Masters Preview: Koepka, Spieth, McIlroy bring impressive histories to Augusta National

While the debates surrounding Scottie Scheffler and Jon Rahm squaring off for the first time in 2024 will swirl over Augusta National,  and the comparisons between each's recent play at the Masters, will Brooks Koepka, Jordan Spieth and Rory McIlroy rekindle their past successes in their Masters bids with the spotlight shining elsewhere?

Each brings a compelling storyline to Augusta. Koepka will be able to apply what he claims he learned from seeing Rahm erase his 3-shot lead a year ago. Spieth brings the best career record over Augusta National. And Rory? Well, there's always drama around the game's most popular player at a major championship. 

BROOKS KOEPKA

2023 Masters Analysis - Nobody overpowered Augusta National's par-fives last year more so than Koepka, who played them 11-under-par. He carved up No. 8 with an eagle and two birdies, and posted three birdies on Nos. 2 and 15. Maybe even more impressive was the fact that he played the first 42 holes with only a single bogey on his card, compared to nine bogeys over his final 30 holes. Holes 12 & 17 could be pointed to as the biggest contributors to his undoing, as he posted bogeys on each in each of the final two rounds. 

Par 3s - 2-over-par

Par 4s - 1-over

Par 5s - 11-under

Amen Corner- Even

Front Nine - 5-under

Back  Nine - 3-under

Holes 1to6 - 2-under

Holes 7to12- 2-under

Holes13to18- 2-under

Eagles - 1

Birdies - 16

Pars - 45

Bogeys - 10

Doubles - 0

Brooks Koepka's Major Championship Record

2024 Masters Chances - Koepka said he learned something from his duel with Rahm in last year's Masters, and proved it by winning the PGA Championship a month later. His reputation for rising to the major-championship occasion. The five-time major winner has a pair of T2s over his last five Masters with a T7 in 2020's fall edition. If his claim that the back-to-back missed cuts in 2021 and 2022 were 100 percent due to health issues is true, expect him to be part of the story come Sunday. 

JORDAN SPIETH

2023 Masters Analysis - A bogey on the final hole kept Spieth from tying for second-place a year ago. He did have trouble from No. 13's new tee, playing the hole 2-over for the week with three pars and a first-round double bogey. The other three par-fives saw him post birdies in three out of four rounds. His third-round saw him play the first 10 holes in 5-over. In typical Jordan-esque fashion he recovered with 11 birdies over final 25 holes. 

Par 3s - Even-par

Par 4s - Even

Par 5s - 7-under

Amen Corner- 2-over

Front Nine - 5-under

Back  Nine - 2-under

Holes 1to6 - 1-under

Holes 7to12- 4-under

Holes13to18- 2-under

Eagles - 0 

Birdies - 21

Pars - 39

Bogeys - 10 

Doubles - 2

Jordan Spieth's Major Championship Record

2024 Masters Chances - In 10 Masters appearances, Spieth won the Masters in 2015, and has a pair of seconds and thirds to go with last year's T4 so its obvious he has a talent for playing Augusta National. The bigger question for Spieth has been his play the last six weeks with a pair of missed cuts and a DQ among his most recent PGA Tour starts. Has he been distracted by his work behind the scenes in the talks surround the Tour's future?  

RORY MCILROY

2023 Masters Analysis - Rory's 10-year drought without a major championship hit critical mass last April when he missed the cut by two shots at last year's Masters, shooting a second-round, 5-over-par 77 that included seven bogeys along the way. Don't forget bogeys on 16 & 18 dropped him out of the final 36 holes. He played the seventh hole plus-3 while posting bogeys each day on Nos. 3 & 11. He even bogeyed the par-5 second in the second round. He played his 10 par-4s in 8-over-par a year ago. 

Par 3s - 1-over-par

Par 4s - 8-over

Par 5s - 4-under

Amen Corner- 1-over

Front Nine - 5-over

Back  Nine - Even

Holes 1to6 - 3-over

Holes 7to12- 3-over

Holes13to18- 1-under

Eagles - 0 

Birdies - 7

Pars - 18

Bogeys - 10

Doubles - 1

Rory McIlroy's Major Championship Record

2024 Masters Chances - No telling if Rory will be able to re-capture the precision that saw him post a final-round, 8-under-par 64 in 2022, tying the Masters record for the lowest final round. McIlroy does have a streak of seven consecutive finishes 8th or better across 2022 & 2023, including a pair of runner-up finishes. His best-in-class ability to drive the golf ball gives him a real possibility of dominating Augusta National's par-5s, a must for any player aspiring to win the 2024 Masters Tournament.