits, and a chance for each player to kick start their season by getting the collective "WIN" monkey off their back. Long live Rory and Shane!

Also, nothing beats a drunken lunch.

It all started with a "really drunken lunch." Rory McIlroy tells @kclairerogers how he and Shane Lowry teamed up for the Zurich. pic.twitter.com/4CLmzeWrYN — GOLF.com (@GOLF_com) March 25, 2024

Best of luck this week Rotoballer family!

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Masters 2024: Power rankings for the entire field at Augusta

Masters Week is here, and rather than have you cram and try to do your own research on every competitor in the 2024 Masters field , we have done the work for you. Whether you're a casual or massive golf fan or interested in the below write-ups for your Masters pools or bets, you're in the right place. We are here to make you more educated about this year's participants at Augusta National.

Below you'll find power rankings for the 2024 Masters field. I have designed these rankings to be a fantastic reference tool. Take a moment to peruse the key in case any of the information below is baffling. Make great use of the list, and more importantly, enjoy the 88th Masters!

RELATED: Masters 2024 picks: The bets we made on Monday

• Age: Self-explanatory. That being said, six of the last 10 winners were in their 20s, three were in there 30s, and Tiger (2019) was in his 40s.
• Odds to win: These are the best futures odds listed for each player across multiple domestic betting boards (as of Sunday).
• OWGR/Data Golf: Let’s face the facts, the OWGR is incomplete. To give us a better top line view of player performance, I included the Data Golf rankings.
• Player trend: This list is meant to be an immediate reference tool for next week. Quite simply, what direction is a player’s game going. Up is good, down is bad.
• Masters appearances/cuts made: The number of times a player has competed in the tournament along with the number of successful cuts made.
• Best Masters finish: Again, another quick reference tool. In the last five years, all but one winner had a top-five finish of better prior to winning the green jacket. The outlier is Scottie Scheffler. Scheffler’s best finish prior to winning the Masters was T-18.
• Notes: A quick summary for each player to pique or deter your interest in their chances to win or play well in the 2024 Masters.

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We’ll first mention a few names not in our top 50 who are not likely to factor into the late weekend precedings.

Older past champions

Fred Couples, Jose Maria Olazabal, Vijay Singh, Mike Weir

It’s very unfortunate Bernhard Langer won’t be here, as he planned for this to be his final Masters. We’re sure he’ll be back. It’s a big year for Jose Maria Olaz á bal , who won his first green jacket 30 years ago—and 25 years since he earned his second Masters title. Olazabal has played three PGA Tour Champions events in 2024, finishing in the top 30 in all of them. We know not to sleep on the seniors at Augusta. Mike Weir plays actively on the PGA Tour Champions and owns 11 top-five results in his senior career.

Here's a quick ranking of seniors in the field—for your Masters pool picks (if Phil Mickelson is included in this bucket of 50-plus somethings, he's obviously the pick after his T-2 here last year):

• Vijay Singh
• Fred Couples
• Jose Maria Olazábal

Santiago de la Fuente, Stewart Hagestad, Christo Lambrecht, Neal Shipley, Jasper Stubbs

True to the legacy of Bobby Jones, five amateurs qualified for the 88th Masters. Really six, but in the most unusual of twists, the 2023 U.S. Amateur Champion Nick Dunlap won on the PGA Tour back in January. By taking his tour card, he lost his amateur spot. I wonder if he will still stay in the Crow’s Nest.

Here’s how I’d rank the amateurs in the 2024 Masters field:

• Neal Shipley
• Jasper Stubbs
• Santiago de la Fuente
• Christo Lamprecht
• Stewart Hagestad

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LIV players not ranked below

Sergio Garcia cemented his top spot on this list with a great showing at Doral, losing in a playoff. The 2017 Masters champion has shown some semblance of form in 2014 with a runner-up to Joaquin Niemann at Mayakoba, then the close call in Miami.

• Bubba Watson
• Charl Schwartzel
• Adrian Meronk
• Sergio Garcia

Eric Cole, Cameron Davis, Rickie Fowler, Austin Eckroat, Lucas Glover, Ryo Hisatsune, Lee Hodges, Nicolai Højgaard, Stephan Jaeger, Zach Johnson, Chris Kirk, Kurt Kitayama, Jake Knapp, Luke List, Peter Malnati, Grayson Murray, Thorbjørn Olesen, Matthieu Pavon, Adam Schenk, Sepp Straka, Erik van Rooyen, Camilo Villegas, Danny Willett, Gary Woodland

Our apologies to Zach Johnson , who is the only past champion in this group. There are some other names who could certainly make some noise and be OK selections for your final tiers in Masters pools—we like Luke List , Erik van Rooyen and Kurt Kitayama to shoot a low round or two—but we feel the below 50 players in our power rankings will be the ones to focus on come the weekend.

Masters 2024: Power Rankings

50. adam hadwin.

Age: 36 Odds to win: 220-1 OWGR: 46 Data Golf: 42 Player trend: ↗️ Masters appearances: 3 Cuts made: 2 Best Masters finish: T-24 (2018)

Hadwin’s profile is intriguing. The Canadian boasts three top-10s in 2024, including a fourth-place finish at Riviera off a red-hot Sunday round. But his major history is lacking—with just one top 10 to his name (2022 U.S. Open). He also hasn’t played the Masters since 2020, but he’s playing some of the best golf of his career.

49. Min Woo Lee

Age: 25 Odds to win: 75-1 OWGR: 32 Data Golf: 50 Player trend: ➡️ Masters appearances: 2 Cuts made: 1 Best Masters finish: T-14 (2022)

The social-media darling has become a popular figure out on tour, and his game is fun to watch. Lee’s length off the tee is in the top third of the field, but Augusta National is a second-shot golf course, and he has struggled with his irons this year. His strokes gained/approach numbers place him in the bottom third of the field.

48. Tommy Fleetwood

Age: 33 Odds to win: +5500 OWGR: 12 Data Golf: 17 Player trend: ↘️ Masters appearances: 7 Cuts made: 6 Best Masters finish: T-14 (2022)

You know the Englishman always brings his A-game to the majors, but he’s trending in the wrong direction right now. His normally reliable iron play has been quite putrid of late—losing more than eight strokes on approach in two rounds at Bay Hill and more than three strokes at The Players. He can boast just one top 10 on the PGA Tour this year (Riviera), though he did win in the Middle East in January. Normally you might trust him in a lower tier in major pools—he’s got four top-10s in the past two years at the majors, which few players can boast—but his stats will test your belief this year.

47. Keegan Bradley

Age: 37 Odds to win: 200-1 OWGR: 18. Data Golf: 52 Player trend: ↘️ Masters appearances: 7 Cuts made: 6 Best Masters finish: T-22 (2015)

It’s somewhat surprising that Keegan Bradley hasn’t finished inside the top 20 at Augusta in seven appearances given his proficiency with his irons. The putter has always held him back—and a season ranking 20th on the PGA Tour in SG/putting allowed him to earn victories at the Zozo Championship and the Travelers Championship, putting him firmly in Ryder Cup consideration. The putting has regressed big time thus far in the 2023-2024 season, as Bradley ranks 161st on tour in SG/putting. We’ll see if the giant Ryder Cup chip on his back can remain a motivating factor in 2024 and 2025 ahead of the next Ryder Cup at Bethpage, just miles away from the St. John’s campus he attended school.

