The 18th at Ausguta National – image Augusta National
Its early April and the attention of the golfing world once again turns to Augusta National for the staging of the Masters, an event which has so much familiarity and intrigue.
The familiarity is brought about through years of exposure to the same golf course and the intrigue due to that same golf course providing such a fine line between pleasure and pain throughout the week but perhaps more so over the closing nine holes on Sunday where so much can go right and so much can go wrong.
Australia will be represented by six and New Zealand by one what must be the most sought after ticket in professional golf and the most watched of the four majors.
Jason Day heads the Australians in terms of world rankings and the 34 year old is back for the 13th occasion having recorded three top five and four top tens including an amazing runner-up finish on debut in 2011.
Day missed the cut at his last start in Houston two weeks ago but there has been several good performances this season to suggest he is a genuine hope of leading the Australians. He led with three holes to go in Adam Scott’s win in 2013 and in 2011 led before being run down by a whirlwind finish by Charl Schwartzel.
Adam Scott has 22 appearances at the Masters including that historic win in 2013. That aside however there have been only four other top tens.
Scott played well enough last week in San Antonio when 14th and with his ongoing improvement on the greens he may well be a chance to challenge as the leading Australian but as to him being in contention on Sunday it appears unlikely.
Cam Smith has a fine record at Augusta National with three top five finishes in seven starts including a runner-up behind Dustin Johnson in 2020 and a 3rd place behind Scottie Scheffler in 2022.
There is little argument that Smith and his imaginative short game handle Augusta National better than most, but it is hard to get a line on just where his game is at right now.
He was forced to withdraw from Miami last week with food poisoning after a horror opening round and has two top tens in LIV Golf events this season but it might be that he is not at the height of form he has been previously when arriving at Augusta National.
If Smith does bring his A game then his love of and form on the golf course will carry him a long way but there is question mark over whether he can.
Min Woo Lee produced a very impressive 14th place on debut two years ago but then missed the cut by a few last year.
Since his runner-up finish a few starts ago at the Cognizant event on the PGA Tour, his form has dropped away again including when missing the cut at his last start in Tampa but there is little doubting the West Australian’s brilliance and a performance like that of his debut would not surprise.
Cam Davis makes his second Masters appearance having finished 46th on debut two years ago. Davis warmed up nicely for this week with 21st place in Houston two weeks ago.
The US based Sydneysider displayed a capacity to handle the biggest of stages when 4th at the PGA Championship last year and has plenty of ability but whether he can challenge to be the leading Australian is debatable.
Victorian amateur Jasper Stubbs gets his place in the field courtesy of his win at the Asia Pacific Amateur Championship last year and just being there is reward enough for the young man who will gain so much in terms of his future in the game.
New Zealand’s Ryan Fox has struggled in his first season as a card-holder on the PGA Tour having missed five of his first eight cuts and recorded a best of 41st. As a result, his confidence will not be great for his second attempt at Augusta National but he can look back on an impressive debut when 26th last year to perhaps help his cause.
