The Masters Storylines: Scheffler's Inevitability, McIlroy's Quest For The Slam And Koepka's Revenge

As we're just a few short days out from the opening round of the 2024 Masters, the most intriguing storylines heading into the year's first major are becoming clear. 

Some of the biggest storylines for this 88th playing of the Masters are the same as they were a year ago, but with added wrinkles after another 365 days have come and gone. Tiger Woods will garner plenty of attention as always, as will World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler, plus there are the 13 LIV players in the field this year. 

We'll take a deep dive into all of that, plus other storylines worthy of your attention at Augusta National. 

Is 16 The Lucky Number For Rory McIlroy?

This year marks the 16th Masters appearance for Rory McIlroy and his 10th attempt at winning the green jacket to complete the career grand slam. It has been discussed into oblivion for a full decade now about whether or not McIlroy can step into the game's most-elite group by winning at Augusta National or will it be another year of the same old story.

While it's an old tale at this point, Rory's quest for a win at Augusta has been the story for a while now for good reason. It really began during the 2011 Masters when he held a four-shot lead with 18 holes to play. He was in cruise control, until he wasn't, and looked up after a nightmarish five hours and hit the golf ball 80 times that Sunday to drop 14 places on the leaderboard.

Since then, he had a five-year run between 2014 & 2018 where he finished inside the Top 10, picked up a T-5 in 2020, and finished solo second in 2022. 

 (Photo by David Cannon/Getty Images)

Ever since the debacle of 2011, it's felt like a do-or-die moment when McIlroy makes that drive down Magnolia Lane. This year feels no different despite the fact that he's still only 34-years-old and realistically has another 10+ years of high-level golf ahead of him, but until he either puts on that green jacket or steps away from the game, this will likely be the biggest storyline heading into the Masters for years to come.

Can Jon Rahm Cast Aside Doubt And Defend His Green Jacket?

One of the narratives involving Jon Rahm the moment he made his surprise move to LIV Golf at the end of 2023 was that he'd made the move to cash a large check, which is accurate, and that his game would take a bit of a hit in the process. While he has made five starts on the Saudi-backed circuit, future major championships will be the scale the entire golf world will measure him on, and how he performs in his first one since bolting from the PGA Tour seems like a crucial one.

 (Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports)

Only three players - Tiger Woods, Jack Nicklaus and Nick Faldo - have won back-to-back Masters signaling that the odds of Rahm pulling that feat off this week are low. Playing himself into contention and serving up a reminder that he was the No. 1 ranked player in the world for a full year less than five years ago could go a long way to prove any of his critics wrong.

This week will be unlike anything the Spaniard has ever had to endure from a golf standpoint as well. Not only does he have to play the role of defending champion, he'll be fielding a barrage of questions regarding his move to LIV Golf, the process of the move, whether or not his game has changed, etc. 

He'll be begging for Thursday to arrive when he can put a tee in the ground and escape inside the ropes.

The Brooks Koepka Revenge Game

Brooks Koepka is a big game hunter and squandered the opportunity to pick up yet another major championship trophy during last year's Masters with his final round 75. He didn't exactly let that disappointment linger as he went on to win his third PGA Championship a month later, but revenge will definitely be on Koepka's mind after what he experienced a year ago.

There isn't much more to say when it comes to Koepka leading into a major championship other than he'll more than likely play a factor. Since winning his first major at the 2017 U.S. Open, Koepka has played in 23 major championships, and in that span he's found the winner's circle four times and earned another nine Top 7 finishes.

He also sounds like a man possessed heading into this year's Masters.

The Feeling Of Inevitability Surrounding Scottie Scheffler

We have not had a more clear-cut, defacto best player in the world like the current version of Scottie Scheffler since the peak Tiger Woods era. That version of Woods is still miles ahead of what we've seen from the 2024 edition of Scheffler, but the now months-long ball-striking clinic Scheffler has put on has reached a legendary level.

Scheffler ranks first on the PGA Tour in strokes gained: total, tee-to-green, approach, greens in regulation, birdie average, and bogey avoidance, while ranking a measly fourth in strokes gained: around the green. He may be 99th on Tour in strokes gained: putting, but he isn't losing strokes on the season as a whole and has managed two wins and another five Top 10 finishes in eight starts.

It's incredibly rare when you can say that it would be more shocking to see a player not in contention come Sunday instead of them actually doing so, especially in a major championship, but that is absolutely the case when it comes to Scheffler this week. 

It feels inevitable that Scheffler will either be holding the lead come Sunday morning or well within striking distance to claim his second green jacket.

Jordan Spieth's Comfort Level At Augusta

It's hard to believe that this statement is true, but Jordan Spieth has won just two golf tournaments since hoisting the Claret Jug in July 2017. He also enters this year's Masters with two missed cuts and a disqualification to his name in eight starts this season. 

One could say Spieth has been consistently inconsistent in 2024, which is exactly when he typically finds something in his swing and becomes an assassin with the putter. He's the only player in the game who seems to perform his best when he's in desperation mode, and while he may not be quite at that level, he's certainly searching a bit.

As long as he's healthy, you can not count out Jordan Spieth at Augusta National. In his 10 Masters appearances he's picked up one green jacket, five other Top 5 finishes, and just a single missed cut back in 2022. 

Surely Phil Mickelson's Magic Has Run Out…Right?

Jon Rahm and Brooks Koepka battling for a green jacket a year ago surprised no one, which leads to the idea that you could argue the biggest storyline from the 2023 Masters was Phil Mickelson's final round 65 pushing him in a tie for second place. He was never truly in contention with Rahm ultimately besting the rest of the field by four shots, but a tie for second place is a tie for second place.

Mickelson is now 53-years-old and every single sense of reality points to him not contending in another Masters in his career, but Augusta National brings something out in the lefty unlike any other golf course in the world does. 

He could miss the cut next week or pick up what would be his  17th Top 10 finish at the Masters, and nobody would bat an eye. One thing is definite, however, and that is when Mickelson gets in one of his zones around Augusta National, it's a spectacle that makes the golf tournament even more enjoyable.

The Only Expectation For Tiger Woods

It's impossible to make a list of intriguing storylines about a golf tournament with Tiger Woods in the field and not mention the big cat, but there is a reason this topic is the last entry on the list.

Ross Kinnaird/Getty Images)

Woods has played in six official events since April 2022. Across those six starts he's withdrawn three times, including during the the third round of last year's Masters, and missed one cut. All in all, the man has played 72 holes of competitive golf twice in two years and is reportedly arriving to Augusta National this time around with zero mobility in his left ankle.

Expectation may not even be the right word in this case, desire is probably more fitting given that at this point in the 48-year-old's career, it's a gift for golf fans to see him compete at the highest level. If Woods is able to make the cut and walk 72 holes, that's a win for all involved.