46. Akshay Bhatia

Brennan Asplen

Age: 22 Odds to win: 150-1 OWGR: 34. Data Golf: 73 Player trend: ↗️ Masters appearances/cuts made: Rookie

Bhatia held off Denny McCarthy's massive back-nine birdie barrage to earn the Valero Texas Open victory and the final invitation to the Masters. Only one player in the field comes into Masters week with a win. Bhatia's performance all week was so impressive—he gained 21.15 strokes to the field at TPC San Antonio after a career-best approach week the previous event in Houston. Just an amazing story for the 2014 Drive, Chip, and Putt finalist! Bhatia’s ball-striking fits well around Augusta National; let’s just hope that shoulder remains healthy.

45. Emiliano Grillo

Age: 31 Odds to win: 250-1 OWGR: 36 Data Golf: 48 Player trend: ➡️ Masters appearances: 3 Cuts made: 3 Best Masters finish: T-17 (2016)

Notes: Three starts and three made cuts down Magnolia Lane. Grillo’s much-improved putter has led to five top 25s in 2024.

44. JT Poston

Age: 30 Odds to win: 200-1 OWGR: 44 Data Golf: 35 Player trend: ➡️ Masters appearances: 2 Cuts made: 1 Best Masters finish: T-34 (2023)

The “Postman” delivered in early 2024 with three top-10s, but since March he hasn’t even recorded a top 40. With his lack of distance off the tee, it’s tough to feel too optimistic about his chances at Augusta National.

43. Ryan Fox

Age: 37 Odds to win: 220-1 OWGR: 49 Data Golf: 126 Player trend: ➡️ Masters appearances: 1 Cuts made: 1 Best Masters finish: T-26 (2023)

I walked with Fox at WMPO in February. The New Zealand native’s long game and trajectory control are a great fit for getting around Augusta.

42. Tyrrell Hatton

Age: 32 Odds to win: 85-1 OWGR: 17 Data Golf: 12 Player trend: ↘️ Masters appearances: 7 Cuts made: 5 Best Masters finish: T-18 (2021)

It feels odd to rank Hatton so low, but it’s tough to know what version of the Englishman will turn up this week. The newly minted LIV golfer started his season off with a top 10 in Mayakoba but hasn’t finished inside the top 10 in the 48-person fields since. If he was on the PGA Tour and playing regularly, we’d have a better gauge on his play, which is typically suited well for Augusta being such a great iron player. That’s what makes his history at the Masters confounding, with only one top 30 in seven starts.

41. Jason Day

Age: 36 Odds to win: 60-1 OWGR: 22 Data Golf: 37 Player trend: ➡️ Masters appearances: 12 Cuts made: 9 Best Masters finish: T-2 (2011)

The Aussie showed early in his career how nicely he got on with Augusta National—with two top-three finishes in his first three appearances. That has slowed as his game struggled over the past couple years—making the weekend only one time since 2020. Day had a nice start to 2024 with three top-10s in his first five starts, but he hasn’t finished inside the top 25 in his three most recent starts.

40. Phil Mickelson

Patrick Smith

Age: 53 Odds to win: 175-1 OWGR: 161 Data Golf: 432 Player trend: ➡️ Masters appearances: 30 Cuts made: 27 Best Masters finish: 1 (2004, 2006, 2010)

Lefty’s second-place finish last year was an amazing feat, showing his propensity for conjuring up greatness around Augusta National. He only had one top-20 in the five starts prior to 2023. He’s probably a lock for a “low senior” selection/bet (over 50).

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39. Russell Henley

Age: 34 Odds to win: 120-1 OWGR: 23 Data Golf: 15 Player trend: ➡️ Masters appearances: 7. Cuts made: 6. Best Masters finish: T-4 (2023)

It’s been a respectable year for Henley with four-place finishes at the API and Sony and a strong showing at the Valero. Henley has only four rounds in the 60s in 26 rounds at Augusta National Golf Club, but he had his best-ever finish last year (T-4).

38. Si Woo Kim

Age: 28 Odds to win: 130-1 OWGR: 45 Data Golf: 26 Player trend: ↗️ Masters appearances: 7 Cuts made: 6 Best Masters finish: T-12 (2021)

He doesn’t have marquee finishes, but Si Woo has been sensational this year. He’s gaining an average of six strokes on the field in his past five starts, one of the best marks in the field. Si Woo’s ball-striking is primed for a top 10 Masters finish.

37. Tiger Woods

Age: 48 Odds to win: 130-1 OWGR: 950 Data Golf: none Player trend: ❓ Masters appearances: 25 Cuts made: 24 Best Masters finish: 1 (1997, 2001, 2002, 2005, 2019)

Tiger will make the cut. Once he gets to the weekend, enjoy the roars amongst the pines as he finishes top 40. Woods has completed 96 rounds at Augusta National Golf Club and 51 were under par (53 percent).

36. Nick Taylor

Age: 35 Odds to win: 160-1 OWGR: 25 Data Golf: 49 Player trend: ↗️ Masters appearances: 1 Cuts made: 1 Best Masters finish: T-29 (2020)

With two wins since the 87th Masters, Taylor is one to keep your eye on. His approach game and putting are both ranked in the top eight of this field.

35. Byeong Hun An

Octavio Passos

Age: 32 Odds to win: 150-1 OWGR: 42 Data Golf: 32 Player trend: ↗️ Masters appearances: 4 Cuts made: 1 Best Masters finish: T-33 (2017)

An is getting a fresh start at ANGC. It’s his first start here since 2020, An has been solid to start 2024. The Players was a small misstep, but overall, An has played elite golf especially in signature events.

34. Taylor Moore

Age: 30 Odds to win: 280-1 OWGR: 53 Data Golf: 53 Player trend: ↗️ Masters appearances: 1 Cuts made: 1 Best Masters finish: T-39 (2023)

Moore is one player I’m interested to see return. Twelfth at Valspar and runner-up in Houston, Taylor’s well-rounded skillset fits the ANGC test quite well.

33. Brian Harman

Age: 37 Odds to win: 66-1 OWGR: 8. Data Golf: 22. Player trend: ↗️ Masters appearances: 5. Cuts made: 2. Best Masters finish: T-12 (2021)

Is Augusta National too long for the Open champion? Harman might be the least successful lefty to play the Masters five times. He is on another level compared to past appearances, so we’ll see how the former Georgia Bulldog fares. He won the 151st Open by six strokes, finished runner-up at The Players last month and then missed the cut at the Valspar: tread lightly.

RELATED: Masters 2024 picks: Our 13 best bets right now for Augusta National

32. Harris English

Age: 34 Odds to win: 180-1 OWGR: 40 Data Golf: 30 Player trend: ➡️ Masters appearances: 4 Cuts made: 3 Best Masters finish: T-21 (2021)

Why doesn’t Harris English play better at the Masters? The Georgia alumni drives it great, has a calm demeanor and incredible putter. Well, he should, but the fact is in 14 rounds played Harris has only broken par four times.

