The eyes of the golfing world this week will turn to the USA’s so-called ‘Peach State’ of Georgia – to Augusta, specifically, and the perfectly-manicured course that lies the end of the famous Magnolia Lane.
It’s time for the first major of the year, the Masters.
Australia’s world number five Cameron Smith heads a list of 18 LIV competitors who are back to face the PGA Tour foes in a momentous battle between the two organisations.
But he’s just one of five Australians in action. Here’s what you need to know about each of our Augusta hopefuls!
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Is Jason Day primed to win 2023 Masters? | 01:10
JASON DAY ($26 odds)
The 35-year-old has bagged four top-10 finishes this season in six events to rise from 112th in the world at the start of 2023 all the way to 33rd. Now the former world number one is out to finally add a second major trophy to his silverware cabinet this week.
Day finished in a tie for second with fellow Australian Adam Scott in 2011, two shots behind Charl Schwartzel, having put on a masterclass with a 64 in the second round (or should that be a Masters-class?).
He’s had plenty of other strong finishes in Augusta – like third in 2013, and tied for fifth in 2019 – but he hasn’t picked up a victory on the PGA Tour since 2018.
Nevertheless, he’s started 2023 in sensational fashion, going 3-0 in the group rounds of the WGC Match Play last week, including a dominant 4&3 win over Collin Morikawa. He then beat Matt Kuchar in the round of 16, before falling to Scottie Scheffler in the quarters after the American pulled out a stunning back-nine charge.
Former Australian PGA Tour pro Paul Gow told Fox Sports: “This guy’s career … it’s gone up, it’s gone down, it’s gone everywhere.”
“There’s a couple of really good things here that Chris Como his coach has been working on. His greens in regulation, 28th on the US Tour, and 12th in driving. Driving of the ball has normally been the Achilles heel for Jason over the years because the putting’s exceptional.
“His body’s been a lot better. His back has been in such a bad state over the last four or five years that it has really hampered his progress.”
Day is finally pain free, which has allowed him to make changes to his swing – which in turn help him stay pain free. The signs are positive, and Gow says: “Expect Jason Day to have a great week.”
Troubled star’s ‘chills’ after $6m redemption as player gets rich off 50-shot disaster
10 years on – Scott relives Masters win | 04:45
ADAM SCOTT ($81 odds)
The only Australian to ever win the Masters, Adam Scott is back at Augusta 10 years on from his historic win. The Queenslander has seemingly fixed his driving issues from the last 18 months, but has battled with some putting niggles in the first few events of this season.
Paul Gow said: “He’s only played five (PGA Tour) events, he’s still 38 in the world, (but) he just hasn’t holed enough putts from five or six feet.”
The 42-year-old has taken a calculated build-up with limited events in order to set himself up for success – and the lack of hype surrounding his title aspirations will suit him perfectly.
Gow added: “He’s flying under the radar, like Adam Scott always likes to do.”
Scott told Fox Sports: “Exciting time of the year, the Masters coming right up – it’s what you’ve been thinking about for months. Looking forward to it.”
He added: “The game’s feeling really good. I’ve tried to have some mini goals for the first few months of this year and I’ve ticked them all off except for winning tournaments – but maybe I’m saving myself for this week.
“The game’s in good shape, I’m driving a lot better. I drove it so poorly for the last 18 months or so … and the rest of my game from there I’m very happy with.”
Looking back on his iconic 2013 win, he told Fox Sports: “I was just at a point in my career where I was so highly motivated – I kind of lost The Open the year before and I just kept working at it and chipping away. I was determined to get one and I just kept working until it happened.”
“It’s been a fun time going back there ever since, obviously,” he added.
Why Scott can win his second Masters | 01:35
CAMERON SMITH ($19 odds)
The LIV defector is back – alongside 17 other competitors from that organisation – and he’s ready show up his old rivals from the PGA Tour. The 29-year-old has picked up one victory since joining Greg Norman’s LIV tour, but there are some concerns over his lack of regular competition on the slower-paced breakaway competition.
The Australian’s best finish at the Masters was a tie for second in 2020, but he’s been at the pointy end of the action time and again in recent seasons – with three top-10 finishes in the last four years, including a tie for third in 2022.
Is Smith’s putting key to Masters glory? | 01:50
Legendary Australian former golfer and 2006 US Open winner Geoff Ogilvy told Fox Sports Smith is ‘probably our best chance’ of victory, adding: “He’s got great chances … He clearly loves the place, he’s just got that unbelievable short game and putting that’s going to really work around the Masters. It’s a tough course around the greens. He knows how to play it, clearly.
