Defending champion Scottie Scheffler is the man to beat at this week's Masters, where Rory McIlroy, oozing confidence after a marvelous start to the year, makes his 11th and perhaps best shot at completing the career Grand Slam.
Played amid the blooming azaleas, towering pines and flowering dogwoods at Augusta National, the Masters may be the most anticipated of golf's four majors, and this year's edition is no exception, given a plethora of compelling storylines. Not even the absence of Tiger Woods, a five-time champion and golf's top attraction who is recovering from surgery to repair a ruptured left Achilles tendon, can dampen enthusiasm for an event that marks the spiritual start of spring.
Much of the excitement ahead of this year's Masters revolves around Scheffler and McIlroy, the two best players in the world, who are in great form and could deliver a final-round duel for the ages if they are both in contention on Sunday.
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.