31. Bryson DeChambeau

Andrew Redington

Age: 30 Odds to win: 40-1 OWGR: 208 Data Golf: 21 Player trend: ➡️ Masters appearances: 7 Cuts made: 5 Best Masters finish: T-21 (2016)

Bryson’s best finish at the Masters was his first as an amateur. The last two starts were missed cuts. I guess the gods of Augusta National won’t let the “par 68” comment go.

RELATED: How Bryson DeChambeau broke an unwritten rule of Augusta

30. Justin Rose

Age: 43 Odds to win: 130-1 OWGR: 56 Data Golf: 94 Player trend: ↘️ Masters appearances: 18 Cuts made: 16 Best Masters finish: 2 (2015, 2017)

A missed cut at API and a missed cut at The Players, Rose needs a trip down Magnolia Lane to reset. This venue has been very good to him (especially on Thursdays), and right now he needs a change in trajectory.

29. Sungjae Im

Age: 26 Odds to win: 110-1 OWGR: 39 Data Golf: 56 Player trend: ➡️ Masters appearances: 4 Cuts made: 3 Best Masters finish: T-2 (2020)

It’s tough to find much positives with Sungjae’s start to the season. His iron play has been atrocious. Im has lost strokes on approach in seven of his past eight events. He only breaks the top 30 because Sungjae has an incredible short game and solid history at Augusta National.

28. Collin Morikawa

Age: 27 Odds to win: 44-1 OWGR: 16. Data Golf: 7. Player trend: ↘️ Masters appearances: 4. Cuts made: 4. Best Masters finish: 5 (2022)

I started my ranking with 25 names—players I have seen this spring out on tour and those we know from LIV. Morikawa wasn’t on it. One of the best iron players in the world, he has lost strokes on approach in three out of his past four starts. Unfortunately, the driver is not much better. The two-time major champion has higher than usual odds for a reason.

27. Tom Kim

Age: 21 Odds to win: 100-1 OWGR: 21 Data Golf: 38 Player trend: ➡️ Masters appearances: 1 Cuts made: 1 Best Masters finish: T-16 (2023)

Tom Kim had a similar mediocre lead into Augusta last year and finished top 20. For Kim, that just might be the ceiling at the Masters with a need for length off the tee and a below average flatstick. Full Swing 2 gave us plenty of insights into the young superstar, but why he has seven starts and only one top 20 this season was not one of them.

26. Corey Conners

Age: 32 Odds to win: 80-1 OWGR: 47 Data Golf: 25 Player trend: ↗️ Masters appearances: 6 Cuts made: 4 Best Masters finish: T-6 (2022)

Three straight top 10s until a missed cut in 2023 at the Masters. Conners builds confidence at Valero before heading to Georgia. Eighteenth at API, 13th at The Players, Corey will come back to positive DFS and Masters pool returns in 2024.

25. Sam Burns

David Cannon

Age: 27 Odds to win: 55-1 OWGR: 20. Data Golf: 14. Player trend: ➡️ Masters appearances: 2. Cuts made: 1. Best Masters finish: T-29 (2023)

Sam Burns figured out his driver to start the season and racked up four straight top 10s. Since that run, the results keep getting worse. The driver has become inconsistent, and the short game is no doubt a concern coming to Augusta National. Burns would have loved to play this tournament a month ago.

24. Dustin Johnson

Age: 39 Odds to win: 38-1 OWGR: 327 Data Golf: 40 Player trend: ➡️ Masters appearances: 13 Cuts made: 11 Best Masters finish: 1 (2020)

DJ has a win already this year and is currently ranked third on LIV’s player leaderboard. Only Jon Rahm and Joaquin Niemann are ahead of him. I like Johnson this week with so much attention on others.

23. Max Homa

Age: 33 Odds to win: 50-1 OWGR: 10 Data Golf: 11 Player trend: ➡️ Masters appearances: 4 Cuts made: 2 Best Masters finish: T-43 (2023)

Max Homa has missed the cut in eight of his past 15 majors. That’s a tough record to swallow entering the year’s most predictable setting. Tenth in the world rankings, he sits outside the top 20 on my list. I just need to see more than two rounds under par in 12 tries going around Augusta National.

22. Patrick Reed

Age: 33 Odds to win: 80-1 OWGR: 107 Data Golf: 77 Player trend: ➡️ Masters appearances: 10 Cuts made: 8 Best Masters finish: 1 (2018)

Love him or hate him, Patrick Reed has three top 10s in his past four Masters. The guy just knows how to navigate Augusta National. Unlike many of his LIV counterparts he continues to play non-LIV events to gain OWGR points. Reed has made eight straight cuts in major championships, and I really expect another top 20 (or better) finish this year at Augusta.

21. Viktor Hovland

Age: 26 Odds to win: 31-1 OWGR: 6 Data Golf: 5 Player trend: ⬇️ Masters appearances: 4 Cuts made: 4 Best Masters finish: T-7 (2023)

Hovland is one of the biggest question marks coming into the 88th Masters. What happened to FedEx Cup champion Viktor Hovland? After ending 2023 among the top four in the world, Hovland has just one top 20 in 2024. His famed around-the-green improvement has completely gone away, and he’s losing strokes tee to green. In his past five starts, Viktor is losing an average of 1.4 strokes T2G. It’s tough to watch at times, and we all cannot wait for Hovland to rediscover his happy place. I remember sitting through his press conference at API and listening to his struggles. Hovland is in the top 25 on this list based upon talent alone, but getting much closer than that on Sunday will take a serious turnaround.

20. Shane Lowry

Age: 37 Odds to win: 50-1 OWGR: 33 Data Golf: 27 Player trend: ↗️ Masters appearances: 8 Cuts made: 5 Best Masters finish: T-3 (2022)

Shane Lowry has four straight top 25s at the Masters. The last time Lowry looked this good coming into Magnolia Lane, he finished third. Shane is gaining over five strokes on the field tee to green (in his past five starts) and has been positive with his putter in three of those past five starts. In the middle tier of competitors, Lowry can go low at the Masters.

19. Cameron Young

Douglas P. DeFelice

Age: 26 Odds to win: 60-1 OWGR: 13 Data Golf: 19 Player trend: ↗️ Masters appearances: 2 Cuts made: 1 Best Masters finish: T-7 (2023)

Even with a seventh-place finish last year, Cameron Young’s stroke average at Augusta National is over par. What his result depends upon: Can a below-average putter win a green jacket? Young is a gifted ballstriker, but losing so many strokes on the greens against the best players in the world keeps him from winning. If we see a change with the putter performance on Thursday and Friday, you better believe Cam is a very viable live betting option!

18. Adam Scott

Age: 43 Odds to win: 120-1 OWGR: 52 Data Golf: 31 Player trend: ↘️ Masters appearances: 22 Cuts made: 20 Best Masters finish: 1 (2013)

Adam Scott has not missed a Masters cut since 2009. Scott started 2024 on a serious heater. The ball-striking was close to his peak. In recent weeks, he missed the cut at API and finished 45th at The Players. He’s another player who probably wished this tournament took place a month ago. Outside of another cut made, Adam needs to turn his tee-to-green play around if he plans to contend for a second green jacket.

