Masters Favorites 2017: Projecting Daily Score Totals for Golf's Top Stars
Dustin Johnson is the man to beat at the 2017 Masters that begins on Thursday at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia.
The American world No. 1 has triumphed in each of his last three starts and has finished well in his two most recent Masters appearances, tying for sixth in 2015 and fourth in 2016.
Competition for the green jacket in 2017 will likely come from 2015 champion Jordan Spieth, world No. 2 Rory McIlroy and perennial challenger Jason Day.
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Meanwhile, Japanese world No. 4 Hideki Matsuyama has enjoyed an excellent 2017 so far and could be in with a chance of victory at Augusta.
Read on for score projections for the world's top-ranked players along with further analysis of how the tournament could play out.
| 1 | Dustin Johnson | 68-70-72-71 | -7 |
| 2 | Rory McIlroy | 71-70-68-69 | -10 |
| 3 | Jason Day | 72-72-68-68 | -8 |
| 4 | Hideki Matsuyama | 70-71-72-69 | -6 |
| 5 | Henrik Stenson | 72-70-72-70 | -4 |
| 6 | Jordan Spieth | 67-68-71-74 | -8 |
Preview
After a succession of agonising near misses, Johnson finally claimed his first career major title at last year's U.S. Open.
Since that triumph he has continued his brilliant form and, for many, it is his tournament to lose at Augusta among the azaleas, per CBSSports.com' Kyle Porter.
However, that would be to severely underestimate the competition.
McIlroy has come to Augusta under huge pressure the past few years, as it is the final piece of the puzzle in his quest to win the career Grand Slam.
He endured heartache at the Masters in 2011 as he shot a final-round 80 to finish in a tie for 15th after being the 54-hole leader. However, he has since gone on to become a four-time major winner and finished in the top 10 at Augusta in each of the last three years.
Per the power rankings of the PGA Tour's Rob Bolton, the Northern Irishman "is arguably more poised to win this tournament than ever before":
Spieth, 23, is another contender sure to be in the mix for the green jacket come Sunday.
His record in the year's first major is remarkable, with the Texas-born star having won the tournament in 2015 and tied for second in both 2014 and 2016.
However, the wounds of last year are likely still fresh after he squandered a five-shot lead with just nine holes remaining to surrender the victory to Danny Willett.
It will take a huge effort from Spieth to put those demons behind him and produce another major-winning performance this year at Augusta.
Day is another of the world's top stars who will have genuine designs on claiming a first green jacket.
His consistency at major tournaments is phenomenal—he has finished in the top 10 in 13 of his last 23 major tournaments and three of his five Masters appearances.
Per the New York Times' Adam Schupak, the Australian finished last year's tournament as the best putter in the field, which he'll need to approach this year on the treacherous greens of Augusta.
Should he reproduce the same form in 2017 and improve from tee to green, he will be difficult to beat in the battle for the green jacket.
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