Punch Shot: Who wins 87th Masters? Who will be top LIV finisher?

The 87th Masters Tournament begins Thursday at Augusta National. The GolfChannel.com writers weigh in with their predictions.

Who wins the green jacket?

Rex Hoggard: Scottie Scheffler. He arrived at the Masters last year fresh off three victories in his last five starts and brimming with confidence. The defending champion rolls into town this year fresh off two victories in his last four starts and, somehow, flush with even more confidence. Winning back-to-back at Augusta National is beyond difficult and the game of golf has rarely seen this much parity at the top, but if anyone can pull off the improbable it’s Scheffler.

Ryan Lavner: Scottie Scheffler. The only possible knock against him are the obligations that come with defending a Masters title, and yet even in that respect Scheffler is uniquely qualified to brush off those distractions. His superpower is staying in the moment. The wicked weather in the forecast only plays to Scheffler’s advantage – he carries the ball plenty long, plays a variety of different shapes and trajectories, and scrambles like crazy. Move over, Tiger – Scottie is going back to back, too.

Brentley Romine: Tony Finau. Sure, you could play it safe and go with one of the Big 3, but I firmly believe Finau will factor majorly this week. He’s third in strokes gained: approach and has posted three top-10s in five career Masters starts.

Full-field scores from the 87th Masters Tournament

Top finisher among LIV players?

Rex Hoggard: Dustin Johnson. DJ hasn’t appeared to be playing his best on the LIV Golf circuit this season, but handicapping the players who joined the breakaway tour for the year’s first major is nearly impossible. The one constant is that Johnson is still a top-10 player, regardless of what tour he plays, and if this week’s awful forecast holds, it would be a perfectly soft and slow course for the winner of the only fall Masters.

Ryan Lavner: Cameron Smith. Though it’s impossible to handicap the LIV players this week, Smith’s record here cannot be ignored – he’s one of two players with three consecutive top-10s at the Masters. By his own admission it hasn’t been the “nicest” start to the year, but Augusta has always been a happy hunting ground that caters to his creativity and imagination. With a little extra to prove this week, Smith is as good of a bet as any to force his way onto another major leaderboard.

Brentley Romine: Cam Smith. I talked with someone who knows Smith well on Wednesday morning and that person expected the less-than-favorable weather to play right into Smith’s hands. Plus, that short game plays no matter what the weather is.

Who is your sleeper pick?

Rex Hoggard: Jason Day. After missing last year’s Masters, the Australian has reemerged as one of the game’s most compelling players. Day has six top-10 finishes this season and has moved back inside the top 50 in the world, after finishing last year 112th. He’s always played Augusta National well since his first brush with a green jacket in 2011, when he finished runner-up to Charl Schwartzel.

Ryan Lavner: Sungjae Im. A serious factor in two of his three career Masters appearances, Im has the steadiness and precision that will always make him a danger man at Augusta, where iron play is the most important attribute. As quiet as he’s been this year, he has racked up three top-6 finishes in his last seven starts, keeping him inside the top 20 in the world.

Brentley Romine: Tom Hoge. Who’s the best iron player on Tour right now? It’s not Collin Morikawa but rather Hoge. He got a good look at Augusta National last year, tying for 39th, so why not?

Will Tiger make or miss the cut?

Rex Hoggard: Make Cut. Woods proved last year that no matter the challenges and odds he’s still capable of truly incredible feats at Augusta National. He also proved that no amount of institutional knowledge or stubbornness can mitigate the physical challenges of walking the game’s toughest course on a surgically rebuilt leg. Tiger will make the cut but it’s best to keep any other expectations to a minimum.

Ryan Lavner: Make cut. The comments from Fred Couples and Justin Thomas and Rory McIlroy were eerily similar: He can hit all the shots, but … . Woods showed in limited action last year that he’s still competitive enough to make cuts but will then wear down on the weekends, when the pain in his shattered right leg intensifies. His endurance might be better this year, but it’s clearly still a concern among those who know him best. Somewhere in the T-30 range is what we’re expecting here. 

Brentley Romine: Make. And then he’ll slow down. The leg is always going to be an issue, especially here. He’ll look great at times, but it will be hard to sustain for 72 holes on these hills.