7 Burning Questions Before Masters Week

There was once a slogan for RadioShack which stated, “You’ve got questions, we’ve got answers.”

Either you remember that tagline or you’re currently asking ChatGPT what a RadioShack is, which in turn might send you down a rabbit hole trying to figure out why they’d sell things called VCRs and walkmen and why anyone would pay money for them when your TV streams video and music lives inside your phone.

Ah, but I digress.

The slogan might be long gone, but we can still borrow it for special events.

No event in golf is more special than the Masters and while those such as myself get paid to have some answers, it’s fair a week out to still have some questions about many of the game’s best players.

One week before the year’s first major championship, let’s ponder these queries.

Is Scottie Scheffler finally back?

I hate to break it to anyone who’d suggested otherwise, but if five straight top-25 results to start the year didn’t fully answer this one, then a share of runner-up honors at last week’s Texas Children’s Houston Open should have. I get the concept: After a nine-win campaign in 2024, he’s yet to claim a trophy, so maybe he’s having a tough time living up to those expectations.

I look at things a different way – and a much more dangerous way for those hoping to beat him. The world’s best players constantly insist they want their games to peak four times per year. It’s well within reason to think the game’s best player is trending perfectly as we reach the most important events. 

Can Rory McIlroy win another major?

You’ll hear this line plenty over the next few weeks, so I might as well hit you with it first: It’s been over a decade since McIlroy’s last of four major championships, which can officially be considered a drought. The problem here, of course, is that this is a question which can only be answered during a major week.

This is like when Georgia or Alabama plays a cupcake school in mid-September and gets criticized for punting once and only winning by 63. You can only beat those on the other side of the field, and Rory can only win a major when one is being played. It remains to be seen, especially at the site of his biggest heartbreaks, but I’ll let you in on this little secret: Each of the last three Masters champions had won multiple titles that year beforehand and only one player in next week’s field has done that. 

Is Ludvig Aberg the real deal?

A decade ago, Jordan Spieth proved that Masters inexperience doesn’t have to equal futility, as he followed a second-place finish in his first start with a first-place finish in his second start. Aberg is trying to follow the same pattern, and if anyone can reprove this theory, it’s the big Swede. He’s already won this year at Torrey Pines and while it’s understandable that constant hype in today’s world can lead to Boy Who Cried Wolf syndrome, the feeling is that Aberg is a generational talent who at 25 is only beginning to embark on what could be a Hall of Fame career. Another big result in his second Masters start would only move him further along on that path.

Speaking of Spieth, what’s his deal?

At the end of last season, Spieth underwent surgery to repair a damaged tendon in his left wrist and while he hasn’t missed any time this year, he’s admitted that he’s not quite 100 percent yet, either. It does, however, sound like he’s getting healthier with each week that passes. His game has been as wildly volatile as ever, though only on a hole-by-hole type of basis. Overall, the numbers actually reek of consistency, as he ranks between 52nd and 91st in every major strokes gained category. Perhaps more than any other player, this week’s Valero Texas Open should offer some insight into what we might see from him next week.

Collin Morikawa or Justin Thomas?

OK, now you’re just getting lazy with these questions. I get it, though. These guys are largely in the same boat – two-time major champions, world-class superstars and players who haven’t won in a very long time. They’ve also both been very good this season, with Morikawa ranking second in SG: Total and Thomas not far behind in 10th. The edge here goes to Morikawa based on his consistency and course history. He owns three consecutive top-10 finishes at Augusta, including a T-3 last year, while Thomas has two top-10s, but missed the cut in each of the last two years. As we witnessed at The Players, where he went 78-62 during the first two rounds, there’s a much wider spectrum of performance for JT, whose peaks are higher and valleys are lower than many of his top-level peers.

Is Viktor Hovland ready to win again?

If we listen to him, the answer is probably no. Hovland surprised a lot of people – and perhaps nobody more than himself – by winning the Valspar Championship two weeks ago. He punctuated that victory by saying things in his post-round press conference like, “I didn’t feel super comfortable or confident,” and “When the problems remain and linger, it’s like you keep drowning and you’re running out of air,” and when asked about his swing, “It’s still not great.” He remains the ultimate tinkerer, forever trying to improve upon his world-class skills. It’s easy to believe that if he can win at a low point, then he can win a whole lot of big-time events when things are better, but I’m not quite a believer that he’s there yet, if only because it doesn’t sound like he is, either.

Will any of the LIV players contend next week?

There are a dozen LIV Golf regulars in the Masters field, so just based on the sheer numbers, it would seem to reason that at least a few of ‘em will be in the mix. Joaquin Niemann has clearly been the league’s best player this year, with wins in two of the four events, but being the best player on LIV and being the best LIV player in the majors are often not one and the same. Jon Rahm, Bryson DeChambeau and Brooks Koepka would seemingly be the most relevant choices, but don’t be surprised if past champions Patrick Reed or Sergio Garcia show up on the leaderboard.