Aussies at The Masters: Leishman to play with Tiger Woods

05/04/2018

By PGA of Australia.

Four Australians will tee it up at Augusta National this week in pursuit of the famed Green Jacket awarded to the champion of The Masters Tournament.

Jason Day is the only Australian winner on the PGA TOUR so far this season emerging victorious in a marathon playoff over Swede Alex Noren at the Farmers Insurance Open, the Queenslander’s first event of the year.

He followed the win with another strong performance quickly, a runner-up finish at the AT&T Pebble Beach tournament, reminding us all of the blistering 2015/2016 form he is capable of.

Marc Leishman enjoyed a standout year in 2017, winning the Arnold Palmer Invitational and BMW Championship on the PGA TOUR among a string of high finishes, leading him to be named the Greg Norman Medallist in November.

Of the four confirmed for The Masters, Leishman and Cameron Smith have the most golf under their belts so far this season having each teed it up in eight tournaments to date.

Leishman finished inside the top-10 in three of those tournaments, T7 in the Sentry Tournament of Champions, T8 in the Farmers Insurance Open and another T7 finish while defending his Arnold Palmer Invitational title.

The 2017 Australian PGA Championship winner Cameron Smith makes his second appearance at Augusta after sealing his place in the field courtesy of being inside the top-50 on the Official World Golf Ranking. A sterling performance to reach the quarter finals in the WGC – Dell Technologies Match Play Championship cementing his spot in the first Major of the year.

Adam Scott has had a mixed bag of results in the early part of 2018, two top-20 finishes combined with a missed cut, a T41 and T53 position in his first five events of the year.

However the 2013 Masters Champion has made no secret of the fact his focus is largely on the four Majors of the season; he was the highest finishing Australian last year, finishing T9.

Round One Tee Times (Augusta National time, AEST)

Thur 10:42am, Fri 12:42am – Marc Leishman, Tiger Woods, Tommy Fleetwood

Thur 11:04am, Fri 1:04am – Jason Day, Bubba Watson, Henrik Stenson

Thur 11:26am, Fri 1:26am – Cameron Smith, Billy Horschel, Chez Reavie

Thur 1:38pm, Fri 3:38am – Adam Scott, Rory McIlroy, Jon Rahm

Jason Day:
World ranking: 11

Number of tournaments played this year: 4 (PGA TOUR)

Best finish this year: 1st Farmers Insurance Open

Last victory: 28 January 2018 (officially completed 29 January in a playoff) – Farmers Insurance Open – PGA TOUR

How he got in the field: Winning the PGA Championship in 2015

Record at The Masters:
2011       –              T2
2012       –              WD
2013       –              3
2014       –              T20
2015       –              T28
2016       –              T10
2017 – T22

Marc Leishman:
World ranking: 16

Number of tournaments played this year: 8 (PGA TOUR)

Best finish this year: T7 Sentry Tournament of Champions and Arnold Palmer Invitational

Last victory: 17^th September 2017 – BMW Championship – PGA TOUR

How he got in the field: winning the BMW Championship

Record at The Masters:
2010       –              MC
2011       –              DNP
2012       –              DNP
2013       –              T4
2014       –              MC
2015       –              DNP
2016       –              MC
2017 – T43

Cameron Smith:
World ranking: 45

Number of tournaments played this year: 8 (PGA TOUR)

Best finish this year: T5 WGC Dell Technologies Match Play

Last victory: 3^rd December 2017 – Australian PGA Championship – ISPS HANDA PGA Tour of Australasia, European Tour

How he got in the field: Inside the top-50 Official World Ranking in the week prior to The Masters tournament

Record at The Masters:
2016 – T55
2017 – DNP

Adam Scott:
World ranking: 60

Number of tournaments played this year: 5 (PGA TOUR)

Best finish this year: T13 The Honda Classic

Last victory: 6^th March 2016 – WGC – Cadillac Championship

How he got in the field: As the 2013 Champion, he now has a lifetime invitation

Record at The Masters:
2002       –              T9
2003       –              T23
2004       –              MC
2005       –              T33
2006       –              T27
2007       –              T27
2008       –              T25
2009       –              MC
2010       –              T18
2011       –              T2
2012       –              T8
2013       –              1
2014       –              T14
2015       –              T38
2016       –              T42
2017 – T9