Johnson challenged the 2nd straight victory in 19 years after Woods in 2002
Held in November for the first time since last year due to Corona 19, reopened in 5 months
The Masters Tournament, referred to as the’Masters’ Tournament’, will end at Augusta National Golf Club (par 72, 7,475 yards) in Augusta, Georgia, USA on the 8th (Korean time).
This event, which marks its 85th anniversary this year, is usually held in the same place in April as the first major event of the season, but last year, it was held in November due to a novel coronavirus infection (Corona 19).
Masters, which opened normally in April, the original time of this year, was to cover the protagonist of the new’Green Jacket’ in just 5 months.
Although the tournament was held in April, it was’restored to its original state’, but the Masters is not 100% back as usual.
Due to concerns over the spread of Corona 19 infection, the’par 3 contest’ held the day before the opening of the tournament was canceled again this year.
The tournament was held in November last year, but it is fortunate that some spectators can enter this year.
However, as in competitions before 2019, it is impossible to enter a large number of galleries, and only a limited number of spectators can enter.
In addition, galleries must cover their mouths and noses with masks, observe distance within the venue, and prohibit the use of cash in selling souvenirs.
In this year’s competition, a total of 88 people including Dustin Johnson (USA), the winner of last year and world ranking first, and Lim Seong-jae (23), who won the Masters runner-up for the first time as an Asian national last year, will participate.
‘Golf Emperor’ Tiger Woods (USA), who reached the top of the tournament in 2019, was absent due to a car rollover accident in February. It was expected, but once he arrived at the venue, he was taking a practice round and burning his will to participate.
Yon Ram (Spain), whose wife’s due date for childbirth overlapped with the Masters period, and the possibility of not attending the competition was raised on the 5th, and there will be no problem in participating in the Masters.
In addition to Lim Seong-jae, Kim Si-woo (26) will participate as Korean players, and Korean-American player Kevin Na (USA) will also appear.
According to the prospects of foreign betting companies to win, Johnson’s chances of losing the second straight are quite high.
William Hill set Johnson’s odds to win 9/1, followed by Jordan Spice and Bryson Dishambo on 11/1, and Justin Thomas (above America) and Lam 12/1.
The 9/1 odds mean that if you hit Johnson’s win with a dollar, you can add $9 and get $10 back.
In addition, Radbrooks is also Johnson 8/1, Spice and Thomas, DeChambo on 10/1, and Ram 11/1.
If Johnson, who won the fifth stroke last year, achieves a second straight victory, he will become a player who successfully defends the title at the Masters 19 years after Woods in 2001 and 2002.
He is performing the most outstanding performances in the recent Masters, including runners-up in 2019 and winning last year.
Thomas, currently second in the world rankings, will win the championship, and Johnson can rise to No. 1 in the world if he is tied for 21st or less.
Spice, the winner of the 2015 tournament, won the Texas Open with the US Professional Golf (PGA) tour ballet that ended on the 5th, and foreign betting companies have a greater chance of winning.
Among the four major tournaments, Rory McIlroy (Northern Ireland), who has not won only the Masters, is behind Johnson, Spice, Thomas, Dishambo, and Ram in the betting company odds.
Lim Seong-jae recorded 15th to 16th odds at William Hill and Radbrooks.
Golf Digest, a media specializing in golf in the United States, predicted Thomas’s victory, and predicted that DeChambo, Spice, and Johnson would be in order.
Lim Seong-jae put it in 9th place.
At the Augusta National Golf Club, where the tournament is held, Johnson won the tournament’s first 20-under par last year, and Cameron Smith (Australia), who tied second place with Lim Seong-jae, also hit 60 at-bats for four days for the first time in the tournament history.
The Augusta National Golf Club, whose nickname’Amen’s Corner’ is known as holes 11 to 13, is considered a difficult course, and it is predicted that the difficulty of this year’s tournament will be increased further, conscious of last year’s records related to at-bats.
From 10 p.m. on the 8th and 9th, and 10:30 p.m. on the 10th and 11th, SBS Golf, a cable satellite channel specializing in golf, will broadcast the Masters this year.
/yunhap news