17. Sahith Theegala

Age: 26 Odds to win: 55-1 OWGR: 15 Data Golf: 13 Player trend: ⬆️ Masters appearances: 1 Cuts made: 1 Best Masters finish: 9 (2023)

A debutant’s top 10 at the Masters catches everyone’s attention. Sahith Theegala is doing everything right early in his career. The former college player of the year at Pepperdine possesses a world-class short game and putter. To complement that amazing scoring ability, Sahith has gained an average of four strokes tee to green in his past five starts. He is on a short list of names above 50-1 who could actually win.

16. Matt Fitzpatrick

Age: 29 Odds to win: 40-1 OWGR: 11 Data Golf: 16 Player trend: ↗️ Masters appearances: 9 Cuts made: 8 Best Masters finish: T-7 (2016)

Matt Fitzpatrick has improved his finish in each of the past four years. A top 10 last year and a U.S. Open win in 2022 catches my attention. Fitzpatrick’s start to 2024 was mediocre at best, but an equipment change with his driver quickly produced great results at The Players (top 5). Hitting fairways puts Matt in a place to score. His ball-striking and attention to detail are tailored for a green jacket someday. There’s no doubt his record at Augusta and in the majors should place him in the conversation.

15. Ludvig Åberg

Age: 24 Odds to win : 29-1 OWGR: 9 Data Golf: 6 Player trend: ⬆️ Masters appearances/cuts made: Rookie

This might be a name the casual golf fan isn’t familiar with, as Ludvig Åberg is not only playing in his first Masters but his first major—despite already playing on a winning Ryder Cup team. Ludvig’s game is perfectly suited to donning a green jacket, but we have to pump the brakes. Yes, Åberg is the best player to have never competed in a major to date, but this is Augusta and the last debutant to win was Fuzzy Zoeller 45 years ago. Do I believe Åberg will give us a Sam Bennett-esque story this year? Yes, I do. A top 10 is well within his reach. Keep your expectations there, and you won’t be disappointed.

14. Justin Thomas

Age: 30 Odds to win: 34-1 OWGR: 28 Data Golf: 23 Player trend: ↗️ Masters appearances: 8 Cuts made: 7 Best Masters finish: 4 (2020)

Only one player in the last 20 years has won a green jacket and missed the cut the year prior; Patrick Reed (2018). Justin Thomas is playing much better than a year ago. Unfortunately, his recent results combined with a questionable caddie change the week before Augusta gives us all pause. Here’s the important question you need to ask yourself before you take JT this week. Is Thomas the Ernie Els (six top 10s at Augusta) of this generation or Phil (three wins) at the Masters? Justin is still young, but with all of this unrest leading up to the tournament, he may have to wait to contend for a green jacket another year.

13. Tony Finau

Age: 34 Odds to win: 44-1 OWGR: 26 Data Golf: 24 Player trend: ➡️ Masters appearances: 6 Cuts made: 6 Best Masters finish: T-5 (2019)

Tony Finau’s putter continues to hold him back. In his last five starts, Finau is gaining an average of four strokes/tee to green on the field. A perfect cut record at Augusta succinctly displays Tony can putt the greens of Augusta National, but only once was he coming in putting this poorly, and that was 2022 when he finished T-35. That was Finau’s second-worst Augusta appearance (worst T-38 2020). You don’t have to be a great putter to win a green jacket, but you cannot give strokes back to this elite field and expect anything better than a top 20.

12. Jordan Spieth

Age: 30 Odds to win: 22-1 OWGR: 19 Data Golf: 20 Player trend: ⬇️ Masters appearances: 10 Cuts made: 9 Best Masters finish: 1 (2015)

How about this factoid: Jordan Spieth has two wins on the PGA Tour in the past seven years! What concerns us all is the ball-striking. Spieth has lost significant strokes on approach over the past year. The trend is difficult to ignore even with Jordan’s incredible Augusta history. At the top of the betting board, many players are trending downward in 2024. Of course, Spieth has six top-four finishes in 10 Masters. If anyone can resurrect their game down Magnolia Lane, Spieth is our best candidate.

11 . Joaquin Niemann

Age: 25 Odds to win: 27-1 OWGR: 91 Data Golf: 9 Player trend: ⬆️ Masters appearances: 4 Cuts made: 3 Best Masters finish: T-16 (2023)

In four LIV events this year, Joaquin Niemann has two victories, a fourth-place and a 30th. He leads the individual season-long points list, and as you can see by his rankings, has caught the attention of avid golf fans. Some wonder if LIV is a real test, but with stronger players like Rahm and Hatton in these fields this year, he has gained respect—so much so that Augusta National offered him a special invitation (also by virtue of his Australian Open win) into this field. All that being said, Joaquin has never threatened the top of the leaderboard at the Masters. In three weekends, he has one round under par and a scoring average of 74 in six rounds. With his trajectory control and impressive start to 2024 he has my attention. Just not all of my attention.

10. Patrick Cantlay

Age: 32 Odds to win: 32-1 OWGR: 7 Data Golf: 8 Player trend: ↘️ Masters appearances: 7 Cuts made: 5 Best Masters finish: T-9 (2019)

Patrick Cantlay has lost strokes/tee to green in four of his past five events. Is he distracted by everything going on off the course as the head of the PAC? Cantlay leads the PGA Tour in Round 1 scoring average this season. Patrick ranks number 179th in final-round scoring average! Take a look at last year’s Masters. Cantlay’s round scorecard read 71-71-68-75. I keep Cantlay near the top because his major championship record has been much better in recent years. Patrick has five top 15s in his past six major starts. I believe LaCava’s experience will help. Cantlay continues the trend, and he will contend here again.

9. Cam Smith

Age: 30 Odds to win: 32-1 OWGR: 62 Data Golf: 45 Player trend: ↗️ Masters appearances: 7 Cuts made: 7 Best Masters finish: T-2 (2020)

The toughest part about handicapping the Masters is predicting LIV players’ success. All we have is five LIV events this season, and the Aussie WD’d last week in Doral. But he also lost in a playoff in Hong Kong the start before and had another top 10. The captivating Australian should be strongly considered to contend again at Augusta. Smith still hits less than 50 percent of his fairways, but he is third in birdies on LIV, and on a very short list of best putters in the world. Only three other players in his odds range have even won a major (Wyndham Clark, Dustin Johnson, Justin Thomas). Cam has proven he can close and just might do it again.

8. Wyndham Clark

Age: 30 Odds to win: 30-1 OWGR: 4 Data Golf: 10 Player trend: 🔥 Masters appearances/cuts made: Rookie

What more can be said about Wyndham Clark? He is now ranked fourth in the world and seems to be built in the Brooks mold—raising his baseline in big-time situations. We have an incredible class of debutants this year, and he is the cream of the crop. Clark has competed in eight major championships and won the 2023 U.S. Open. His driver, putter, and short game definitely fit Augusta National. The approach game can get shaky, but in his last five starts he’s gaining an average of two strokes on the field. Rookies continue to get closer every year (Zalatoris runner-up 2021, Theegala T-9 2023). If any rookie in recent years can break the 45-year trend, I believe Clark can.

