Masters Favorites 2018: Projecting Daily Score Totals for Golf's Top Stars
The 2018 Masters is going to be a tournament that even casual golf fans enjoy because of the plethora of big names expected to be in contention over four days at Augusta National Golf Club in Georgia.
Tiger Woods' return to the major tournament stage is the main story to follow, but there are also top players in search of ending championship droughts and those looking to extend their dominance at the highest level of the sport.
With the weather expected to be near perfect most of the week, we could see a good amount of low scores.
.jpg?w=256 "Colts Jaguars Football")
However, this is Augusta, and it is still going to be a tough par-72 course to navigate, even for the best players in the world.
Taking all the factors into account, we projected the daily score totals for three of the biggest names hitting the course for the season's first major.
Daily Score Projections
Tiger Woods
Woods is appearing in his first Masters since 2015, when he tied for 17th place at five-under.
The 42-year-old recorded the same score in 2013 but ended up in a tie for fourth, which shows how volatile the scoring can be from year to year at Augusta.
Since his first appearance at the opening major of the season in 1995, Woods has eight rounds with a score of 75 or over, with three of them coming in his first two Masters.
Mixed in with four top-20 finishes in his last five Masters is his poor 2012 performance, in which he failed to shoot under par in any round.
Given his recent form from the Valspar Championship and Arnold Palmer Invitational, Woods should be able to produce a few rounds under par.
But just because Woods is back at Augusta doesn't mean he is going to make a surge up the leaderboard right away.
If you are going by realistic expectations for a player participating in his first major in three years, a final score under par is acceptable, but then again, this is Woods we are talking about.
While he may not shatter the high standard he has set for himself throughout his career, Woods is going to be in the middle of the pack and have a chance to make a run at the lead Sunday.
1st Round: 73
2nd Round: 71
3rd Round: 71
4th Round: 70
Woods' longtime foe Phil Mickelson is looking to end a major drought that dates back to The Open in 2013.
The three-time Masters champion hasn't experienced a ton of success at Augusta since 2013, as he missed the cut on two occasions and finished over par in another two.
The last time Mickelson was in contention for a green jacket was 2015, when he shot three rounds in the 60s and tied for second place at 14-under.
Over the years, Mickelson has shown he is capable of marveling the crowd at Augusta with his play, but he needs to find a way to reverse his recent struggles.
The key for the 47-year-old is to get off to a fast start Thursday afternoon, as he plays alongside Rickie Fowler and Matt Kuchar in the 1:27 p.m. ET tee time.
If he is able to record a first-round score in the 60s for the first time since 2010, which is the last time he won the Masters, Mickelson should be in the hunt for his fourth green jacket.
However, if he cards his eighth straight opening round in the 70s, he could struggle to gain traction in one of the best Masters fields ever assembled.
1st Round: 73
2nd Round: 70
3rd Round: 72
4th Round: 69
Jordan Spieth
In just four trips to Augusta, Jordan Spieth has become one of the best players to ever step foot on the course.
Spieth led wire-to-wire in his 2015 victory, and he finished in a tie for second in 2014 and 2016. His 11th-place mark in 2017 was his worst-ever spot on the leaderboard at the Masters.
In 2015 and 2016, Spieth surged out of the gates, as he produced respective first-round scores of 64 and 66 to gain control of the standings.
He struggled a year ago with a first-round 75 before rebounding with a 69 and 68 in the second and third rounds, respectively.
Traditionally, Spieth uses the first three rounds to create an advantage and then holds on with a few key birdies in the final round.
Although he has five rounds in the 60s at the Masters, Spieth hasn't been able to break under 70 in any of his four final rounds, with the closest being a 70 in 2015.
As long as he replicates his best early-round performances, Spieth is going to be in the hunt for his second green jacket Sunday.
1st Round: 69
2nd Round: 70
3rd Round: 70
4th Round: 69
Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90.
Statistics obtained from augusta.com.
.jpg?w=480 "Colts Jaguars Football")