“The only worry for Cam is (that he) hasn’t been playing all the tournaments against these guys on the PGA Tour every week. There’s a lot in that, there’s a lot of match fitness in golf. There’s a lot of pressure at the Masters, the first major of the year.
“To not have that crazy pressure leading up to it like he would have got at Sawgrass (The Players Championship) or Bay Hill (Arnold Palmer Invitational) or Match Play (WGC at Austin Country Club).
“He’s going to have to go there a little bit cold … but there’ll a bit of extra motivation with these LIV guys to prove ‘You know what, I made the right decision. I can still come and win majors and still play the LIV tour.”
Smith is currently Australia’s top-ranked player at world number five despite his defection to LIV, having slowly slid from his ranking of world number three at the end of 2022.
‘Special talent’ a big chance at Augusta | 01:50
MIN WOO LEE ($46)
The 23-year-old has enjoyed a strong start to the season, with three top-10 finishes in his five events on the European Tour and one top-10 finish in his three PGA Tour starts – his impressive sixth at the Players Championship.
Geoff Ogilvy labelled Min Woo Lee a ‘pretty special talent’ on Fox Sports, adding: “I think Min Woo’s a real chance to do well in the tournament, even win the tournament. There’s a lot of talk about him over here … He’s got every part of the game that you need at the Masters.”
Min Woo Lee finished tied for 14th last year on his debut at Augusta, and is currently ranked 47th in the world.
Lee confident ahead of second Masters | 06:13
HARRISON CROWE ($1001)
The larrikin 26-year-old won the 2022 NSW Open, one of his five amateur wins so far. He qualified for Augusta thanks to winning the Asia-Pacific Amateurs in Thailand, and opted against turning professional in order to protect that entry – but a good performance on the famous course could soon change things for the world number 501.
Paul Gow told Fox Sports: “He drives the ball very long and he’s been in form, he’s actually playing pretty well … I expect him to play pretty good.”
Crowe told Fox Sports: “Really good. (My) game’s in an awesome spot.
“I just got back from Augusta last week so had some practice rounds there. It’s definitely different to what it looks like on TV. You definitely don’t expect how hilly it is! But I love the track, it’s awesome.”
“The greens aren’t quite as big as what they look on TV either. Everything’s manicured to perfection. Everything’s perfect, nothing’s out of place.
“But it’s definitely longer. A lot of tee boxes have been pushed back over the years. The new tee box they’re getting on the 13th this year, I think it’s 30-40 yards back. There’s some length to it!”
‘It’s awesome’ Amateur young gun ready | 04:45
He joked that the first shot he practised: “was the chip that Tiger hit at the back of 16 (in 2005) … couldn’t hole it, it took me a few goes to get it.”
He added: “The course suits me very well, I love it. It’s hard not to love it!”
The loveable young talent revealed he had spent time with some of his countrymen ahead of his maiden practice attempts at Augusta, and was hoping to line up some practice rounds with fellow Aussies this week.
“Hopefully I play with some of the Aussie guys come Masters week,” he said. “Last week when I was in America I did spend a bit of time talking to Cam Davis and Min Woo. We all had dinner one night … they’ve just given me so much info to soak in.”
WHICH AUSSIES ARE MISSING?
For the first time in 31 majors Marc Leishman will be absent, after his move to LIV saw him tumble out of the world’s top 100.
Lucas Herbert is extremely unlucky to miss out after debuting last year. He entered the WGC-Match Play a week ago ranked 56th in the world, needing a strong performance to finish in the top 50 and earn last-gasp qualification for the Masters. The 27-year-old went 3-0 in the group stage only to face off against Rory McIlroy in the round of 16, with the superstar Northern Irishman sealing a 2-up victory. Had Herbert beaten the 33-year-old, he would have certainly risen into the top 50 and made the Masters. As it was, he rose five places to 51st last week – missing out on a ticket to Augusta National by the cruellest of margins.
Cameron Davis, who starred at the Players Championship with his tied-sixth finish, and Harrison Endycott both had their Masters’ qualifying dreams come down to the wire. They both competed in the PGA TOUR Valero Texas Open on the weekend, where the winner would become the 90th and final exempt player in the Masters field.
But Canada’s world number 18 Corey Connors – already comfortably qualified for the tournament – denied their dreams as he sealed a one-shot win in Texas with a 15-under overall score.
Davis hit a first-round 80 before an inspired six-under 66 in the second round, but missed the cut at two-over par. Endycott went 74-73 to go three-over and miss the cut.
