2017 Masters Tournament

[iacas]

Some questions to kick off the run-up to and playing of the 2017 Masters Toonamint at Augusta National:

1. Is Jordan Spieth the favorite to win after his collapse last year? Is it the best story in golf?
2. If not Jordan, how about Dustin Johnson?
3. Will Tiger Woods make the cut? Will he play? Will he surprise everyone (likely including himself at this point) and finish in the top ten? If he skips this tournament, will this be the last time anyone really cares?
4. Last year's winner Danny Willett… does he contend again, or will his drop in play (evident at the Ryder Cup) continue?

Ask any other questions you may have, and answer them, too.

[bmartin461]

1. I don't think Jordan will rebound, he will be a story obviously, but I don't see him winning.  I do think he will finish in the top 10.

2. I think Dustin has a very good shot at winning based on his recent hot streak, he seems to be in contention every year too.

3. Tiger will not play and he will fade away....

4. Someone new will be in contention, that's what makes it so great.

Follow up question:

5. With the azaleas blooming early, will that detract from your experience watching it? 

[iacas]

28 minutes ago, bmartin461 said:

5. With the azaleas blooming early, will that detract from your experience watching it? 

I'm pretty sure they'll find a way to get blooming ones on the property for the Masters…

[jkelley9]

1 hour ago, iacas said:

Some questions to kick off the run-up to and playing of the 2017 Masters Toonamint at Augusta National:

1. Is Jordan Spieth the favorite to win after his collapse last year? Is it the best story in golf?
2. If not Jordan, how about Dustin Johnson?
3. Will Tiger Woods make the cut? Will he play? Will he surprise everyone (likely including himself at this point) and finish in the top ten? If he skips this tournament, will this be the last time anyone really cares?
4. Last year's winner Danny Willett… does he contend again, or will his drop in play (evident at the Ryder Cup) continue?

Ask any other questions you may have, and answer them, too.

1. I'm really hoping Jordan contends. It would be epic if he could win it. Definitely the best story right now IMO. I erally just ask that he contends and makes for some interesting r3 and r4 golf coverage :)

2. Dustin Johnson is just a boring story to me, to be honest. Despite being remarkably talented.

3. I don't think Tiger will play. If he does, I highly doubt he'd make the cut.

4. My thoughts are that Danny Willett will crumble. He's already gone a little cattywampus and questioning his golf a lot. I'm sure he won't perform well under the limelight from the 2015 Masters discussions/questions/media pressure.

[Groucho Valentine]

Danny Willet was arguably one of the hottest players on the planet this time a year ago. So it shouldn't be too much of a surprise he won. So if you're betting on the hot player this year, i think you have to go with Matsuyama as the favorite at the masters. His putter can be shaky, though. Besides Tiger in his prime, the favorite for the masters rarely wins. So I'm selling DJ and Spieth.

I don't think Tiger is going to play. But if he does, it will be as a farewell. I think he's finished playing professional golf.  

I feel like a euro player will take the jacket. Ill take a flyer on Jon Rahm to win. 

[Golfingdad]

1 hour ago, bmartin461 said:

With the azaleas blooming early, will that detract from your experience watching it? 

Yeah, just read this: http://www.cnn.com/2017/02/23/golf/golf-augusta-masters-azaleas/index.html

51 minutes ago, iacas said:

I'm pretty sure they'll find a way to get blooming ones on the property for the Masters…

And I agree.  They seem like the kind of guys that will fly in azaleas from across the globe and plant them the week before if they have to.  Replace "life" with "ANGC: ...

 

[Bucki1968]

I like Dustin Johnson's chances. Spieth will be there. I don't think Tiger will play but I hope he does. Danny Willett played well last week and should be ready to go. I also predict that I will not be going to watch this year. That sucks.

[klineka]

36 minutes ago, jkelley9 said:

2. Dustin Johnson is just a boring story to me, to be honest. Despite being remarkably talented.

Curious, why do you think Dustin Johnson is a boring story?

I really enjoy watching him play, hitting distances that I could only dream about. He blew the field away at the Genesis Open it was impressive to watch.

[Golfingdad]

2 hours ago, iacas said:

1. Is Jordan Spieth the favorite to win after his collapse last year? Is it the best story in golf?
2. If not Jordan, how about Dustin Johnson?
3. Will Tiger Woods make the cut? Will he play? Will he surprise everyone (likely including himself at this point) and finish in the top ten? If he skips this tournament, will this be the last time anyone really cares?
4. Last year's winner Danny Willett… does he contend again, or will his drop in play (evident at the Ryder Cup) continue?

