Opinion & Analysis
Masters 2020 staff picks
Who will win the 2020 Masters? Who knows! But we at GolfWRX are as happy as anyone else to offer our prognostications.
If you want to see what a professional statistician is saying, check out Richie Hunt’s “The 21 players who can win the Masters,” but if you’d like Masters picks from the rest of us lunatics, read on!
Richard Audi: Owner, GolfWRX
Win: Bryson DeChambeau: “The Masters is his to lose. BAD is a modern-day cannon.”
Place: Dustin Johnson: “DJ has nerves of steel and the distance to separate him from the field.”
Show: Patrick Reed: “because he’s Reed…been there, done that, and he performs well under pressure.”
Ryan Barath: Host of “On Spec”
Win: Tyrrell Hatton: “Been playing well, and difficult colder conditions don’t bother him, he proved that by winning the European PGA.”
Place: Hideki Matsuyama: “He’s coming in hot with a near win in Houston and to be honest being near the top is much better than winning the week before. The putter is always the issue with him but with how well he strikes it, he will get lots of chances.”
Show: Bryson Dechambeau: “He will be close to the lead all week but he won’t ever put himself into contention caused by one or two big mistakes.”
Johnny Wunder: Host of “The Gear Dive”
Win: Tommy Fleetwood: “He’s due to win a major. Ball striking been there but Putter has not. Hear whispers that part is sorted.”
Place: Tiger Woods: “The cold and length actually play into his hands, scores will be higher and I think if he can get to Saturday with 3 or 4 of the leaders it will get very interesting.”
Show: Jimmy Walker: “JW is finally healthy and it’s a good track for him. I definitely see a Top 10 here. Augusta isn’t super penalizing off the tee which has been the thorn in his side. I think he squares it away this week.”
Brian “BK” Knudson: Host of “TG2”
Win: Rory McIlroy: “It is his time. The demons are locked away and he will go out and use his length off the tee to set up aggressive approach shots. Putter might even catch a little fire.”
Place: Justin Thomas: “I don’t know if there is a player with more passion chasing that Green Jacket. One of the few who doesn’t have a real weakness in his game and even enough power to keep up with the big guns.”
Show: Adam Scott: “The 2013 Champion hasn’t missed the cut at The Masters since 2009 and his swing is the definition of perfection. If the putter can get warm he will be in the mix on Sunday.”
Gianni Magliocco, Assistant Editor
Win: Bubba Watson: “Bubba has been striping it lately. Over his previous 12 rounds, the left-hander ranks first in this week’s field for Strokes Gained: Approach, Tee to Green and Ball Striking. At a course tailor-made for his game, it’s time for Bubba to notch green jacket number three.”
Place: DJ: “In blistering form and is trending at the venue. Sure to feature.”
Show: Adam Scott: “Perfect game for Augusta and last week had his best iron performance since his win at Riviera earlier this year. However, his putting will let him down.”
Ben Alberstadt: Editor-in-Chief
Win: Jon Rahm: “Something of a forgotten man in the lead up to November Masters (which is odd, considering he’s the No. 2 golfer in the world) Rahm has the tools—from soaring ball flight to mastery around the greens—to get it done this week.”
Place: Hideki Matsuyama: “I fear the Japanese standout may never break through and win a major, but he’s shown a penchant for ANGC from his first playing and is in form after a near-win in Houston last week. Matsuyama should spend plenty of time on the first page of the leaderboard this week.”
Show: Bubba Watson. “In a better place mentally, I see Watson playing well at course he loves and has a pretty decent track record at…”
Opinion & Analysis
AVL: My U.S. Amateur local qualifying experience
This past Monday, I played in the U.S. Amateur local qualifier at Rock Creek Country Club in Portland, Oregon. A full tee sheet from 7:30 a.m. to 1:55 p.m., the top 11 scores would make it to the U.S. Amateur final qualifying.
I teed off at 10:48 a.m.. With the 7:30 am tee time, you can get a feel for the leaders’ pace, and they were off and running on the challenging setup at Rock Creek.
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Getting to the highlight of the round on the par five 17th, a drive up the left side and 212 yards left to the front hole location. I took out a 5-iron with plans of middle of the green. The ball ended up 8 feet left of the hole, pin high. A slight downhill putt dropped in for an eagle 3 on the 17th. With the cut line looking to be anywhere from -2 to even par. This was the boost I had been waiting for all day.
With making par from the trees on 18, it was time to wait for a potential playoff with a posted score of one under par 71.
Three hours later, it was playoff time. 8 players for 6 spots. I made par on the playoff hole, which was good enough to advance to the U.S. Amateur final qualifying in July. USGA qualifiers sure deliver on all of the emotions in golf!
Club Junkie
Building my 2026 gamer WITB: Ranking the contenders and new putter projects – Club Junkie Podcast
The annual What’s In The Bag build is underway, and on this episode of Club Junkie, Brian breaks down the clubs currently leading the race for a spot in his 2026 gamer setup. From drivers and fairway woods to irons, wedges, and shafts, he ranks the equipment that’s performing best and explains what’s separating the front runners from the rest of the field.
Brian also heads into the workshop to discuss several putter projects currently on the bench. From head options and shaft choices to build ideas and testing plans, he shares what he’s working on and which putters could become serious contenders for the bag this season.
If you’re a gear junkie who loves equipment testing, club building, and the never-ending pursuit of the perfect setup, this episode is for you.
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Club Junkie
Tour Edge Exotics mini driver review + TaylorMade Spider ZT Max first look – Club Junkie
On this episode of Club Junkie, I put the new Tour Edge Exotics Mini Driver to the test and break down the performance, forgiveness, distance, and where it fits compared to a traditional driver or strong fairway wood. If you have been curious about adding a mini driver to the bag, this one is worth a look.
I also dive into the new TaylorMade Spider ZT Max putter that was recently spotted and discuss the growing zero torque putter trend. Plus, there is a closer look at the new Project X Titan Yellow shaft showing up on the PGA Tour and what makes it different from other profiles currently out there.
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