Augusta (United States) (AFP) – Five Americans with multiple major triumphs but no green jacket made final preparations Wednesday at Augusta National on the eve of the 90th Masters. For two-time major winners Xander Schauffele, Justin Thomas, Collin Morikawa, Bryson DeChambeau, and five-time major champion Brooks Koepka, a firm and fast layout will test their shot-making skills.
“They are in a really good spot. They are definitely firm,” 10th-ranked Schauffele said of the greens. “Speed on the greens is going to be crucial, as always. Big accomplishment to keep three-putts off the card. If you can really be disciplined, make sure your good shots are great but make sure your bad shots are in the correct spots, that’s how you need to play to be in contention. The hard part is doing it.”
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Schauffele, the 2024 British Open and PGA Championship winner, was third at the Players Championship and fourth at the Valspar Championship in his final Masters tune-ups. “It’s nice to have a few good events under my belt,” Schauffele said. “Definitely working on a few things and trying to get myself back into the picture here.” The 2019 Masters runner-up has five top-10 finishes in the past seven Masters.
Seventh-ranked Morikawa, the 2020 PGA Championship and 2021 British Open winner, has battled a back injury. “I’m taking it day by day. It’s not exactly where I want to be, and it’s unfortunate, but that’s just the body and I can’t push it,” Morikawa said. “It has been a little bit of a mental battle, just trying to trust with where it’s at.” For Morikawa, third at the 2024 Masters and in the top five in three of the past four years, it means seeking new ways to do familiar things. “Sometimes you’ve got to find other ways to get around a golf course. I’m making a different game plan than I’ve come up with in the past,” he said. “It’s frustrating, but at the same time, I can’t do anything stupid… What’s amazing is chipping and putting still feel great. Just got to be able to get the ball there.”
World number 15 Thomas, the 2017 and 2022 PGA Championship winner, underwent microdiscectomy back surgery last November to address nagging hip pain and returned to play in February. Thomas, who won last year’s PGA Heritage title the week after the Masters, was eighth at last month’s Players Championship in just his second event back. “Coming off of six months off competition, definitely proud and happy of that and hopefully just get a little bit of momentum,” Thomas said. “I felt very comfortable.”
Koepka, a two-time US Open champion and three-time PGA Championship winner, has a history of peaking his game for the majors through a build-up for weeks during PGA Tour events. “I’ve always been a slow starter,” Koepka said. “Sometimes that first week I’m not exactly sharp. Then the second and third week I just got better, so a lot of those were teed up for majors.”
Two-time US Open winner DeChambeau, ranked 24th, likes his complete game and hopes to improve on his fifth-place showing from last year, his best Masters finish. “I feel like I’m driving it well, wedging it well, chipping it pretty well, putting it well. Iron play as well,” DeChambeau said. “Just making sure the numbers are correct and hitting my distances and missing in the right places.”
© 2024 AFP
