What to watch for as the Masters begins in Georgia

 AUGUSTA, Ga. (AP) — From the renegade LIV tour to Scottie Scheffler’s bid for a second straight green jacket to an elongated 13th hole, golf’s first major of the year provides its usual abundance of compelling storylines.

Oh, and let’s not forget Tiger Woods.

Welcome to the Masters, where the golf year really gets started on Thursday amid the blooming azaleas and towering pines of Augusta National Golf Club.

Here are some things to watch for over the next four days:

Super Bowl of golf

The Masters marks the biggest showdown yet between the established PGA Tour and brash challenger LIV.

While there were no outward signs of hostility during the practice rounds and champions dinner, the rivalry between those players who stuck with the PGA and those who chose the generational wealth doled out by LIV’s Saudi backers is unavoidable.

All eyes will be on the scoreboard to see how LIV’s 18 entrants are faring against the rest of the field.

If one of them claimed the green jacket, it would undoubtedly draw comparisons to the New York Jets beating the Baltimore Colts in the third Super Bowl — an astounding result that put the neophyte American Football League on equal footing with the NFL.

Golf is an individual game, of course, but so many harsh words have been exchanged over the past year that it’s impossible to ignore the significance of the Masters to both tours.

“I’d love to see one of us guys get up to the top of the leaderboard and really give it a nice shot,” said Cameron Smith, the reigning British Open champion who defected to LIV.

Big three

Only three players have repeated as Masters champions: Jack Nicklaus, Nick Faldo and Woods.

Scheffler seems primed to make a run at joining that illustrious trio, coming in as the world’s top-ranked player, with two victories and nine straight finishes inside the top 12.

“Just because you’re defending doesn’t mean I get to start at 1-under,” he said. “I’ll be approaching it just like I do a lot of other tournaments.”

Scheffler figures to get a stiff challenge from Rory McIlroy and perhaps Jon Rahm, the next two guys in the world rankings.

Those three dominated the first quarter of the year.