The Masters to bring fresh faces, tough competition, record-breaking crowd

The 82nd edition of the Masters gets underway today at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia. Today officially begins a major golf season with a lot of questions and storylines. Three players can clinch the career grand slam this year, at three different major championships. One of the best of all time is in the midst of his most successful comeback attempt, and this is also the last year before a major shift occurs to the major championship calendar. 

Seven years ago, this Sunday Rory McIlroy began the final round of the 2011 Masters with a four shot lead. After an uninspiring 37 on the outward nine, he stood on the 10th tee with a one-shot lead. The ensuing tee shot went 50 yards off line, and barely stayed in bounds. McIlroy ended up with a triple bogey 7 heading to Amen Corner. He played Amen Corner in three over and ended up shooting 43 on the back nine, and a final round 80, finishing 10 shots back. It was an epic collapse. A couple months later, McIlroy had his revenge, when he smashed record after record in route in an eight-shot win in the 111th US Open at Congressional Country Club. He would go on to win the 2012 and 2014 PGA Championships as well as the 2014 Open.  McIlroy would become only the sixth player in the history of the game to win the career grand slam, should he claim the green jacket on Sunday. 

Tiger Woods is one of the five players to have accomplished the feat. He is currently in the midst of his third comeback attempt, but the third edition is proving to be much more successful. At the end of February, Woods notched a T12 finish at the Honda Classic. Should he play this week, or any other majors, it will be one of the major storylines leading up to the championship. Woods last won a major in an epic 91-hole dual with Rocco Mediate in the 2008 US Open at Torrey Pines.  

This year’s US Open returns to Shinnecock Hills for the first time since 2004. Standing the 71st tee of that championship, Phil Mickelson had a one-shot lead over Retief Gossen. He put his tee shot on the par 3 in a greenside bunker. Mickelson hit his second shot within five feet of the flag, before inexplicably three putting and taking a double bogey five. Mickelson parred the last and lost by two shots to Gossen. It was his second most mind-numbing US Open failure, only behind his epic 72nd hole meltdown at Winged Foot in 2006. After finishing 2nd to Justin Rose in the 2013 US Open at Merion, Mickelson had finished runner up six times in the US Open. It remains the only major the 47-year-old has yet to capture. 

In last year’s PGA Championship at Quail Hollow, Jordan Spieth had a chance to become the youngest player ever to capture the career grand slam. He ended up having a decent week, but not good enough to beat eventual champion Justin Thomas. Spieth can also join that exclusive list with a win in this year’s PGA Championship, being held at Bellerive Country Club. This Championship will also be the last to be played in August. The PGA of America is moving the event to May in 2019 and beyond. The Players Championship, will then be moved to March and the Open will be the last major of the calendar year. The 18 hole leaderboard will be interesting to look at tonight, but 15 more days with as much intrigue are in the near future.