The 88th edition of the Masters Tournament marks the first men's Major Championship of 2024, with the world's best players making their annual pilgrimage to one of sport's most iconic venues.
A field of 89 players are set to tee it up at Augusta National aiming to add their name to the history of this great event, 12 months after Jon Rahm became the fourth Spaniard - joining Seve Ballesteros, José María Olazábal and Sergio García - to win the coveted Green Jacket.
Ahead of play beginning on Thursday, My Tour - the DP World Tour's free digital membership - offered its members the chance to send in their questions to golf broadcaster Ken Brown and he has answered a selection of them.
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Q. How would you explain Augusta National and Masters week to someone who has never been?
Over the years, lots people have come up to me and said with astonishing delight 'I’ve got two tickets for the Masters', you can tell they're made up. Everyone goes with the very highest expectations and the experience is always better than they expected.
You don’t have to sell your house to buy a club sandwich and a drink too. There is no cooked food on the course, they don’t want any smells, while there is no running and no phones. The biggest star is the course that showcases the world's best golfers, and that's all you need.
The Patrons, a term aptly used by the Augusta National Club to describe the visitors to the tournament, are a regular customer, clients who become special supporters, and who are in turn given a five-star experience.
Q. Augusta National is reputed to have some of the hardest greens to putt on, what makes them so tough and how do they compare with other venues?
The greens at Augusta National have some larger slopes and undulations than most venues, harking back to the original design work of Bobby Jones and Alister MacKenzie, who where both lovers of the Old Course at St Andrews.
If you keep an eye out, the DNA of the fifth green at Augusta was taken from the 17th on the Old Course and the 14th is a ringer of the 5th.
The combination of the slopes and the green speeds make them a joyous, nerve racking, challenge. I hope this year the greens are reasonably firm, they loose an odd tooth if they get soft.
Q. What is your favourite hole at Augusta National and why?
The par 5 13th hole has everything. It asks so many questions, strategically a masterpiece. It’s the easiest hole in the world for a top professional to make a par on, but you don’t want to make a par. It’s a birdie or better you’re after, it temps you to take on the stream and chase that carrot. This gives the most colourful, spectacular hole in the world the jeopardy that makes it brilliant.
Q. Year in year out those with a "record" at Augusta seem to dominate the leaderboard. Is there a particular reason for this i.e. What makes an Augusta-suited player?
The ability to give the ball a good ride off the tee has always been a useful advantage, more so than most courses. With such treacherous pin positions, getting at them with a shorter iron becomes a big advantage over four rounds.
That said, I have to quote Peter Alliss’ mantra which he said every year: "It’s the six inches between the ears that separates out the winner.”
Q. Looking at the field, how do you rate Viktor Hovland and Tommy Fleetwood’s chances to put on the Green Jacket this year? Are there any other DP World Tour members you think may do well?
Both Viktor and Tommy have made some amazing strides the last two seasons in their scrambling, the abilities to get down in two from around the green and save a par. It is another must-have skill if you want to win the Masters.
Ludvig Åberg playing his first Masters has all the attributes to play Augusta well, he got a look at the course in his college days and has had a couple of sneaky practice rounds earlier in the year.
Shane Lowry, too. If you can win the Open, you have the game to button up a large Green Jacket. I think green would suit him too!
Q. Who do you think will win this year, and why?
Hard to predict! I don’t know who’s going to win, but I hope that it might be one of the European Ryder Cup team.
It has been especially heart-warming for me to see the likes of Seve Ballesteros, José María Olazábal, Sandy Lyle, Sir Nick, Ian Woosnam, Bernhard Langer, Danny Willett and Jon Rahm all win. It seemed an impossible dream until Seve and Sandy won.
Q. There have been a lot of alterations over the years to add length, do you think the masses can still win or is it just the longest hitters?
It's always been a trump card to be able to hit the ball 300 yards, the good news now most of the field can do that now. You’d get good odds betting on someone averaging under 300 yards off the tee this week winning.
The course would now need to be well over 8000 yards to produce the same challenge distance wise that Seve had when he first won in 1980.
In 1988, when I played the par three 12th, which is unchanged and still measures 155 yards, I played two seven irons and two eight irons over the four rounds. Rory McIlroy hits a seven iron 195 yards and a pitching wedge 150 yards, however on this special hole today's challenge is only a fraction easier.
Q. What’s more important at Augusta. Chipping or putting?
Chipping and putting are equally important, both have to be in top draw. If you are going to score well, having a good touch on and around the greens are a prerequisite.
Q. What is the single most important skill a player needs to win at Augusta?
You just have to flush it off the tee, playing the course after a poor tee shot is like eating a banana with the skin left on… oh and hole out well from inside six feet!
Q. What is your favourite Masters moment from over the years?
Working at the Masters with Peter Alliss and the BBC team will forever hold great memories for me. Can you imagine sitting next door to Alliss and watching the Masters, can it get any better! That was after going out on the course to hit a few putts on the 13th green to test the speed of the greens or show an interesting pin position for a Ken on the Course that I hoped the viewers would find interesting and then watch Adam Scott or Tiger Woods win a Green Jacket!
Every Masters has been a favourite of mine. I will certainly miss being on site this year.
Hope everyone who watches or listens enjoys the Masters and maybe, just maybe, Rory might win.
