San Francisco Frontiers - Top players seek calmness with final work on eve of Masters

An elite field of 89 players, including 20 first-time Masters starters, made final preparations for the year's first major test at Augusta National.

"I feel like I've already got most of my prep work done," second-ranked McIlroy said. "It's just about going out there and being relaxed and being in the right frame of mind. And the more I can do that, the more I'll be able to execute on the golf course."

Third-ranked defending champion Rahm was enjoying good reviews for his Spanish-themed menu at Tuesday's Champions Dinner, where past Masters winners gathered to enjoy tales and good food.

"It's essentially just a bunch of normal men. It was really fun," Rahm said, noting of his speech, "I was so nervous I think I blacked out for a second."

Rahm, also the 2021 US Open winner, was a starstruck fan as he enjoyed legends sharing tales of his idol, the late Seve Ballesteros, on what would have been Seve's 67th birthday and what was the one-year anniversary of Rahm's Masters triumph.

"That was pretty incredible. That's something I'm going to cherish and look forward to next year," Rahm said. "I don't think anything I've experienced in golf comes close, maybe the Claret Jug (would), but I don't think anything compares to what I experienced in that room."

Rahm is among 13 players from the Saudi-backed LIV Golf League in the Masters field, having jumped from the PGA Tour last December.

Hoping to earn his own invitation to next year's Champions Dinner is McIlroy, a four-time major winner who would complete a career grand slam with a Masters triumph.

The 34-year-old from Northern Ireland will make his 10th attempt to join a select group that includes Tiger Woods, Jack Nicklaus, Gene Sarazen, Gary Player and Ben Hogan.

"If I cast my mind back to 18-year-old Rory and I'm driving down Magnolia Lane for the first time, how would I feel and I think, it's just always trying to go back to being grateful and feeling incredibly lucky that you can be a part of this tournament," McIlroy said.

"Thankfully, I've improved a bit since my first start here and I feel like I've got all the tools to do well this week.

"But to bring those tools out, I think one of the most important things is to enjoy it and smell the -- I guess not the roses -- the azaleas along the way."

- Calmness important -

The flower-laden course, built on the grounds of a former nursery, creates a surrounding unlike any other.

"The whole atmosphere of the tournament is very special in preparing for the Masters," said 13th-ranked Tommy Fleetwood of England.

"Preparation is very important. Being prepared will give you a huge element of calmness. That's very important going into the Masters.

"Your routines can be the same but the course demands a lot out of you. It's the Masters, the first major of the year. It's not like any other tournament."

Fleetwood, a seven-time DP World Tour champion, won most recently at January's Dubai Invitational. He has six top-five major finishes, including runner-up efforts at the 2018 US Open and 2019 Open Championship, but his best Masters result was a share of 14th in 2022.

Sweden's ninth-ranked Ludvig Aberg, on the eve of his major debut, had a Tuesday practice round with his 2023 European Ryder Cup teammate McIlroy.

"It was really cool. We spoke about the course a little bit. His experience here is remarkable," Aberg said. ""It demands a little more than a normal course. You've got to know where to hit the shots."

U.Campbell--SFF