Masters: Top five groups to watch on Thursday at Augusta National

Number 4:

Group 29, 2p.m.: Jordan Spieth, Paul Casey, Brooks Koepka

You’re probably thinking, “how could a group that includes both Brooks Koepka and Jordan Spieth in the first round be ranked anywhere but first?”. That is how good these first round groups are at the top of the list. It would not be surprising at all to see either one of those two young golfers win this year because of how dominant they have been in majors in their young careers.

Since Spieth joined the PGA Tour in 2014, he and Koepka have accounted for 6 out of the 20 majors between the two of them. So if we use recent history as an indicator, then there is a staggering 30 percent chance that the winner of the tournament comes from this group, more specifically Spieth or Koepka. That’s not necessarily a fair calculation for a test like Augusta National, but you can’t deny the success these two have had in recent years.

Yet there are some drawbacks to making a winning prediction for either one of them. Right now neither one is playing their best golf, and are likely not in the best position to become golf’s first major champion of the year. Spieth is also coming off of the worst season in his career. Koepka has not won since his last major victory and his recent weight and distance loss of the tee could really hurt him at a course that favors guys that can mash the long ball.

Finally, you don’t want to sleep on Paul Casey pretty much anywhere on the planet. At No. 11 in the current world ranking, he’s no slouch. In fact, his only true “disadvantage” – if you can even call it that – is the fact that he’s now part of the “over 40” crowd, which doesn’t always play well at majors. But if you want some form, try this one on for size: Casey has four straight top-15 finishes at Augusta, with top-tens in 2015, 2016 and 2017. He’s also been remarkably consistent so far this season, with a victory at Valspar, four total top-tens and nine top-25s.