2024 Masters: Top 10 power rankings at Augusta National
It’s that time of the year again, folks.
The 88th edition of the Masters Tournament is upon us.
The 2024 playing of this green and gold-tinged spectacle features a field of 89 players. They’re seeking to make the 36-hole cut of top 50 and ties after 36 holes.
When you eliminate the past champions and amateurs, the crop of who can actually win begins to dwindle. Not to mention, no first-timer has won since Fuzzy Zoeller in 1979. That drought is due to end at some point given the youth movement in golf, but experience is still crucial.
The other three majors cycle through various venues, but the Masters at Augusta National Golf Club is an annual rite of passage.
ANGC was established in 1933 and began hosting the Masters a year later. It’s a Bobby Jones and Alister MacKenzie design that has undergone countless changes over the years, including reversing the two nines. Despite the constant tweaking to adapt to the modern game, it still maintains the heart and soul of a classic course coming from the golden age of golf architecture.
Beginning in 2022, ANGC started to feature more tightly mown areas, which can send wayward shots repelling even farther than normal.
There’s no rough to speak of on the course. The treeline as well as the tricky, undulating greens are what provide the main defenses. Not to mention the gravity that weighs on every player vying for the green jacket.
The weather forecast for the week shows there could be some storms on Thursday, but otherwise, it looks clear with temperatures in the 60s-70s Fahrenheit. It could be windy early in the tournament but should calm down by the weekend.
Keys to success when scouting which players to back this week include a few things. Elite iron play is essential to grab the birdies that are out there at this tournament without falling into the traps that lurk around every corner.
Playing to the right portions of the greens, getting up and down when you need to, and having a hot putter are big advantages.
Let’s dig into who will be big cheese in the land of pimento cheese sandwiches: