The Masters 2023 - Ranking the favorites, contenders and hopefuls

AUGUSTA, Ga. — Masters week is finally here and there will be plenty of storylines in the first major championship of the season, which tees off Thursday at Augusta National Golf Club.

World No. 1 golfer Scottie Scheffler will try to become the first back-to-back winner at the Masters in more than two decades. Rory McIlroy will once again attempt to complete the career grand slam, and Tiger Woods will give it another go after making the cut for the 22nd straight time last year.

And, of course, there are 18 players from the LIV Golf League in the 88-player field for the 87th Masters. Six of them are past champions Sergio Garcia, Dustin Johnson, Phil Mickelson, Patrick Reed, Charl Schwartzel and Bubba Watson, which might make for an interesting Champions Dinner on Tuesday night.

Given their surroundings this week, players from both tours figure to be on their best behavior. Keep your tees to yourselves, boys.

Here are the 88 players competing in the Masters, from those who can win to the amateurs:

Jump to a section:Guys who can win | If everything goes rightMiracles happen | Happy to make the cut | Past champions | Amateurs

Here are the legitimate contenders. They have the games, guts and nerves to handle four pressure-packed rounds on one of the most treacherous golf courses in the world.

Scottie Scheffler

He's the defending Masters champion and has won more than anybody on the PGA Tour during the past 14 months. He's attempting to become only the fourth back-to-back winner at Augusta National. The other guys were named Jack, Faldo and Tiger.

Rory McIlroy

What's the only thing you'll hear more than «a tradition unlike any other» this week? The fact that McIlroy is trying to complete the career grand slam. He changed