Masters 2016: Predictions, Live Stream and TV Coverage Hub for Thursday
Even more than most golf tournaments, the 2016 Masters Tournament is filled with possibilities.
The field is loaded with players who have had success at Augusta National Golf Club in the past, as well as top contenders looking for their first green jacket. Some players have been dominant in recent tournaments and take a lot of momentum into the week, while others are hoping a familiar course could help turn around their early struggles.
There are certainly favorites, but a large group of players have the ability to end the weekend on top of the leaderboard. Here is a look at a few golfers predicted to provide the biggest challenges along with a full viewing schedule to make sure you catch all the action.
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| ESPN | 3 - 7:30 p.m. | 3 - 7:30 p.m. | - | - |
| CBS | - | - | 3 - 7:30 p.m. | 2 - 7 p.m. |
| Featured Groups | 9:15 a.m. - 7:30 p.m. | 9:15 a.m. - 7:30 p.m. | 10:15 a.m. - 7 p.m. | 10:15 a.m. - 7 p.m. |
| Amen Corner | 10:45 a.m. - 6 p.m. | 10:45 a.m. - 6 p.m. | 11:45 a.m. - 6 p.m. | 11:45 a.m. - 6 p.m. |
| Masters - On the Range | 11 a.m. - 1 p.m. | 11 a.m. - 1 p.m. | 11 a.m. - 1 p.m. | 11 a.m. - 1 p.m. |
| Holes No. 15 and No. 16 | 11:45 a.m. - 7 p.m. | 11:45 a.m. - 7 p.m. | 12:30 - 6:30 p.m. | 12:30 - 6:30 p.m. |
| Broadcast | 3 - 7:30 p.m. | 3 - 7:30 p.m. | 3 - 7 p.m. | 2 - 7 p.m. |
Online coverage available throughout the week at Masters.com.
Predicted Top Contenders
Jason Day
It's not too bold a prediction going after the favorite, according to Odds Shark, but he has been too good to ignore. While other top contenders such as Jordan Spieth and Rory McIlroy obviously have the talent to pull away from the field, no one in the world has played better than Jason Day over the past few months.
Dating back to last summer, the Australian has won six of his last 13 tournaments. This includes a PGA Championship, which became his first major title, as well as each of his last two events (the Arnold Palmer Invitational and WGC-Dell Match Play Championship).
While he is hoping to be only the third player ever after Tiger Woods and Jack Nicklaus to win the Masters after winning the last two tournaments, he is not afraid of history. Instead, he believes in his recent play, per Dave Shedloski of Golf Digest:
"I’m looking forward to it. It’s been good momentum for me, confidence-wise, over the last two weeks. I can’t get comfortable with how I’m playing right now, I can’t get lazy, because I’ve got to understand that what I’m doing is working. But it is going to be a tough one. It’s something I’m definitely going to be embracing.
"
After coming up short in a handful of majors throughout his career, Day finally broke through last year and now has plenty of confidence going into the Masters. Although this isn't an easy sport in which to build a winning streak, every part of his game is clicking, especially on the greens. If he can keep making his shots, no one will be able to beat him.
Heading into last season, Phil Mickelson was a bit of an afterthought going into the Masters before reminding people how good he is at this course. While he couldn't catch Spieth as the leader, Mickelson finished in second place at 14 strokes under par, marking his 11th career top-five finish to go with his three titles.
The scary thing for the rest of the field is Mickelson is playing well coming into this week this time around.
Joe Molloy of Off the Ball noted Lefty's all-around game has been as good as anyone in the world:
"Only ONE player on PGA Tour this year is top 10 for Strokes Gained Putting AND also Strokes Gained Tee to Green: Phil Mickelson #masters
— Joe Molloy (@MolloyJoe) April 6, 2016"
Kelly Tilghman Golf Channel added Mickelson's past success when he is performing this well:
"Many signs point to Phil Mickelson having great Masters. He leads in scoring avg, a stat he also ahead of '04 & '06 Masters (won both)
— Kelly Tilghman (@KellyTilghmanGC) April 5, 2016"
While he might not have the length off the tee he had in the past, he is as accurate as ever, which is what you need to win at Augusta. Add his recent play to his knowledge of how to win at this event, and he is a legitimate contender to win once again.
Even at 45 years old, counting him out would be a mistake.
Hideki Matsuyama
There are a handful of young golfers who have taken over the PGA Tour, but sometimes Hideki Matsuyama gets left off the list. However, the 24-year-old has a bright future ahead of him and remains a threat to win some majors as soon as this season.
The Japanese star showed what he could do at this course a year ago, finishing in fifth place at the Masters behind only Spieth, Mickelson, Justin Rose and McIlroy. That is quite a leaderboard with a lot of combined major titles that Matsuyama competed with for four days.
This season has been more of the same for Matsuyama, who had a win at the Waste Management Phoenix Open and recently earned a sixth-place finish at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, his most recent stroke-play event. If he can play to his ability, he has a chance to be near the top of the leaderboard again on Sunday.
Like Mickelson, Matsuyama has a game designed perfectly for Augusta with his ability to excel on his second and third shots. Despite not crushing the ball off the tee, he ranks 14th in the world in greens-in-regulation percentage (72.03) and fifth in strokes gained from tee to green (1.803), according to the PGA Tour's official website. These skills will come in handy as he becomes one of the sleepers to bring home a green jacket.
Follow Rob Goldberg on Twitter for year-round sports analysis.
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