The boys’s main golf season kicks off this week at The Masters and there will likely be a number of Englishmen vying to get their arms on the coveted inexperienced jacket.
Whereas the main has, since its inception in 1934, been dominated by American winners – solely 24 of the tournaments being gained by non-People – these Englishmen which have gained it have made their mark.
From Sir Nick Faldo’s hat-trick of victories to Danny Willett’s shock win, they made their second rely at Augusta Nationwide.
So, with The Masters simply across the nook, we take a better take a look at the English hopefuls aiming to make 2024 their yr…
Historical past: Which Englishmen have gained earlier than?
Sir Nick Faldo (1989, 1990, 1996)
If there may be one Englishman’s title who’s synonymous with The Masters, it’s Sir Nick Faldo.
A 3-time champion, Faldo has donned the Inexperienced Jacket greater than most, one in every of solely three gamers to go back-to-back on the long-lasting course.
In his maiden Masters victory, Faldo was main the pack after 27 holes after which began to slide again, changing into concerned in a dramatic ultimate spherical the place six gamers led at one level throughout the again 9.
Putts on the Eleventh, sixteenth, and seventeenth sealed a play-off towards Scott Hoch for the title, Hoch ‘choking’ on the primary further gap as he missed a two-foot par putt, permitting Faldo the possibility to birdie the second further gap for the win.
Partnered with 18-time main champion Jack Nicklaus within the 1990 ultimate spherical, Faldo then edged out Raymond Floyd in a play-off to turn into the primary participant since Nicklaus himself to defend his Masters win.
It appeared like his crown was slipping when he double-bogeyed the opening gap after driving right into a bunker after which three-putting.
Nonetheless, Faldo held his nerve to drive the play-off, the Englishman chipping an eight-iron down the hill to 18 toes, from the place he safely made par to retain the title and declare the third of his six main victories.
{The golfing} legend then needed to wait six years to don the inexperienced jacket as soon as once more, beating out LIV golf CEO Greg Norman in 1996, Norman dropping a six-shot result in give Faldo the win.
Danny Willett (2016)
If there may be one phrase that sums up Willett’s Masters win in 2016 it’s ‘drama’.
Defending champion Jordan Spieth held a one-shot lead heading into the ultimate day, with the then 22-year-old seeking to turn into the youngest two-time Masters champion and solely the fourth back-to-back winner of the inexperienced jacket.
Spieth was the primary defending champion to carry the 54-hole lead since Ben Hogan in 1954 and was on a run of seventh consecutive Masters rounds the place he both led or was co-leader, breaking Arnold Palmer’s document of six that was set again in 1961.
Willett was three adrift of the chief on even par and had by no means gained knowledgeable occasion by coming from greater than a stroke behind on the ultimate day.
Spieth raced clear on the entrance 9 and posted 4 consecutive birdies from the sixth to achieve the flip with a five-shot lead, solely to comply with back-to-back bogeys from the tenth by hitting it into Rae’s Creek twice on the twelfth on his option to a quadruple-bogey seven.
Willett, making solely his second Masters look, posted a final-day 67 – equalling the second-lowest bogey-free profitable spherical at Augusta – to say a three-shot win and a maiden main title.
Hopes in 2024: Fleetwood, Fitzpatrick, and a Willett double
Matt Fitzpatrick
Masters wins: 0
PGA Tour wins: 2
Main wins: 1 (US Open 2022)
Fitzpatrick has discovered some actually good type just lately, placing himself in a probably profitable place heading into the ultimate spherical of the Gamers Champions 2024, and may take confidence from such a stable efficiency into the 2024 Masters.
Fitzpatrick is aware of the best way to carry out at Augusta Nationwide, ending inside the highest 15 on his final two begins, and with 10 years of Masters expertise underneath his belt, he might catapult himself into much more {golfing} stardom if his quick recreation is on level and he can keep calm underneath strain within the ultimate spherical.
The 2022 US Open champion heads into The Masters having completed tied for tenth ultimately week’s Valero Texas Open and are available fifth at The Gamers Championship, the place he carded 4 sub-70 rounds.
The 29-year-old put that top-five end at TPC Sawgrass all the way down to getting again to his greatest off the tee, which he believes results in him taking part in a few of his greatest golf.
“I drove it like I feel like I can drive it,” Fitzpatrick mentioned. “To me, it felt a bit like my old self: drove the ball well, putted well, and that’s always been the key to when I’ve played well, really.”
Tommy Fleetwood
Masters wins: 0
PGA Tour wins: 0
Main wins: 0
Tommy Fleetwood has turn into considerably of an almost man of late, placing in stable performances in majors and on the PGA Tour however simply at all times lacking out on victory by the smallest of margins.
Fleetwood’s greatest efficiency within the Masters was again in 2022 when he completed T14 however after a stable yr, he will likely be hoping that in 2024 he lastly will get the win on the largest stage.
