BRAVE NEW WORLD

With a November start date and no spectators, this year’s tournament promises to be a Masters like no other

- Nick Bonfield

The 2020 Masters will be an unprecedented event for two reasons: the November start date and the fact the tournament will be contested behind closed doors. There’s no question those elements will have an impact on proceedings, but the key attributes needed to compete at Augusta National – accuracy and distance control with irons, short-game prowess and an ability to sense the occasion and seize the moment – will still remain. That said, this year’s Masters will be a challenge like no other.

Tiger Woods will be back to defend, but the image of this year’s champion securing victory on the 18th green will sit in stark contrast to 2019’s historic event, where 40,000 spectators roared with Tiger on the 72nd green as he landed his 15th Major title and completed one of the greatest comebacks in the history of the sport.

Woods himself conceded that playing without spectators will make “a big difference”, and of all the Majors, it looks to be the one where the non-existent galleries will have most impact. Crowds perhaps have more of an influence at Augusta National than any other venue in golf, with cheers and groans swirling through the trees like the wind at Amen Corner. On Masters Sunday, particularly on a back nine laden with dramatic holes and birdie opportunities, cheers can serve as a catalyst for a heroic run or knock a player off their stride.