7. Will Zalatoris

Age: 27 Odds to win: 35-1 OWGR: 30 Data Golf: 60 Player trend: ↗️ Masters appearances: 2 Cuts made: 2 Best Masters finish: 2 (2021)

When Will Zalatoris walked away a year ago for back surgery you know this week was circled on his calendar. Zalatoris is built for Augusta National. An impeccable ballstriker, Will’s new putter completes the complement of skills needed to win a green jacket. One of the (very) few elite players who has improved in 2024, watch Will put on another show. Six of Will’s eight career rounds at Augusta National have been under par. Even when the driver faltered at The Players, his approach game still remained. Give us the putter he showed us in February, and Rahm will give him the green jacket.

6. Rory McIlroy

Age: 34 Odds to win: 12-1 OWGR: 3 Data Golf: 2 Player trend: ↘️ Masters appearances: 15 Cuts made: 12 Best Masters finish: 2 (2022)

Rory McIlroy is the greatest driver of the golf ball I have ever seen. That career-long advantage has accumulated a plethora of wins. When Rory comes to an iron game affair like Augusta National, he is susceptible. Over McIlroy’s last six starts, he is losing an average of one stroke on approach to the field. If Rory is to overcome all of the major expectations, his iron game must improve. McIlroy looked better at the Valero, but this is a rocky approach run, and I need more than one week to bet Rory at 12-1 against this field.

5. Xander Schauffele

Age: 30 Odds to win: 20-1 OWGR: 5 Data Golf: 2 Player trend: ⬆️ Masters appearances: 6 Cuts made: 5 Best Masters finish: T-2 (2019)

Xander Schauffele is currently the most well-rounded player not named Scottie Scheffler. Schauffele has six top 10s in eight starts this year. It has been 32 events since his last win in 2022, but he did have three wins that season. He switched coaches in the offseason and put the work in. The results show, and even though his closing rate isn’t better, Schauffele’s career stroke average at Augusta National is under par. The Masters asks you to do everything at a high level, and that is Xander’s MO. If Rahm doesn’t repeat and Hideki’s health comes into question, Schauffele is your best bet to beat Scottie Scheffler.

4. Hideki Matsuyama

Age: 32 Odds to win: 25-1 OWGR: 14 Data Golf: 18 Player trend: ⬆️ Masters appearances: 12 Cuts made: 11 Best Masters finish: 1 (2021)

Hideki Matsuyama gained over 14 strokes/tee to green on the field at The Players! Granted Scheffler gained 15 strokes, but at least we know Matsuyama can keep up. Heading into Masters Week, Matsuyama is statically the best around-the-green player in the field. His short game and specifically his pitching is what won him a green jacket in 2021. Injured or not, all of that health talk gets shoved aside when he heads down Magnolia Lane. The trend is our friend for Hideki with both his history at the Masters and his recent form. His odds should be lower.

3. Brooks Koepka

Age: 33 Odds to win: 20-1 OWGR: 31 Data Golf: 44 Player trend: ↗️ Masters appearances: 8 Cuts made: 6 Best Masters finish: T-2 (2019, 2023)

You know about his major prowess, so here’s a peak at his 2024 LIV results: A fifth-place, two 12ths and a 28th. Though we know nothing measures Koepka’s capabilities much like a major championship, he did enter last year with a win at LIV Orlando en route to holding the 54-hole lead in the Masters. He is a very tough guy to ignore down Magnolia Lane. His last three “healthy Masters,” Brooks finished second, seventh and second. But Koepka fans beware, Brooks is far from an automatic top 5 in every major over the past two years. Outside of his win at the PGA Championship and runner-up finish here a year ago, Koepka’s next closest result was a 17th place at the 2023 U.S. Open.

2. Scottie Scheffler

Sam Greenwood

Age: 27 Odds to win: +430 OWGR: 1 Data Golf: 1 Player trend: 🔥🔥🔥 Masters appearances: 4 Cuts made: 4 Best Masters finish: 1 (2022)

You might be alarmed Scottie Scheffler is not first on this list. Allow me to explain. Scottie Scheffler has 16 rounds played at the Masters and 12 of them are under par. In 15 career major championships, he has one win and nine top 10s. He’s by far the best ball striker on the planet and opens the week at the lowest betting odds we have seen in a major championship since Tiger Woods. Well Scottie, heavy is the head that wears the crown. The last betting favorite to win the Masters was Tiger Woods in 2005. In fact, he’s the only betting favorite (Woods) to win the Masters this century. The similarities in ball striking are warranted, but the comparison of winning isn’t close. Outside of API, Scheffler continues to win with just ball striking and that’s not enough this time at Augusta.

1. Jon Rahm

Manuel Velasquez

Age: 29 Odds to win: 14-1 OWGR: 3 Data Golf: 4 Player trend: ↗️ Masters appearances: 7 Cuts made: 7 Best Masters finish: 1 (2023)

Some bulls are attracted to red; Jon Rahm gets fired up when he sees green—Masters green. Among contenders, Rahm is the strokes-gained leader at Augusta National by a mile (63.6 career strokes gained total). Zalatoris has a higher average in two starts, but in Rahm’s seven he’s gaining nine strokes on the field per start. Yes, that’s higher than Scheffler’s four starts (on average). Rahm has five top 10s in those seven starts. Jon Rahm has four LIV starts: third, eighth, fifth and eighth. Above all else, Jon holds the jacket. He is the defending champion. No recent champion has finished inside the top 10 following their win, but these are unbelievable times. Spanish spirits flow in Rae’s Creek, and I predict Rahm’s return will bring back another jacket for Spain.

RELATED: Masters 2024 DFS picks: Why I love Jon Rahm this week

More From Golf Digest

Keith Stewart is a five-time award-winning PGA professional, a betting contributor and content partner with Golf Digest and founder of Read The Line, the premier on-site live golf betting insights service covering the LPGA and PGA TOUR. Subscribe to Read The Line’s weekly newsletter here and raise your golf betting acumen. Keith's winning content can also be found on Sports Grid, Bleacher Report and The Sporting News. Follow him on Twitter @readtheline_ .

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The Power 18 golf rankings: Scottie Scheffler, Viktor Hovland open on top as 2024 PGA Tour season begins

A new year means new rankings as the power 18 charts its course for the 2024 season.

Though there has not been much action on the course between the end of the FedEx Cup Fall and the beginning of the new year, golf did not take a break in December. The rumor mill is swirling, the PGA Tour and Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund continue to negotiate a potential deal, and oh yeah, the 2024 PGA Tour season is now at our door step. With the return to a calendar season for the PGA Tour comes a preseason edition of The Power 18 golf rankings.

Before we get into the inaugural rankings for 2024, there is an elephant (or three) in the room that needs to be addressed. LIV Golf's season does not begin until February meaning their inclusion in the first iteration of these rankings does not make a whole lot of sense. Yes, Jon Rahm, Bryson DeChambeau and Brooks Koepka are among the best players in the world, but for this preseason edition, we stick with PGA Tour players and then fold in LIV Golf members as they take to the course next month.

