Half a mile from the gates of Augusta National, at the foot of Washington Road, sits a keyboard and piano store. It closes on Masters week every year. “Spring has sprung and so have we,” reads a sign in the forecourt. Clearly there is insufficient correlation between golf fans and those with a tendency to tinkle the ivories (or similar) for the business to remain open.

Masters mania is not for everyone. This feels a pity; almost nine months since the last putt dropped on the final major of 2025 and 27 weeks on from the Ryder Cup rumpus of Bethpage, golf is back at the forefront of the sporting world. Another date reference is significant. This Masters, the 90th edition, will be the first since 1994 without either one or both of Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson on the draw sheet. Rather than cause for a golfing lament, this provides opportunity. The post-Tiger world need not be as scary a place as so many seem to believe.

Mickelson announced last week he would not compete at Augusta because of a family health matter. He was second at the Masters as recently as 2023, two years after his jaw-dropping victory at the US PGA. While little more is known about Mickelson’s situation, Woods has been subject to analysis the world over after his latest brush with law enforcement when behind the wheel of his car. Woods is thought to be undergoing treatment in Switzerland as he looks to introduce elements of normality to his life. Masters entrants typically shuffle uncomfortably when asked to assess Woods’s predicament. They can switch the storyline over four days inside the ropes.

Nothing in the recent history of Woods suggested he could have contended here had circumstances allowed him to enter. For all his short-game wizardry, Mickelson has endured miserable times in majors since 2023. The sands in this sport have shifted; towards Rory McIlroy, Scottie Scheffler, Jon Rahm, Bryson DeChambeau and others.

Firm, fast and fiery Masters are the finest. This week’s Georgia climate has set up precisely that. For the first time in years, no storm clouds will gather.

This major should be the easiest of the four to predict. Six amateurs are part of a field of 91. José María Olazábal, Vijay Singh, Ángel Cabrera, Mike Weir and Fred Couples are past champions who simply will not win. That no debutant has tasted victory at Augusta since 1979 points heavily towards experience.

McIlroy, Rahm and DeChambeau are the three most fascinating names in the competition. Nothing McIlroy can do in golf in the future will match what transpired at Augusta 12 months ago when the career grand slam was added to his CV. A storied career reached its highest point in extraordinary circumstances. McIlroy’s competitive spirit and professional ambitions mean he has desire to do more. Whether 2026 McIlroy, unburdened and free, is more menacing than ever at the Masters is intriguing.

That DeChambeau reached the final round alongside McIlroy illustrated the American has at least come close to solving the Augusta conundrum. Watching DeChambeau attempt to bludgeon this venue into submission is entertaining. His form on the LIV tour this year – he has won twice – is worthy of attention. So, too, was a 2025 record of top-10 placings in three of the four majors.

Another LIV convert, Rahm, stands out as the Masters favourite. The Spaniard’s touch on the Saudi Arabia-backed circuit is similar to that of DeChambeau. More pertinent is Rahm’s point to prove in elite company. His continuing dispute with the DP World Tour over sanctions for LIV participation places his Ryder Cup position at risk. Should Rahm claim a second Masters, in his own mind he will have demonstrated that Europe cannot possibly do without him at Adare Manor in September next year. The 31-year-old carrying this fierce level of motivation is a dangerous animal.

Others are due huge respect. Scheffler has looked out of sorts this year so far amid swing-fiddling and a failure to find a reliable new driver. It would, however, be folly to ignore a golfer of such dominance at the summit of the world rankings, who won two Masters in three attempts from 2022. A lot can be gleaned from Scheffler’s Thursday, given poor opening rounds have harmed him this year.

Patrick Reed and Xander Schauffele look poised for strong challenges. So, too, does Robert MacIntyre. Justin Rose’s brush with glory last year, when McIlroy inched him aside in a playoff, showed the Englishman remains hugely capable of adding to his single major victory. The conditions will suit Rose’s compatriot Matt Fitzpatrick.

“Players arrive here each April with the goal of leaving on Masters Sunday wearing a Green Jacket,” said Augusta’s chair, Fred Ridley. “Our goal is to provide all players with the level of attention, care and hospitality that is best in class in golf and all of sports.” Augusta has erected a lavish, multimillion-dollar player services building behind the driving range to this very end. Think locker room on steroids. Even for a tournament with such history, the tune being played is one of new beginnings.