Masters Predictions 2014: Final Day 1 Projections for the Augusta Field

They say it's not how you start, but how you finish that counts. Nonetheless, the 97 players in this year's 2014 Masters field will be looking for a strong start this week.

The year's first major tournament, the 2014 Masters is set to tee off on Thursday morning and continue through Sunday evening at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Ga. With weather conditions expected to be near perfect throughout the event, there's a buzz in the air.

Still, it'll be the first Masters since 1994 that won't include Tiger Woods. With the four-time winner set to sit out for the first time in his career following back surgery, defending champion Adam Scott enters as the favorite to claim the green jacket for a second time.

But three-time champion Phil Mickelson and young guns Rory McIlroy and Jason Day are each threats to win as well. 

With Round 1 set to get underway, let's take a look at my Day 1 projections for the entire field at Augusta as well as a breakdown of the tournament favorites.

Pos.	Player	Total	Score
1	Dustin Johnson	-7	65
T2	Matt Kuchar	-6	66
T2	Sergio Garcia	-6	66
T4	Adam Scott	-5	67
T4	Luke Donald	-5	67
T4	K.J. Choi	-5	67
T4	Brandt Snedeker	-5	67
T8	Jason Day	-4	68
T8	Henrik Stenson	-4	68
T8	Peter Hanson	-4	68
T8	Justin Rose	-4	68
T8	Lee Westwood	-4	68
T13	Rory McIlroy	-3	69
T13	Keegan Bradley	-3	69
T13	Zach Johnson	-3	69
T16	Phil Mickelson	-2	70
T16	Hunter Mahan	-2	70
T16	Francesco Molinari	-2	70
T16	Jamie Donaldson	-2	70
T16	Nick Watney	-2	70
T16	Martin Kaymer	-2	70
T16	Trevor Immelman	-2	70
T16	Angel Cabrera	-2	70
T16	Graeme McDowell	-2	70
T16	Rickie Fowler	-2	70
T16	Harris English	-2	70
T16	Bill Haas	-2	70
T16	Jordan Spieth	-2	70
T16	Ian Poulter	-2	70
T30	Steve Stricker	-1	71
T30	Louis Oosthuizen	-1	71
T30	Marc Leishman	-1	71
T30	Hideki Matsuyama	-1	71
T30	Webb Simpson	-1	71
T30	Charl Schwartzel	-1	71
T30	Jimmy Walker	-1	71
T30	Jason Dufner	-1	71
T30	Patrick Reed	-1	71
T30	Jim Furyk	-1	71
T40	Billy Horschel	E	72
T40	Matt Every	E	72
T40	Branden Grace	E	72
T40	John Senden	E	72
T40	Thomas Bjorn	E	72
T40	Miguel Angel Jimenez	E	72
T40	Brendon De Jonge	E	72
T47	Stewart Cink	+1	73
T47	Vijay Singh	+1	73
T47	Boo Weekley	+1	73
T47	D.A. Points	+1	73
T47	Darren Clarke	+1	73
T47	Mike Weir	+1	73
T47	Steven Bowditch	+1	73
T54	Kevin Streelman	+2	74
T54	Fred Couples	+2	74
T54	Matt Jones	+2	74
T54	Ernie Els	+2	74
T54	Ryan Moore	+2	74
T54	Gary Woodland	+2	74
T60	Thorbjorn Olesen	+3	75
T60	Victor Dubuisson	+3	75
T60	Lucas Glover	+3	75
T60	Bubba Watson	+3	75
T64	Yong-Eun Yang	+4	76
T64	Tim Clark	+4	76
T64	Ben Crenshaw	+4	76
T64	Scott Stallings	+4	76
T68	Bernhard Langer	+5	77
T68	Joost Luiten	+5	77
T68	Roberto Castro	+5	77
T68	Sandy Lyle	+5	77
T72	Matthew Fitzpatrick	+6	78
T72	Sang-Moon Bae	+6	78
T72	Thongchai Jaidee	+6	78
T72	Jonas Blixt	+6	78
T72	Matteo Manassero	+6	78
T72	Chris Kirk	+6	78
T72	Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano	+6	78
T72	Mark O'Meara	+6	78
T80	Oliver Goss	+7	79
T80	Stephen Gallacher	+7	79
T80	Derek Ernst	+7	79
T80	David Lynn	+7	79
T80	Jordan Niebrugge	+7	79
T80	Russell Henley	+7	79
T86	Michael McCoy	+8	80
T86	Ken Duke	+8	80
T86	Ian Woosnam	+8	80
T86	John Huh	+8	80
T86	Chang Woo Lee	+8	80
T86	Garrick Porteous	+8	80
T86	Jose Maria Olazabal	+8	81
T93	Graham Delaet	+9	81
T93	Tom Watson	+9	81
T93	Kevin Stadler	+9	81
96	Craig Stadler	+10	82
97	Larry Mize	+12	84

*Below scores are projections only.

Adam Scott (-5)

Up until recently, Scott had struggled at the Masters, going eight years without a single top-10 finish from 2003 through 2010. But after tying for second in 2011 and tying for eighth in 2012, Scott took the final step in 2013, defeating Angel Cabrera in a playoff to secure his first major win.

Therefore, you can expect Scott to be in the mix come Sunday's final round. 

On Thursday, Scott will be grouped with Jason Dufner and Matthew Fitzpatrick and is scheduled to tee off shortly after 10:40 a.m. ET. With excellent conditions on tap for Round 1, expect Scott to work his way up the leaderboard on Day 1. 

The Australian star shot a three-under 69 to begin play in 2013 and has clearly figured out this course over the past three years. 

Rory McIlroy (-3)

Harry How/Getty Images

Despite boasting two major titles and seven top-10 finishes at majors since 2009, McIlroy has always struggled to play his best golf at Augusta National, where he's never finished better than 15th. 

McIlroy missed the cut in 2010 and is coming off a 25th-place finish in 2013. Although many consider him a favorite to win his first green jacket, recent history tells a different story. 

McIlroy talked about his struggles at the Masters leading up to this year's tournament, expressing his desire to turn things around, per The Guardian's Ewan Murray:

"

I'd be disappointed if I ended my career and wasn't able to go up and have breakfast in the champions' locker room. The way I play golf, the way my game is, Augusta does set up well for me. And for me not to have a top-10 coming into my sixth Masters …

"

The 24-year-old will tee off with Jordan Spieth and Patrick Reed on Thursday morning immediately following Scott's group. But even if McIlroy starts fast on Day 1, he'll have to exorcise some serious demons through Sunday in order to achieve his goal.

Phil Mickelson (-2)

Rob Carr/Getty Images

Three-time Masters champion Phil Mickelson loves Augusta National, or at least his game does.

After all, Lefty has a dozen top-10 finishes at this tournament over the past 15 years, including three victories since 2004. However, following a 54th-place finish a year ago—his worst since he missed the cut in 1997—there's no guarantee the 43-year-old will be in the mix come Sunday. 

Plus, with a strained oblique muscle forcing him to withdraw from the Texas Open last month, it remains to be seen just how healthy Mickelson will be from start to finish this week. 

But with Monday's rain saturating the course, the experienced Mickelson, who will tee off shortly before 2 p.m. ET with Ernie Els and Justin Rose, should turn in a decent first-round score on Thursday. 

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