1. I don't know if he's the favorite, but after his good play so far this year and his history at Augusta, he has to be one of them.  And, yes, him contending would be the best story IMO, unless I'm wrong about #3.
2. Yeah, DJ, along with Hideki Matsuyama, would be my other favorites this year.
3. N/A. Because ... no. N/A.  Maybe not the last time, but we're getting really close.
4. It's weird what happened to him.  But yeah, I think he's only there on the weekend because he has to stay to give away the jacket.  He won't be playing.

[MuniGrit]

I was in Vegas a week ago and had a good run at craps. I went and put 50 bucks on Spieth to win the Masters. I think he is playing well and guys who play that course well seem to do it year in and year out.

[Wally Fairway]

1. Will lead, at least for a while and contend during the weekend
2. Vegas has DJ as the favorite, but I think he will not win
3. Tiger will WD before the tournament, or after the 1st round
4. Willet will not make the cut
5. DeChambeau - will he make another leaderboard appearance? (This is where he captured the national media spotlight last year) - Nope, his voodoo was a flash in the pan.
6. Who do you think has the best finish at the Masters from all the players who have not won a major? I'm picking Rickie

[krupa]

6 minutes ago, Wally Fairway said:

5. DeChambeau - will he make another leaderboard appearance? (This is where he captured the national media spotlight last year)

The question is, will he make it to the first tee?  

He has time but according to this he's not currently exempt http://www.pga.com/news/masters/2017-masters-tournament-field-list

10 minutes ago, Wally Fairway said:

6. Who do you think has the best finish at the Masters from all the players who have not won a major?

Justin Thomas

[Wally Fairway]

6 minutes ago, krupa said:

The question is, will he make it to the first tee?  

He has time but according to this he's not currently exempt http://www.pga.com/news/masters/2017-masters-tournament-field-list

My bad - it had stuck in my head that he won an event to earn his tour card, but I forgot it was a Web.com event.

[Broke100Once]

Matsuyama, Spieth and DJ all winning in consecutive weeks is creating a lot of drama heading into the Masters, not to mention Justin Thomas emerging as a contender with his terrific play.  Already three wins for Thomas in the wrap-around 2017 season!

You have to consider those four the big favourites....though there's also McIlroy going for the career grand slam, Day looking to contend again (though this could be a 'lost to swing changes' kind of year for him), Fowler looking to break through with a major, plus old standbys like Mickelson or Westwood likely to be buzzing around the leaderboard again.  Maybe we'll see Langer turn some heads again, or Couples once again be in the mix heading into the weekend.

In short, this is promising to be a terrific Masters, even if/when Tiger has to WD again.

 

 

[ScouseJohnny]

I was delighted for Danny Willett in 2016 in the same way I was delighted for Leicester City. And I anticipate a similar trajectory for both sporting entities in 2017.

As regards the 2017 Masters - I think, and hope, that this one will be Hideki's.

[colin007]

Pulling for either DJ or Rors, I honestly don't see Tigs teeing it up that week...

[GolfLug]

1. JS is a, but not the favorite even though Augusta has a little bit of history of throwing up couple of jackets in quick succession on the backs of particular players. Effect of his blowup last year are blown up, IMO. But yes, it WILL be the best story in golf if he wins. 'Redemption of golf's wonder boy'... or something along those lines does have a good ring to it.

2. Yup, DJ is king in every sense. My money is on him. It is interesting how JS, JD and DJ all have gone on Tiger like streaks (on a much smaller scale) in the last couple of three years, but only DJ has more continuous winning years than anybody on tour currently and I think he comes closest to showing Tiger like sustenance. What is amazing is that his game does not seem like it's maxed out yet like the other two, physically or otherwise. Not forgetting Rory and  will not mind a bit if it is his jacket this year.

3. Tiger will not make the cut. Let alone the health, where's the game, focus or even an iota of sharpness? The honesty in judgment, effort or will is not there. Not sure if his time will ever come but April 2017 is not it. The care-meter is already on oxygen, so if he doesn't play (70% chance he won't), I am sure there will many leaving the theater for good. The grave diggers will dig much more furiously for sure though and hurry the demise of his playing career.

4. Danny who?? Sorry, seems like a fun fella to have a beer with but and would bet on a weekend stay at the club house but not on the course. I will wager a lot of money that we will see him bright and cheery at the jacket presentation though...

[jkelley9]

21 hours ago, klineka said:

Curious, why do you think Dustin Johnson is a boring story?

I really enjoy watching him play, hitting distances that I could only dream about. He blew the field away at the Genesis Open it was impressive to watch.

I don't really have a good answer to this. I do love watching his drives, though. I think I more prefer the players that actually show some level of excitement after a good shot/putt. He "acts like he's been there" (which he has, duh lol) but from my entertainment perspective I love the fist pumps, the dances, etc. I guess I'm weird like that lol. Jordan gets pretty excited, Day gets mildly excited, Ricky gets excited, Dustin does not.