With that out of the way -- and only a small corner of the internet golf community now offended -- we get to The Power 18 with none other than Scottie Scheffler headlining the rankings. Coming off a historic tee-to-green season, Scheffler added a much-deserved third title of 2023 in his last start at the Hero World Challenge.

Adhering to the advice of putting guru Phil Kenyon -- who works with the likes of Max Homa, Justin Rose, Matt Fitzpatrick and Keegan Bradley -- Scheffler could be on the cusp of marrying his daunted tee-to-green presence with an adequate putter setting up a potentially monstrous 2024 campaign.

The Power 18 provides insight as to how golfers are currently performing with benefit given to their play over recent events. It is a wider lens than simply what happened at the last tournament to be played but more narrow than the Official World Golf Rankings, which take into account how more than 2,000 golfers perform across an entire  season.

The Power 18

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2024 Zurich Classic of New Orleans Full Field: The PGA Tour's Two-Man Team Game

Irishmen Shane Lowry and Rory McIlroy team up for the first time at TPC Louisiana.

• Author: John Schwarb

Much of the country is finally into the golf season, and for many players that means weekend pairs games. Pick a partner and take on another two-player team, either in a better-ball format or (if you want to see how much you really like your partner) alternate shot.

This week, the PGA Tour does the same thing.

The Zurich Classic of New Orleans is a refreshing change from weekly Tour individual stroke play, with 80 teams of two playing the above two formats at TPC Louisiana. The first and third rounds are better ball and the second and fourth are alternate shot, with a cut after 36 holes.

Davis Riley (Titleist hat) and Nick Hardy won the 2023 Zurich Classic of New Orleans.

Andrew Wevers-USA TODAY Sports

The format always makes for interesting teams, from longtime friends to countrymen to completely random pairings.

Rory McIlroy is making his first appearance at TPC Louisiana, teaming up with fellow Irishman and Ryder Cup teammate Shane Lowry. They’ll see some familiar faces including their Ryder Cup captain Luke Donald, playing with his European assistant captain Francesco Molinari, as well as English brothers Matt and Alex Fitzpatrick.

Brothers and Tour rookies Parker and Pierceson Coody are a team, while at the other end of the age spectrum are Matt Kuchar and PGA Tour Champions regular Steve Stricker. Billy Horschel, who has won the Zurich when it was an individual event as well as a team event, has a new partner in Tyson Alexander, a fellow University of Florida alum.

Patrick Cantlay and Xander Schauffele, close friends and frequent partners on U.S. Cup teams, won the Zurich in 2022 and return. Defending champions Nick Hardy and Davis Riley are also back. 

Winners earn FedEx Cup points and two-year Tour exemptions, but do not receive Masters invitations or world ranking points.

2024 Zurich Classic of New Orleans Full Field

Fitzpatrick, Matt/Fitzpatrick, Alex * Morikawa, Collin/Kitayama, Kurt Woodland, Gary/Hodges, Lee McIlroy, Rory/Lowry, Shane Molinari, Francesco/Donald, Luke Horschel, Billy/Alexander, Tyson Cantlay, Patrick/Schauffele, Xander Berger, Daniel/Perez, Victor Brehm, Ryan/Hubbard, Mark Champ, Cameron/Daffue, MJ Conners, Corey/Pendrith, Taylor Echavarria, Nico/Greyserman, Max Eckroat, Austin/Gotterup, Chris Garnett, Brice/Straka, Sepp Hardy, Nick/Riley, Davis Hoge, Tom/McNealy, Maverick Kisner, Kevin/Brown, Scott Lee, K.H./Kim, Michael List, Luke/Norlander, Henrik Malnati, Peter/Knox, Russell Moore, Taylor/NeSmith, Matt Norrman, Vincent/Campillo, Jorge Ramey, Chad/Trainer, Martin Reavie, Chez/Snedeker, Brandt Spaun, J.J./Buckley, Hayden Taylor, Nick/Hadwin, Adam Theegala, Sahith/Zalatoris, Will Wallace, Matt/Olesen, Thorbjørn Hoffman, Charley/Watney, Nick Johnson, Zach/Palmer, Ryan Kraft, Kelly */Tway, Kevin * Chappell, Kevin */Dufner, Jason * Højgaard, Nicolai */Højgaard, Rasmus Wu, Brandon */Nicholas, James Lawrence, Thriston */Potgieter, Aldrich * Putnam, Andrew/Highsmith, Joe Cole, Eric/Cochran, Russ Montgomery, Taylor/Griffin, Ben Smalley, Alex/Schmid, Matti Detry, Thomas/MacIntyre, Robert Hossler, Beau/Ryder, Sam Mitchell, Keith/Dahmen, Joel Stevens, Sam/Barjon, Paul Kuchar, Matt/Stricker, Steve Rai, Aaron/Lipsky, David Kim, S.H./Bae, Sangmoon Suh, Justin/Hoey, Rico Thompson, Davis/Novak, Andrew Taylor, Ben/O'Hair, Sean Higgo, Garrick/Fox, Ryan Shelton, Robby/Furr, Wilson Tarren, Callum/Skinns, David Wu, Dylan/Lower, Just/n Hall, Harry/Piercy, Scott Lashley, Nate/Campos, Rafael Sigg, Greyson/Hadley, Chesson Young, Carson/Martin, Ben Streelman, Kevin/Laird, Martin Blair, Zac/Fishburn, Patrick Yu, Kevin/Pan, C.T. Ghim, Doug/Kim, Chan Merritt, Troy/Streb, Robert Yuan, Carl/Dou, Zecheng Vegas, Jhonattan/Burgoon, Bronson Whaley, Vince/Long, Adam Kohles, Ben/Kizzire, Patton Phillips, Chandler/Bridgeman, Jacob Barnes, Erik/Endycott, Harrison Stanger, Jimmy/Dumont de Chassart, Adrien Tosti, Alejandro/Potter,Jr., Ted Silverman, Ben/Dougherty, Kevin Springer, Hayden/Whitney, Tom Meissner, Mac/Smotherman, Austin Coody, Parker/Coody, Pierceson Xiong, Norman/McCormick, Ryan Crowe, Trace/Higgs, Harry Sloan, Roger/Teater, Josh Pereda, Raul/Cook, Austin Gutschewski, Scott/Byrd, Jonathan Hale, Jr., Blaine/Haley II, Paul *Sponsor Exemptions

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Masters win highlights staying power of Scottie Scheffler

10 Min Read

Scottie Scheffler with the Masters trophy after winning the 2024 Masters Tournament. (Warren Little/Getty Images)

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AUGUSTA, Ga. – Scottie Scheffler stood in the second cut that borders Augusta National’s 13th fairway and faced what the club’s co-founder, Bobby Jones, once famously described as a “momentous decision.”

His ball lay 215 yards from the hole, a distance he could easily cover with a single swing. There were several factors that made this anything but an easy choice, though.

He’d need to alter his swing to adjust for the steep cant of the fairway, and Augusta National’s version of rough, short as it may be, would still reduce his ball’s spin rate by several hundred RPMs, making it harder for his shot to stay on a green that was growing firmer by the minute. Then there was the tiny tributary of Rae’s Creek that meanders around the putting surface, a featherweight of a penalty area that punches much harder than its size would insinuate. Though a player could leap across it in a single bound, that thin ribbon of water has wrecked many players’ Masters chances.

