SportsLens explores why approach play at Augusta is key to winning the Masters, which commences on Thursday, April 11th.
Approach play takes center stage at Augusta, renowned for its emphasis on the second shot. In the last nine Masters, winners consistently ranked high in Strokes Gained: Approach, placing 1st, 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 1st, 5th, 4th, 6th, and 6th.
This serves as an advantage for Scheffler, Xander Schauffele, and Collin Morikawa, as they have consistently been among the top 10 performers in Strokes Gained: Approach on the PGA Tour over the last two seasons.
Approach Play at Augusta
Augusta caters towards big hitters, being one of the lengthiest courses on the tour. Its effective playing distance surpasses its yardage due to fairways being mown towards tee boxes to reduce roll.
Alongside wide fairways, minimal thick rough or water hazards on tee shots, and ample recovery opportunities from manicured pine straw, Augusta becomes an ideal playground for power hitters.
Fourteen out of the past fifteen champions were positioned in the top 50 for Driving Distance in the season leading up to their triumph.
Additionally, the difficulty of hitting and holding on Augusta’s greens is evident as only 61 percent are reached in regulation, intensifying the demand on the short game.
In the build-up to the Masters, the previous 11 champions have all been gaining a minimum of 0.25 strokes per round around the green.
Given Augusta’s reputation for having the most challenging putting surfaces in golf, one might assume that it’s the world’s top putters who consistently emerge victorious.
Despite the common assumption, the reality is quite different. Fifteen out of the last 16 winners ranked below the top 35 for Strokes Gained: Putting in the season leading up to their victory, with an average ranking of 97th.
According to former caddie Brian Mull, “Severely sloped greens with speed are a great equalizer of putting skill.” Experts believe that Augusta’s challenging greens are so treacherous that they essentially balance out the playing field.
The Favourites To Win The Masters 2024
Scottie Scheffler
Driving distance: 310 yds (31st)
SG: Around-the-Green: 0.4 (5th)
SG: Approach: 1.19 (1st)
The 27-year-old is currently regarded as the best golfer in the world. Although his putting stats have raised concerns, switching his putter led to a commanding victory at the Arnold Palmer Invitational. Augusta tends to favor players who excel at scrambling and precision in hitting their targets.
Scheffler demonstrates proficiency in both of these areas and has a strong track record at the Masters, consistently finishing within the top 20 in all three of his appearances.
Scottie Scheffler flagging it and rolling them in. He’s making golf look very, very easy right now
— Flushing It (@flushingitgolf) March 28, 2024
Rory McIlroy
Driving distance: 326 yds (1st)
SG: Around-the-Green: 0.3 (14th)
SG: Approach: 0.721 (8th)
His recent performance have been impressive, securing a victory at the Dubai Desert Classic and narrowly missing out on another win at the Dubai Invitational. However, his record at the Masters in recent years has been mixed. McIlroy has achieved top-five finishes in two out of the last four tournaments but missed the cut in the other two.
Each year, Rory McIlroy emerges as a prominent contender, yet consistently falls short of victory. It has unfortunately become a matter of speculation whether, rather than when, the Northern Irishman will achieve the career grand slam.
One thing we know for sure— Rory McIlroy is gonna throw darts come rain or shine. 🎯#PGAChamp | #TopShotTuesday pic.twitter.com/ipONOwmELP
— PGA Championship (@PGAChampionship) April 3, 2024
Viktor Hovland
Driving distance: 308 yds (44th)
SG: Around-the-Green: 0.06 (86th)
SG: Approach: 0.61 (11th)
After claiming three victories last summer, the Norwegian golfer has had a relatively uneventful start to 2024, with finishes of T22, T58, T19, and T36 in his first four starts of the year.
Last year, he achieved his highest Masters finish to date, tying for 7th place, primarily due to significant improvement in his chipping, which had previously been the only weakness in his game. However, this year, he’s struggling again, losing an average of 0.445 strokes per round in his short game, a deficiency that may prove costly at Augusta.
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