You know summer is just around the corner when the major golf championships come back. Luckily, we’re in for a treat because The Masters returns to Augusta next week for its 88th edition.
The world’s best golfers will flock to Georgia for four days of top-class sporting action, with one superstar set to receive the iconic green jacket. The Masters kicks off at Augusta National Golf Club next Thursday, with the final day taking place on Sunday 14th April.
The tournament features the smallest field of all four majors as it’s an invitational event, with strict conditions around who can compete across the four rounds of 18 holes. It kicks off a succession of major competitions each month, with the PGA Championship coming up in May before the US Open in June and the Open Championship in July.
Jon Rahm is looking to defend his title having come out on top last year, although he’ll face stiff competition from the likes of Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy. If you fancy seeing the best golfers on the planet up close, there’s still time to take advantage of Engage’s exclusive hospitality packages.
You can join us in The Foundry at Rae’s Creek or in Augusta Country Club, with both facilities located just minutes from the action. Enjoy breakfast, lunch and dinner, as well as a premium bar and TV screens so you don’t miss a second of the action.
The runaway favourite ahead of the tournament is world number one Scheffler, who’s enjoyed a strong start to 2024. The American has already won the Arnold Palmer Invitational and the Players Championship and became the first ever player to win the latter in consecutive years.
Scheffler won The Masters back in 2022 – it remains his only major win and he’ll be hoping to continue his form and add another one to his collection. Standing in his way will be McIlroy, who is yet to claim the green jacket at Augusta.
McIlroy came second to Scheffler in the 2022 competition and The Masters remains the only major that he’s yet to win. Although he’s claimed the other three, he’s not won one since landing the PGA Championship and the Open double back in 2014. Can he end his drought in Georgia next week?
Meanwhile, reigning champion Rahm will fancy his chances at defending his crown. The Spaniard is ranked third in the world and finished four strokes ahead of runners-up Brooks Koepka and Phil Mickelson a year ago. It would be just his third major title having claimed the US Open three years ago.
Hideki Matsuyama is an outsider for this year’s Masters title but he’s got history, having come out on top back in 2021 despite being ranked 25th in the world. He became the first ever Japanese golfer to win a major championship as he finished one stroke clear of Will Zalatoris.
Elsewhere, the likes of Brooks Koepka and Xander Schauffele will be hoping to upset the odds and win The Masters for the first time. Both golfers finished just one stroke behind Tiger Woods as he shocked the world by claiming a fifth title back in 2019.
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