Masters favorites to watch

Augusta’s favorite sons

Jordan Spieth / Locked here until he doesn’t tee off in one of last groups Sunday

Bubba Watson / Blissfully resurrected from the where-are-they-now file

Phil Mickelson / Playing better than ever at age 47 and primed to make history

Tiger Woods / Revived Vegas favorite looking to script a signature comeback

Sergio Garcia / Life just keeps getting so much better he might just repeat

Ready to get fitted in green

Rory McIlroy / Course perfect for his slam if he gets out of his own way

Justin Rose / 2017 playoff runner-up has led after 18, 36 and 54 holes

Justin Thomas / Reigning PGA champ among the hottest players coming in

Dustin Johnson / World No. 1 just needs to make it to the first tee

Jason Day / Another Australian we all presume will eventually win jacket

40 is the new 30

Henrik Stenson / The best 40-something major winner without a green jacket

Paul Casey / Ready to convert recent top-6s after rediscovering key to winning

Matt Kuchar / Won’t be 40 until June, but his major hopes are fermenting nicely

Charley Hoffman / Late bloomer at Augusta keeps getting himself in the mix

Ian Poulter / Ryder Cup specialist riding high off dramatic late entrance

Extending the European streak

Jon Rahm / Top-ranked Euro has everything needed to be next Spanish winner

Thomas Pieters / Powerful Belgian impressively tied for fourth in Augusta debut

Alex Noren / Three top-3s in 8 starts as PGA Tour member already this season

Tommy Fleetwood / Laid-back Englishman finished fourth in 2017 U.S. Open

Rafa Cabrera-Bello / If he can get putter working, rest of the tools are there

International men of intrigue

Hideki Matsuyama / Asia’s biggest superstar is steadily honing in on green jacket

Louis Oosthuizen / Too smooth to settle for only one major and runner-up slam

Shubhanker Sharma / A developing inspiration to 1 billion people in India

Kiradech Aphibarnrat / Emerging Thai star in form to spring a Masters surprise

Haotong Li / The first pro from China to qualify for Masters on merit

First Time’s a Charm

Xander Schauffele / Reigning East Lake winner has the chops to become elite

Tony Finau / Long suspected that his long game would be perfect at Augusta

Dylan Frittelli / Spieth’s former Texas teammate made long climb into top 50

Patton Kizzire / Auburn guy matched Bama’s Thomas by winning twice this season

Joaquin Neimann / World’s top amateur already won near Augusta last April

Worth mentioning

Bryson DeChambeau / Wild amateur fling in 2016 portends Augusta promise

Rickie Fowler / Was poised to make noise last year before Sunday fizzle

Patrick Reed / Approaching form that landed him runner-up at last PGA

Charl Schwartzel / 2011 champ back in the hunt last year and feeling confident

Russell Henley / Ex-Bulldog trending better each Masters: 31st to 21st to 11th

Heart picks

Patrick Cantlay / Former No. 1 am catching up on all of his deferred promise

Kevin Kisner / Aiken’s own would be a wildly popular green jacket owner

Gary Woodland / Won in Phoenix after the toughest year of his life

Marc Leishman / Chronically under the radar despite decent Masters record

Matt Parziale / Firefighter making the cut would be a great Masters first

Not gonna happen

Adam Scott / Slipped to his lowest world ranking since slump of 2009

Tyrrell Hatton / Fiery disposition wasn’t improved by 80-78 Masters debut

Martin Kaymer / Still hasn’t won since his 2014 Players/U.S. Open combo

Francesco Molinari / PGA runner-up has never finished under par at Augusta

Wesley Bryan / Taking seven weeks off before winning as rookie would be some trick