World's best come together at Masters in bid for Green Jacket

AUGUSTA, Georgia : The Masters will bring together golf's best in an increasingly rare gathering of the sport's top talent when opening round play gets underway on Thursday at Augusta National with heavy rain threatening to dampen the excitement.

As the PGA Tour and the Saudi-backed LIV Golf try to iron out an agreement, the reality that fans are the big losers in a feud that has split the sport have sunk in with even Augusta National chairman Fred Ridley on Wednesday taking notice during his annual pre-Masters press conference.

"I believe everyone agrees there's excitement in the air this week," said Ridley. "The best players in the world are together once again.

"That is good for everyone ... especially our patrons and fans around the world."

The majors have always attracted elite fields but the buzz around this Masters has been dialled up several notches with most of the world's top players set to go toe-to-toe for the first time since last July at the British Open.

Defining that divide is red hot world number one and 2022 Green Jacket winner Scottie Scheffler and Jon Rahm, who won last year's Masters as a member of the PGA Tour but will defend his title as an employee of LIV Golf after jumping to the rebel circuit for a widely reported $550 million.

The Spaniard is part of an accomplished 13-member LIV contingent that features some familiar faces, including major winners Phil Mickelson, Dustin Johnson and Brooks Koepka who will mix it up with PGA Tour headliners Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy on one of golf's most iconic layouts.

Rahm will launch his title defence alongside Matt Fitzpatrick and Nick Dunlap while pre-tournament favourite Scheffler will be in a high-profile group with four-time major winner Rory McIlroy and