READY TO ROAR AGAIN
Return of crowds at Augusta among four storylines to watch entering first round
AUGUSTA, Ga. — The 2021 Masters Tournament begins at 6:45 a.m. on Thursday, with the honorary starters Lee Elder, Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player.
After that, the scores count and everyone is chasing defending champion Dustin Johnson, in hopes he’ll put the green jacket on them Sunday afternoon in Butler Cabin.
In what finally feels like a tiny bit of normalcy, the Masters has returned to its traditional April spot on the calendar, and there will be a few patrons roaming the grounds at Augusta National.
Here are four storylines to pay attention to:
Roars return
Thankfully, after a one-year absence, patrons have returned to the grounds of Augusta National Golf Club. While everyone was grateful the Masters took place in 2020 amid a global pandemic, the absence of roars created an eerie silence.
Although the galleries will be much smaller than usual (estimated at one-fourth the size), they will provide an essential soundtrack around key holes in Amen Corner and along the entire course.
Those resounding reactions serve as signals to the players, who can read the roars like they read the greens, using them to know when another competitor is climbing the leaderboard.
Course conditions
Firm and fast.
If you had a dollar for every time a participant spoke those words the last three days, you’d be celebrating like a Masters champion. Seriously though, the players will face major championship slickness, unlike any seen at Augusta National in at least eight years.
During practice rounds, approach shots trickled down slopes and players carefully studied the long, breaking putts they’re certain to face over the next four days.
Is this a response to the record scoring of the last two years? Not entirely. Mother Nature has cooperated in recent weeks, enabling the maintenance staff to regulate the moisture on the fairways and greens, which should exact a premium on precision, patience and course management. There’s
rain in the forecast, but it will take a significant amount to soften a stern test of golf ability and IQ.
Dustin’s defense
Dustin Johnson was an obvious favorite in the fall, arriving in Augusta playing the best golf of his career. He’s still ranked No. 1 in the world but hasn’t been as sharp of late, recording only one top-10 in five U.S. starts in 2021. In this seven-part series, Golfweek dug into what has made DJ a champion.
Still, he’s played the course better than anyone in recent years, posting four top-six finishes in his last five Masters.
Johnson, making his 11th appearance, begins his quest to become the tournament’s fourth back-to-back champion.
Koepka’s knee
After he won the Waste Management Open and finished runner-up in the WGCWorkday Championship in late February, the four-time major champion was an obvious favorite to win his first green jacket. He hasn’t played since.
Koepka slipped at home in early March and underwent surgery to repair ligament damage and a dislocated kneecap. He spent the last month in intensive rehabilitation and returned to the course on Monday, playing four holes.
Koepka’s record here is strong; he has broken par in his last 10 rounds and was the runner-up in 2019.