The Masters is an event that transcends golf, and ahead of the 2023 showdown, there are arguably more storylines than ever as the two sides of the divide in the men’s game come together for the first Major of the year.
But that’s not all there is to talk about ahead of the 86th edition. Amid the controversy and potential for tension, there are some fairly monumental and feel-good eventualities that could unfold during the week.
There is the small matter of Tiger Woods, whose appearance at any golf event makes it a box-office affair, while we are also set to bid farewell to one of the most likeable past champions who created one of the finest Masters memories of all time. So, here are some of the biggest storylines ahead of the 2023 Masters…
Rival Tours Collide
Let’s get the potential negative stuff out the way first. A lot has already been said about the LIV Golf drama that continues to rock the men’s game in the build-up to this year’s tournament. That members of the breakaway circuit would even be allowed to play wasn’t confirmed until December of last year.
In the statement issued, Augusta National chairman Fred Ridley said that although he was “disappointed in these developments, our focus is to honor the tradition of bringing together a pre-eminent field of golfers this coming April.”
(Image credit: Getty Images)
That decision means there will be 18 LIV players in the field this week, including Phil Mickelson, Dustin Johnson, Cameron Smith and Bryson DeChambeau, who recently revealed that Woods had cut him off for joining the Saudi-funded league.
It remains to be seen whether any of the underlying angst that exists in some quarters will spill over into something more, or if we may even get a Sunday showdown between the main protagonists in each camp. There’s even talk of the LIV golfers storming the final green if one of them wins. Should it happen, it would certainly make for a spectacle, even if for the wrong reasons.
However, one notable absentee from any LIV fanfare would be commissioner Greg Norman, who hasn’t been invited.
Gary Player
(Image credit: Getty Images)
Never shy of an opinion or two, three-time Masters champ Gary Player seemed to really put his foot in it with comments about the iconic event, course and club. The South African boldly ranked the tournament, at which he is an honorary starter, as the worst of the four Majors, before criticising the club for not granting him full membership.
Player has honorary…
..
Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at Golf Monthly RSS Feed…