He has seven prime 10 finishes in majors and famend golf teacher Butch Harmon, who has labored with Fleetwood, is backing him to recover from the road within the first of 2024.
“I think he’s ready to break out and win a major,” Harmon mentioned. “He’s got a great game for Augusta, he is a right-to-left player.
“In our two years collectively he is improved each side of his recreation. He is a really constant participant, he handles the state of affairs properly when he will get in there. He had likelihood to win two majors final yr – he was proper in there in each Opens and he misplaced the Canadian Open to a man who holed a 72 footer, so he is due a break himself.
“He’s playing with a lot of confidence and I’m someone who thinks Tommy Fleetwood is not just one of the best golfers in the world but also one of the nicest guys in the world. So I hope he can get it done.”
Danny Willett
Masters wins: 1
PGA Tour wins: 1
Main wins: 1 (Masters 2016)
Willett will likely be utilizing The Masters in 2024 as an opportunity to make a comeback after a foul shoulder damage.
The 2016 champion had surgical procedure again in September however has focused the Masters for an enormous comeback, Willett robotically qualifying attributable to his earlier victory.
He has endured some struggles at Augusta Nationwide since his triumph eight years in the past, failing to make the reduce on 5 of seven events and with a greatest end of tied for twelfth in 2022.
This yr’s event will mark his first outing because the 2023 BMW PGA Championship, the place he completed tied for sixty fourth, and he’s desperate to make an impression once more on one in every of golf’s grandest phases.
“I played 18 holes plus the par-three course on Sunday, but we’re still playing it by ear, seeing how the body holds up,” Willett mentioned forward of this week’s event. “You don’t want to come and just make up the numbers, you want to come and know you can hit certain shots and do certain things.
“Except one thing occurs that I do not like the texture of, I am optimistic that I will be teeing it up on Thursday. It is in all probability about 80/20 in favour proper now.”
Justin Rose
Masters wins: 0
PGA Tour wins: 11
Main wins: 1 (US Open 2013)
Rose has completed runner up at The Masters twice, in 2015 and 2017, and has an extra 4 top-10 finishes within the event.
The 43-year-old has not been in the very best of type on the PGA Tour thus far this yr although, with a tied-Eleventh end on the AT&T Pebble Seaside Professional-Am a uncommon brilliant spot.
He has completed no greater than tied-Fortieth on any of his different begins and was pressured to withdraw from the Arnold Palmer Invitational after struggling again spasms, then missed the reduce at The Gamers Championship.
Rose is, nevertheless, a former main champion having triumphed within the US Open in 2013 and an 11-time winner on the PGA Tour, with the newest of these successes coming ultimately yr’s AT&T Pebble Seaside Professional-Am.
Regardless of his up-and-down type, Rose stays formidable on his day.
Tyrrell Hatton
Masters wins: 0
PGA Tour wins: 1
Main wins: 0
Hatton made headlines earlier this yr by becoming a member of reigning Masters champion and Ryder Cup team-mate Jon Rahm in switching to the LIV Golf collection.
He heads to Augusta Nationwide having secured a sixth-place end, his greatest since switching, on the event in Miami final weekend and serving to Legion XIII win the crew competitors for the second time since crossing golf’s divide.
Certainly one of 13 LIV gamers competing within the first main of the yr, Hatton’s greatest efficiency at The Masters in his seven earlier appearances is a tied-18th end in 2021. The 32-year-old performed down any discuss of the rivalry between the completely different excursions this week although.
“I would say the media is going to make it more LIV, PGA Tour, European Tour, whatever,” Hatton mentioned.
“Ultimately, at the end of the day, that doesn’t really matter. There are guys who play on those tours who are our friends. We get on well with them.
“However after we exit on the golf course we will attempt our greatest to win. At majors it does not matter what aspect you are on, you are simply making an attempt your greatest.”
When is The Masters on Sky Sports activities?
Wall-to-wall protection from the event begins at 2pm over the primary two rounds on Thursday April 11 and Friday April 12, with Featured Group motion and common updates from across the course accessible to get pleasure from on Sky Sports activities Golf till the worldwide broadcast window begins at 8pm.
There will likely be numerous further motion all through all 4 days by way of the crimson button on Sky Sports activities Golf, together with Sky Q and Sky Glass, offering loads of bonus feeds and permitting you to comply with gamers’ progress by means of numerous elements of Augusta’s well-known format.
Sky Sports activities Golf will present prolonged build-up content material over the weekend and occasional reside updates from the course earlier than the worldwide broadcast window begins at 8pm for the third spherical and 7pm for the ultimate day, with early motion accessible all through by way of the crimson button.
Who will win The Masters? Watch reside from April 11-14 solely on Sky Sports activities. Stay protection begins with Featured Teams on Thursday April 11 from 2pm on Sky Sports activities Golf. Stream the PGA Tour, DP World Tour, majors and extra with NOW.
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