The Masters 2014 tournament is live from Augusta National on Thursday and the golf tournament is streaming online with first and second round coverage from the PGA Tour, ESPN and the main Masters website and while Tiger Woods is not playing, Adam Scott, Phil Mickelson and defending champ Adam Scott will all be looking to take advantage at the first PGA Tour major of the year.
Scott comes in after winning the Masters last year and he will be in a group with Jason Dufner and that will be one to watch for the first go around in the tournament, as Scott is motivated to win again after taking the major last year. Tiger Woods is out of the action after dealing with back surgery and now this is the first time he is missing the event in 20 years and that is a big hit for him and the TV networks as well. The tour needs Tiger to win another major and now we know this will not be the one he gets and while he expressed disappointment at missing the event, he is hoping to return in time for the British Open later in the season.
Woods has his number one spot in the rankings now, but that could change if someone wins the tournament this week and three players are in position to do it, including the defending champ in Adam Scott, while Henrik Stenson and Jason Day at three and four are also in the mix to move up and that would be another big hit for Woods after he also missed the tournament. Scott already had a chance to get to number one and he missed out while playing at Bay Hill and he could end up in the top spot if he finishes in a two way tie for third at least. Stenson needs a tie for second at least and that would make him the first number one Swede, while Day would have to win to get his chance to move up.
Woods is out of the tournament due to back surgery and anyone watching Woods earlier this year realized that something was wrong, as he had one of the worst starts to his career and that put him in position to get the surgery and miss the Masters. Woods flamed out at the Farmers Insurance Open, struggled in Dubai and eventually pulled out of the Honda Classic and then missed the Arnold Palmer Invitational and that is when he decided on surgery. Woods won three times ahead of the Masters last season and five times on tour as he took back his number one ranking, now he could lose that and the chance to get his first major since winning the US Open back in 2008.
Check here for the Masters PGA Tour golf coverage live from Augusta National.