Two years ago, hardly anyone knew who Jordan Spieth was. But two years and two outstanding performances at Augusta later, Spieth is now a household name and one of golf’s brightest stars. We don’t quite know if there’s another Spieth on the horizon in the upcoming 2016 Masters, but there are 10 things we do know—and you should know to—about this year’s tournament.
Get to know each one of them below. And for more Masters knowledge, find out the most compelling reasons why Jordan Spieth, Jason Day or Rory McIlroy will win this year’s first major.
Jason Day has been installed as the overall 2016 Masters favorite at +700. After a host of near misses over the years, including a couple of top-three Masters finishes in 2011 and 2013, the Aussie finally won his very first major at the PGA Championship last season.
He’ll also be in fantastic form entering the year’s first major, having won his last two tournaments—the Arnold Palmer Invitational and the WGC-Dell Match Play.
2. Back-to-back champ?
Defending champion Jordan Spieth is not too far behind Day, and is priced at +900 to score back-to-back green jackets. Spieth was absolutely dominant in his march to victory last year, and has finished in the top two in his first two trips to Augusta. However, it’s notoriously difficult to defend the Masters title. Only three men have ever done so in the tournament’s 82-year history—Jack Nicklaus, Nick Faldo and Tiger Woods.
3. No Arnie
Speaking of Nicklaus, he’ll still be on hand to hit the ceremonial opening tee shot with Gary Player in this year’s tournament, but Arnold Palmer will not be there to join them. The 86-year-old, who has limited golf activities since injuring his shoulder in 2014, will not be able to participate for the annual ceremony for the first time since 2007.
4. No Tiger, Too
Another key absentee at the Augusta tees will be Tiger Woods. The four-time Masters champ opted out of this year’s tournament due to a lingering back injury. It’ll be the second Masters Woods will miss in three years due to his ailing back. He also didn’t participate in 2014 after undergoing his first back surgery. But even without Woods, this year’s Masters should be filled with plenty of stars to watch.
5. Watson for the win?
Bubba Watson will be one of those aforementioned stars to keep an eye on this weekend. The 37-year-old American already has two green jackets in his cabinet, which he’s won in each of the past two even years (2012 and 2014). He’s currently priced at +1,000 to keep the trend going this year with another Masters win.
6. Same Ol’ Augusta (for now)
Despite Spieth’s outstanding 2015 performance wherein he tied or broke several Masters records—the lowest-ever Master score (-18, 270), the most birdies (28), as well as the 36- and 54-hole scoring records—as a 21-year-old, there are no radical changes to keep the scores down expected at Augusta this year.
If current forecasts hold true, this year’s Masters should be blessed with some very nice weather. The first two days are expected to be partly cloudy with minimal chance of rain, but the sun will be shining down on Augusta National during the two most important days—Saturday and Sunday. Perfect playing weather for the perfect golf setting.
8. The Top 10 trend
The green jacket isn’t awarded until all 72 holes have been played, but if recent history is any indication, the Masters champion can be narrowed down to a select few within the first 18 holes. In the last 10 years, no one outside the top 10 after the first round has gone on to win the tournament.
9. Best of the Newbies
Augusta National is famously unkind to first-timers. Outside of the first two editions of the Masters, only Fuzzy Zoeller in 1979 has managed to take home the green jacket in his very first Masters appearance. However, Spieth came close to matching that feat by finishing second in 2014.
Spanish golfer Rafael Cabrera-Bello (+5,000) has the lowest odds to win out of this year’s crop of Masters first-timers, but Justin Thomas at +7,000 to win might be the better bet to join Zoeller, Horton Smith and Gene Sarazen in that exclusive list. The 22-year-old has three top-three finishes this season, including a win at the CIMB Classic.
10. Best of the Oldies
It’s now 30 years since Nicklaus became the oldest-ever Masters winner at 46 years, 82 days, and that incredible record looks to be safe for another year. But for anyone looking to take a chance on an old-timer, Vijay Singh (+25,000) looks like the best bet. The 53-year-old former Masters champ hasn’t cracked the top 25 since 2008, but at least he’s made the cut four years running.
