This weekend, the eyes of the sports world turns to Augusta where golf’s first major of the year takes place. The Masters is the Super Bowl of golf and the one title that defines careers. Even if you're not a golf fan, this is the weekend to tune in. The storylines, the drama, and the emotion this tournament produces every single year are unmatched in the sport.

Given the magnitude of this week, we're switching up the format. We won’t be doing a multi-sport preview this issue, just a full breakdown of the Masters so you have all the context you need before the event tees off on Thursday.

Here's your weekend preview starting with what matters most.

The stage & the stakes: The Masters is golf's crown jewel and it doesn't take long to understand why. The tradition, the iconic green jacket, and the fact that this is the only major played on the same course every year make Augusta National unlike anything else in the sport. There is no tournament that carries more history, more weight, or more emotion and it shows every April.

Last year delivered one of the most riveting moments in recent sports memory. Rory McIlroy, one of golf's biggest stars, had spent over a decade chasing a Masters title to complete the career Grand Slam, winning all four majors, a feat only five men in history have ever accomplished. He did it in the most dramatic fashion possible, missing key putts down the stretch to finish the final round tied with Justin Rose, then beating him in a playoff to finally get the win and slip on the green jacket. It was his signature moment and the defining story of the tournament.

This year, we don’t have the same type of narrative dominating the conversation heading in, and that's exactly what makes it so compelling. The field feels more wide open than it has in years. There are real question marks around the game's top players, no truly dominant force poised for a victory, and a long list of contenders who all believe this is their week.

Scottie Scheffler: Scottie Scheffler has been the most dominant force in golf over the last four years with two Masters titles, a world No. 1 ranking, and four straight PGA Tour Player of the Year awards, a record no golfer in history has ever achieved other than Tiger Woods. But he arrives at Augusta this week not in peak form. His game hasn't matched the level we've grown accustomed to seeing from him, and time away following the birth of his second child only adds to the uncertainty heading into the week. Will this be the reset he needs or will his struggles continue this week?

Rory McIlroy: As we mentioned, Rory arrives at Augusta this year with the monkey finally off his back, no Grand Slam pressure or decade-long narratives weighing on him. The question now is whether that relief allows him to play his best golf or whether the distractions that come with being defending champion throw off his focus. History suggests the latter is more likely as there hasn't been a back-to-back winner since Tiger Woods in 2001-02. But Rory is different, can he buck the trend?

The LIV Guys

Then there are the LIV guys. LIV Golf, a rival league to the PGA Tour, has lured away some of the sport's biggest names upon its inception a few years ago. While LIV players are shut out of regular PGA tour events, the majors remain open to all, and two of them arrive this week as serious contenders.

Jon Rahm: Rahm is one of the hottest players in the world right now. The 2023 Masters champion has quietly been dominating on the LIV tour. Through five LIV events, he’s had five top-five finishes, including a win in Hong Kong. And the one player who beat him in a playoff in their last event was none other than…

Bryson DeChambeau: DeChambeau arrives on a heater with back-to-back LIV wins, including a playoff victory over Rahm in LIV’s latest event. He's posted top-six finishes in each of the last two Masters and outside of Justin Rose, came the closest to Rory last year before fading down the stretch. The final round has been his kryptonite but if he can solve that, he's got a great chance to win this week.

Ludvig Åberg: Åberg is only 26 years old but burst onto the scene as a rising star in the sport. He was runner-up in his Masters debut in 2024 and was a shot off the lead late last year before he fell apart on the final few holes. The question surrounding him heading into this week isn't about talent, it's about closing.

Justin Rose: Justin Rose is 45 years old and this feels like his last real shot at another major. He's finished runner-up at the Masters three times, including losing to Rory in a playoff last year. No player in history has led more rounds at Augusta without ever winning it. He's missed some cuts this season but at this stage of his career, Rose has stopped trying to win every week and is saving his best for the moments that matter most, like this week.

Cameron Young: Young enters this week ranked third in the world and riding the hottest stretch of his career. He recently won The Players Championship and as history has it, the last two Players Championship winners went on to win the Masters (Scheffler in 2024, Rory in 2025). His record at Augusta has been a mixed bag with top ten finishes in two of his last three starts but he missed cut last year. Can he ride the momentum this year for a top finish and outright win?

Notable Absences: For the first time since 1994, neither Tiger Woods nor Phil Mickelson will tee it up at Augusta this week. Phil has been dealing with a personal matter that has kept him off the course for most of the LIV season.

Tiger is also sitting out due to a different type of personal matter…. We'll leave it at that.

The Betting Angle [Powered by WagerXpert]

Bryson DeChambeau (Winner): Bryson has been right there the last two years, finishing top six in each of the last two Masters. Having one of the best drives in the sport is a major advantage on this course, and he's coming in with peak momentum after back-to-back LIV wins. We think he can get over the hump and get the job done this week.

Jon Rahm (Top 5): Statistically, no one is playing better golf on the planet right now than Jon Rahm. He's never missed a cut at the Masters across eight starts and has five top-ten finishes to show for it meaning even on a bad week, he contends. At around +180, you're backing a player who is arguably playing the best out of the entire field right now.

Xander Schauffele (Top 10): If you want one of the safer bets on the board, it's Xander. He's gone under the radar but quietly he’s finished top 10 in four of his last five Masters starts and is currently one of the best iron players in the world which matters enormously at Augusta. This is one of our favorite plays on the board sitting at plus money.

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Must-watch:

Worth tuning in:

3. Thursday & Friday (3:00pm, ESPN) — Don't sleep on the first two rounds where players set the tone

— Backdrop Sports

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