“Should we go for it?” Scheffler asked his caddie, Ted Scott, who over the past two years has seen enough to never doubt his boss’ abilities. Scott replied confidently in the affirmative.

“Absolutely,” he said. “Why don’t we do what we’re good at?”

Scheffler, the best iron player on the planet, striped a 4-iron into the middle of the green, then two-putted from 75 feet for a birdie that nullified the one Ludvig Åberg was making one hole ahead. Scheffler’s lead remained at two strokes with five holes remaining, and only grew larger after a tap-in birdie at No. 14 and another at No. 16, where he made a 9-footer.

“He just seemed focused on doing Scottie Scheffler things,” Scott said after the round. The obvious question now is how long he can continue doing such things. How long can he sit atop the golf world, seemingly invincible? It’s not a question that Scheffler is interested in answering.

“I try not to think about the past or the future too much,” Scheffler said Sunday evening. “I love trying to live in the present. I've had a really good start to the year, and I hope that I can continue on this path that I'm on. I'm going to continue to put in the work that's got me here. That’s pretty much it.”

Scheffler, who already was the No. 1 player in the world at the start of 2024, has somehow become even more dominant. He now has three wins and a runner-up in his past four starts. He won a Signature Event, the Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard, by five. A week later, he shot a final-round 64 to win THE PLAYERS by one despite a neck injury that sapped his swing of power. And now he has his second Masters victory in the last three years, adding this green jacket to the one he won two years ago.

Scheffler finished this Masters at 11-under 277 (66-72-71-68), four shots clear of runner-up Ludvig Åberg. Tommy Fleetwood (69), Max Homa (73) and Collin Morikawa (74) tied for third, seven shots back.

With the win, Scheffler joined Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods as the only players to win multiple PLAYERS and Masters titles, and became just the fifth player to win two Masters before turning 28 (Nicklaus, Woods, Seve Ballesteros and Horton Smith are the others). Just weeks earlier, Scheffler became the first player to win back-to-back PLAYERS Championships.

He now has nine PGA TOUR victories, all of them coming since February 2022. After becoming the first player since Woods to win the PGA TOUR Player of the Year Award in consecutive years, he’s presumably clinched a third in a row. It would take his closest competitors months, at the minimum, to supplant him from atop the Official World Golf Ranking.

While we’re all wondering how long his reign can endure, Scheffler is not one to ruminate or speculate. That characteristic can leave fans and media wanting but also is a key to his success. Scheffler likes to keep things simple. He has had the same swing coach, Randy Smith, since he was 7 years old, and they still focus on the same fundamentals. Scheffler only recently retired his GMC Yukon that had accumulated hundreds of thousands of miles. And he is married to his high-school sweetheart, Meredith.

“Simple sometimes works best,” Smith said.

On Sunday, Scheffler wasn’t interested in basking in the afterglow of his victory. He said he wanted to get home as soon as possible to see his pregnant wife, the one who he tears up when talking about. It was Meredith Scheffler who delivered the inspirational speech two years ago that helped Scottie overcome his anxiety about holding the Masters lead. With her at home in Dallas this week and expecting the couple’s first child, she was replaced in Scottie’s Augusta rental home with a group of friends from Dallas. Though he didn’t shed tears like he did two years ago, Scheffler did share with them his thoughts about what awaited that Sunday afternoon.

“I was a bit overwhelmed. I told them, I wish I didn't want to win as badly as I do. I think it would make the mornings easier,” Scheffler said. “But I love winning. I hate losing. I really do. And when you're here in the biggest moments, when I'm sitting there with the lead on Sunday, I really, really want to win badly.”

Scott once referred to his boss as “psycho competitive,” sharing a story about the premium $200 paddle that Scheffler bought before his peers gathered at his house for ping-pong battles during THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson in his hometown. Even when playing pickleball in his downtime at PGA TOUR events, he isn’t afraid to risk injury and dive for shots, even hours before a tee time. Scheffler and Sam Burns host a retreat for dozens of college golfers each year through their involvement with College Golf Fellowship. The ministry’s president, Brad Payne, said Scheffler will talk for hours with the attendees, then defend them in a basketball game like he’s playing in the NBA Finals.

“He’s diving for balls and talking trash like no one’s business, and then he will serve you and encourage you and sit there for an hour answering any questions openly and honestly,” Payne said. “It’s really a paradox. He’s a ferocious competitor, from dice to gin to anything, but afterward he wants to know about your family, your kids and encourage you.”

Scheffler isn’t driven by the money or fame or acclaim, illustrated by the fact that he spends most of his time staring at his shoes while walking between shots. Instead of looking around at the adoring fans, his gaze is focused a few feet ahead of him. It is his attempt to put himself in a protective cocoon during the most stressful moments.

“It’s inside him. He’s such a competitive athlete. He takes pride in what he’s doing,” said Smith, when asked why Scheffler has such staying power in such an unpredictable game. “I think the pride in what he is doing pushes himself to the higher (level).

“He loves showing off, he loves competing. He wants to be the one with the ball. He really does.”

Even for the game’s most dominant player, the road to a four-shot victory wasn’t without its challenges, also. And this is where Scheffler shined this week. He thrived at the times when victory seemed most at risk. He led by one when he made the turn Saturday, only to play his next two holes in 3-over par. He fell from first to sixth on a packed leaderboard, but eagled No. 13 and made birdies at Nos. 15 and 18 to take a one-shot lead into the final round.

He was two ahead when he birdied the third hole Sunday. Four holes later, though, he was in a four-way tie for the lead after bogeys at Nos. 4 and 7. That’s when he exerted himself, turning a tight race into a rout rather quickly. He made three consecutive birdies to take a two-shot lead into Amen Corner. Scheffler holed a 10-foot birdie putt on the par-5 eighth, nearly holed his 90-yard approach on the next hole and made a 9-footer for birdie at the 10th.

All around him, his competitors were succumbing to the pressure. Morikawa, who played with him in Sunday’s final group, made double bogey on the ninth hole. One group ahead, Åberg double-bogeyed the 11th after hitting his approach shot into the water and Homa took 5 on the famous par-3 12th.

“He is pretty amazing at letting things roll off his back and stepping up to very difficult golf shots and treating them like their own,” said Homa. “He's obviously a tremendous talent, but I think that is his superpower.”

He showed that this week and in the preceding months. Scheffler’s 2023 was marked by incredible consistency – his 17 top-10s in 23 starts were the most on TOUR since 2005 – but also his struggles with the putter. He grew frustrated with the constant inquiries about his putting, and with his inability to capitalize on his record-setting ballstriking. Scheffler put in the work to solve the problem instead of letting it sink him. He enlisted putting coach Phil Kenyon late last year and switched to a mallet putter before Bay Hill, a move that coincided with this record run.

