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FOCUSED: Rory McIlroy, centre, follows the path of the ball during a practice round for the Masters yesterday, with Jamie Donaldson of Wales, left, and Austria’s Bernd Wiesberger equally intent on the outcome. Picture: AFP
AUGUSTA — Top-ranked Jason Day, defending champion Jordan Spieth, career Grand Slam seeker Rory McIlroy and a host of elite rivals have sparked an exceptional level of excitement for the 80th Masters.
A field of 89 will tee off on Thursday at Augusta National in quest of the US Masters champion’s green jacket, but only one will slide his arms inside the sleeves on Sunday.
Australia’s Day comes off triumphs at Bay Hill and the WGC Match Play. Northern Ireland’s McIlroy has found his form at just the right moment and American Spieth’s record-tying wire-to-wire win from last year still resonates in the Georgia pines.
Add Aussie Adam Scott, twice a winner last month, plus fourth-ranked Bubba Watson, a two-time Masters champion, 2015 Players winner Rickie Fowler and five-time major winner Phil Mickelson, and the stage is set for a showdown on golf’s most acclaimed course.
"I would enjoy a Spieth McIlroy Fowler Scott Watson Mickelson Sunday," Day said.
"That would be a lot of fun."
Day has won six of his past 13 events, including his first Major at last year’s PGA Championship, to overtake Spieth as world No1.
"I feel comfortable with where I’m at, walking around the grounds, number one in the world, it’s a good feeling," Day said. "But I know I can’t take it for granted, because things can change pretty quickly."
Day is trying to become only the fifth player to win the PGA one year and the Masters the next to join Phil Mickelson, Tiger Woods, Jack Nicklaus and Sam Snead.
"It’s really tough with how everyone is playing," Day said.
"Jordan and Rory are young guys, so we’re all kind of motivating each other, and Rickie as well.
"Adam Scott and Bubba Watson are doing a fantastic job. It’s just really fun to see how the health of the game is right now and how competitive it is," Day said.
"I want the best playing against the best and fighting it out.
"If I end up not wearing the green jacket (on) Sunday, but have a fantastic competitive match against the best players in the world, that’s what I’m there for."
McIlroy is on hand to capture a fifth Major title and complete a career Grand Slam at age 26, joining Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods, Ben Hogan, Gary Player and Gene Sarazen in having won all four majors at least once.
"It’s definitely a motivation to be able to put your name alongside those five guys," McIlroy said.
"I haven’t been in a situation where I’ve felt the pressure of it, really, because I didn’t have a real chance to win last year."
McIlroy dismisses the notion of added tension affecting his game, saying: "Pressure is for tyres."
But he knows it will increase every year he does not add a green jacket to his trophy list.
"I feel like I’ve got everything I need to become a Masters champion," McIlroy said. "But I think each and every year that passes that I don’t, it will become increasingly more difficult, so there’s no time like the present to get it done."
Spieth will try to become the first back-to-back Masters winner since Tiger Woods in 2002. Woods is skipping this year’s event because he has not recovered fully from back surgery last year.
"Going to try and just use last year as momentum," Spieth said. "We’ve already done it, so it’s not like I’m chasing my first Major.
"It’s also going to be a lot of fun walking these fairways, reliving those memories with the crowds and the roars, the echoes."
Spieth happily passes off the favourite role.
"Isn’t Jason the favourite?" he asks. "He can be the favourite. We’ll just do our thing."
Scott, bolstered by long-time Woods caddie Steve Williams, will hunt for his second Masters crown after a breakthrough 2013 win.
"I’ve got three tough days to put myself in a position to win a Masters," Scott says. "Everything in the lead-up has gone well. It’s up to me to execute it now."
Support our award-winning journalism. The Premium package (digital only) is R30 for the first month and thereafter you pay R129 p/m now ad-free for all subscribers.
Day and McIlroy and Spieth set for showdown
AUGUSTA — Top-ranked Jason Day, defending champion Jordan Spieth, career Grand Slam seeker Rory McIlroy and a host of elite rivals have sparked an exceptional level of excitement for the 80th Masters.
A field of 89 will tee off on Thursday at Augusta National in quest of the US Masters champion’s green jacket, but only one will slide his arms inside the sleeves on Sunday.
Australia’s Day comes off triumphs at Bay Hill and the WGC Match Play. Northern Ireland’s McIlroy has found his form at just the right moment and American Spieth’s record-tying wire-to-wire win from last year still resonates in the Georgia pines.
Add Aussie Adam Scott, twice a winner last month, plus fourth-ranked Bubba Watson, a two-time Masters champion, 2015 Players winner Rickie Fowler and five-time major winner Phil Mickelson, and the stage is set for a showdown on golf’s most acclaimed course.
"I would enjoy a Spieth McIlroy Fowler Scott Watson Mickelson Sunday," Day said.
"That would be a lot of fun."
Day has won six of his past 13 events, including his first Major at last year’s PGA Championship, to overtake Spieth as world No1.
"I feel comfortable with where I’m at, walking around the grounds, number one in the world, it’s a good feeling," Day said. "But I know I can’t take it for granted, because things can change pretty quickly."
Day is trying to become only the fifth player to win the PGA one year and the Masters the next to join Phil Mickelson, Tiger Woods, Jack Nicklaus and Sam Snead.
"It’s really tough with how everyone is playing," Day said.
"Jordan and Rory are young guys, so we’re all kind of motivating each other, and Rickie as well.
"Adam Scott and Bubba Watson are doing a fantastic job. It’s just really fun to see how the health of the game is right now and how competitive it is," Day said.
"I want the best playing against the best and fighting it out.
"If I end up not wearing the green jacket (on) Sunday, but have a fantastic competitive match against the best players in the world, that’s what I’m there for."
McIlroy is on hand to capture a fifth Major title and complete a career Grand Slam at age 26, joining Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods, Ben Hogan, Gary Player and Gene Sarazen in having won all four majors at least once.
"It’s definitely a motivation to be able to put your name alongside those five guys," McIlroy said.
"I haven’t been in a situation where I’ve felt the pressure of it, really, because I didn’t have a real chance to win last year."
McIlroy dismisses the notion of added tension affecting his game, saying: "Pressure is for tyres."
But he knows it will increase every year he does not add a green jacket to his trophy list.
"I feel like I’ve got everything I need to become a Masters champion," McIlroy said. "But I think each and every year that passes that I don’t, it will become increasingly more difficult, so there’s no time like the present to get it done."
Spieth will try to become the first back-to-back Masters winner since Tiger Woods in 2002. Woods is skipping this year’s event because he has not recovered fully from back surgery last year.
"Going to try and just use last year as momentum," Spieth said. "We’ve already done it, so it’s not like I’m chasing my first Major.
"It’s also going to be a lot of fun walking these fairways, reliving those memories with the crowds and the roars, the echoes."
Spieth happily passes off the favourite role.
"Isn’t Jason the favourite?" he asks. "He can be the favourite. We’ll just do our thing."
Scott, bolstered by long-time Woods caddie Steve Williams, will hunt for his second Masters crown after a breakthrough 2013 win.
"I’ve got three tough days to put myself in a position to win a Masters," Scott says. "Everything in the lead-up has gone well. It’s up to me to execute it now."
AFP
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