Scheffler’s unmatched ballstriking means he always has sufficient birdie opportunities, which is why he’s unbeatable if he’s even putting like the average TOUR player. He leads the PGA TOUR in Strokes Gained: Approach the Green again this season after also finishing first in that metric last year and fourth in 2022. No one can match his iron play, and he’s longer than average, as well. It’s a combination that is tough to beat.

Last year, Scheffler averaged 2.6 strokes gained per round from tee to green. It was the highest mark in that metric since Tiger Woods in 2006. Scheffler is even better this season, averaging 2.8 per round.

And he has an incredible short game that serves as a perfect complement to his unmatched ballstriking, allowing him to recover from the rare wayward shot. It was a skill developed as a kid growing up at Royal Oaks Country Club in Dallas, forged from many short-game competitions with the PGA TOUR pros who practiced there. He makes birdies from unpredictable locations, as evidenced by chip-ins and hole-outs in the final round of his wins at Augusta National two years ago and his two triumphs at TPC Sawgrass.

The numbers never tell the whole story, however. It is his faith that serves as his bedrock, the firm foundation on which he rests, even when the scores are higher than desired or the wins aren’t happening as often as he’d like. Scheffler says often that his identity is not found in golf, that he doesn’t define himself by what he shoots. He said that becoming a parent will move his vocation to No. 4 on his list of priorities. He admits that he does not read golf articles, keeping a healthy distance from golf lest it consume him.

“My buddies told me this morning, my victory was secure on the cross,” he said. “And that's a pretty special feeling to know that I'm secure for forever and it doesn't matter if I win this tournament or lose this tournament. My identity is secure for forever.”

Golf isn’t everything to Scottie Scheffler. That allows him to accomplish almost anything.

Sean Martin is a senior editor for the PGA TOUR. He is a 2004 graduate of Cal Poly-San Luis Obispo. Attending a small school gave him a heart for the underdog, which is why he enjoys telling stories of golf's lesser-known players. Follow Sean Martin on Twitter .

2024 RBC Heritage prop bet picks and PGA Tour predictions

T he top players in the world won't have much of a break following the Masters because up next on the schedule is the 2024 RBC Heritage , a signature event with a loaded field. The 1st round from Harbour Town Golf Links in Hilton Head, S.C., begins on Thursday.

Below, we search for the best value prop bets among the 2024 RBC Heritage odds and make our PGA Tour picks and predictions .

Scottie Scheffler , fresh off his Masters victory, remains the No. 1 player in this week's Golfweek/Sagarin rankings. Xander Schauffele , who's also in the field, comes in at No. 2, followed by Rory McIlroy , Ludvig Aberg and Patrick Cantlay – all of whom are playing the RBC Heritage. Last year's champion Matt Fitzpatrick is Golfweek's 20th-ranked player.

Harbour Town is one of the shorter courses on tour and emphasizes accuracy off the tee and ball-striking with irons. The greens are also some of the smallest on the PGA Tour, so it's essential for players to be accurate when approaching the greens. It's a par 71 and 7,213 yards, slightly longer than it was last year.

WATCH: PGA Tour is live on ESPN+! Get ESPN+

RBC Heritage – Top-5 picks

Odds provided by BetMGM Sportsbook ; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated Tuesday at 2:30 p.m. ET.

Patrick Cantlay (+300)

Cantlay is Mr. Top 5 at the RBC Heritage. Since 2017, he's played this event 6 times. He finished inside the top 5 on 4 occasions, missed the cut once and came in 7th another time. If there's ever a tournament to bet Cantlay to finish in the top 5, it's this one.

Collin Morikawa (+350)

Morikawa has yet to finish in the top 5 at this event, but he came close in 2021 when he came in 7th. Since then, he's had finishes of 26th and 31st, proving to be a good fit at Harbour Town with his accuracy off the tee and iron play.

RBC Heritage – Top-10 picks

Tommy fleetwood (+160).

Fleetwood has notched back-to-back top-10 finishes in his last 2 starts, including a tie for 3rd at the Masters. He's finished 15th, 10th and 25th in 3 of his 4 career starts at this event (MC in 2021), so he's played well at Harbour Town in the past. He could legitimately win this tournament on Sunday.

Shane Lowry (+300)

Lowry is poised to bounce back after a dreadful putting performance at the Masters. Harbour Town is a ball-strikers course and Lowry ranks among the best on tour this season. He's finished in the top 10 here in 3 of his last 5 starts.

Cam Davis (+375)

Davis still has long odds despite his course history (7th, 3rd, 25th) and 12th-place finish at the Masters. His length won't be a big advantage this week because it's not a bombers course, but he's played well here in the past and should do so again.

Other T10 contenders ( in order from longest odds to shortest ):

• Russell Henley (+250)
• Ludvig Aberg (+125)

RBC Heritage – Top-20 picks

J.t. poston (+150).

Poston has been feast or famine at the RBC Heritage. He finished 3rd in 2022, 8th in 2020 and 6th in 2019, but he missed the cut in his 2 other starts in 2023 and 2021. He's one of the best putters on tour (even if his numbers don't reflect that this year) and has the course history to finish near the top again this week.

Corey Conners (+120)

In the last 4 years, Conners has finished 31st, 12th, 4th and 21st. He seemingly loves this course and has had success here in the past, and we're probably getting a little bit of a discount after a disappointing week at the Masters.

Matthieu Pavon (+170)

Pavon has proved he can compete with the best players in the world, winning at Torrey Pines earlier this year. In his last 2 starts this season, he's finished 5th and 12th, so his current form is good despite his lack of course experience (no previous starts here).

RBC Heritage – Matchups

Suggested play is golfer in bold .

Cameron Young (-120) vs. Jordan Spieth (-105)

Spieth looked out of sorts at the Masters and he's now missed the cut in 3 of his last 4 starts. He won here in 2022 and lost in a playoff last year, but he's not playing nearly as well right now. Give me Young, who finished 3rd here in 2022.

RBC Heritage – Top Canadian

Corey conners (+200).

Conners is the favorite to be the top Canadian, ahead of Adam Hadwin  (+300), Mackenzie Hughes and Nick Taylor (both +400). Conners is the best course fit and has the better track record at Harbour Town.

RBC Heritage – Top Australian

Cam davis (+110).

Davis and Jason Day (-135) are the only two Australians in the field, yet it's Davis who's the underdog. Day hasn't played here since 2020 and he missed the cut that year, while Davis' course history is noted above.

RBC Heritage – First-round leader

Patrick cantlay (+2200).

Cantlay ranks 2nd only to Scheffler in Round 1 scoring average this season (67.5) and he's now coming to a course where he's finished 7th or better in 5 of his last 6 starts.

Xander Schauffele (+1600)

Schauffele is on fire right now, with his worst finish in his last 5 starts being 25th. Otherwise, he's had 4 top-5 finishes. He's 9th in 1st-round scoring average this year and opened with a 67 here last season.

More expert prop bet predictions

Group c winner: cameron young (+320).

In this group are Russell Henley (+333), Si Woo Kim (+333), Spieth (+375) and Sahith Theegala (+400). Young is the slight favorite and understandably so with the way he's playing right now coming out of the Masters.

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This article originally appeared on USA Today Sportsbookwire: 2024 RBC Heritage prop bet picks and PGA Tour predictions