Welcome to Masters week.  The best players in the world and legends of past generations have arrived at Augusta National for the 86th playing of “A Tradition Unlike Any Other.” Our coverage this week starts with pool picks for your classic office pool.

How this works: I’ll select one player from each tier of 10 inside the Official World Golf Rankings top 50. We’ll also select a wildcard outside the top 50.

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The storylines this week on and off the golf course are unprecedented.

• On the course, Rory McIlroy is looking to achieve the career grand slam. Yes, we’ve been down this road before. Rory is playing exceptional golf at the moment and is clearly one of the favorites.
• World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler hasn’t taken his foot off the gas since winning here last season. Can he win back-to-back titles? He’s playing better golf in the runup to the Masters than he was last year.
• The Jordan Spieth rollercoaster has been as wild as ever lately, and this golf course tends to have a flair for the dramatic. Buckle up and keep your hands inside the golf cart.
• The LIV golf stars will appear out of the shadows and share the stage with their former PGA Tour colleagues. What should we expect from Dustin Johnson, Cam Smith, Brooks Koepka, Joaquin Niemann, Phil Mickelson and Bryson DeChambeau?

It’s the PGA Tour vs. LIV at a major championship venue for the first time. Now … to the picks:

Tier 1 (1-10) | Rory McIlroy

Nine months ago Rory McIlroy fired a final round 70 at St. Andrew’s and finished third at the 150th Open Championship. It was supposed to be his crowning achievement—a suitable champion for a once-in-a-lifetime event.

Instead, it was Cam Smith’s first major championship, who then bolted for LIV golf, rubbing salt in Rory’s wound.

This week, even more is at stake. The career grand slam is so close that McIlroy must be imagining himself wearing the famous green jacket Sunday night on the 18th green. This is where he would cement himself as a legend of the game joining the likes of Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan, Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods.

His game is in phenomenal shape, and recent equipment changes have re-invigorated McIlroy. On the putting surface, Rory is wielding a new Scotty Cameron custom blade putter after using a mallet-style flat stick for many years. This type of adjustment can kickstart a run of good form. At the WGC Dell Match Play, the putter’s debut helped Rory reach the semifinals.

Off-the-tee, Rory is unstoppable. I would go as far to say Rory’s driver swing is the most iconic move in golf since Ben Hogan.

Iron play at Augusta is all about the experience. Thursday will be McIlroy’s 53rd competition round on these famous grounds. He’ll know how to attack the greens with scoring clubs into most holes thanks to his distance off-the-tee.

You can also expect him to be in the go zone on par 5s.

Tier 2 (11-20) | Cameron Young

Over the last year while there has been a ton of focus on players like Brooks Koepka, Cam Smith and Phil Mickelson leaving the PGA Tour for LIV, Cameron Young has quietly become one of the best players in the world.

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After graduating from the Korn Ferry Tour, Young was ranked 167th  in the world. His ascension to 14th after just one season on the PGA Tour underscores the American’s meteoric rise.

Like Rory, Young is a bomber off the tee. He’ll use this area of expertise to separate himself from most of the field.

Young also has the temperament to meet an occasion like this one. When paired with Cam Smith in that final round last year at St. Andrew’s he eagled the final hole to jump McIlroy into solo second.

Young is a silent assassin on the golf course. He’s the total opposite of a player like Jordan Spieth who wears his emotions on his sleeve. I think that works here at Augusta National where every shot over four days of play is a grind.

Young also has recently made a change on the greens. He’s using a different putting grip this season and it seems to be working for him well.

Tier 3 (21-30) | Hideki Matsuyama

Two years removed from becoming the first Asian-born player to win the Masters, Hideki Matsuyama returns to Augusta in good form.

The 31-year-old’s career really hasn’t exploded like some thought it would after winning the green jacket. Since that remarkable triumph, his only wins are at the Sony Open and ZOZO Championship. That’s why Matsuyama finds himself in this category ranked No. 21 in the world.

At The Players Championship last month it seemed like Hideki may have found some form. He gained a total of 9.3 strokes total vs. the field and finished in fifth.

I love that he’s playing the Texas Open as a warm-up event. This is an opportunity to build some confidence so he can drive down Magnolia Lane on Monday thinking about another championship.

The putter is also working. In Matsuyama’s last five tournaments, he’s gained strokes putting vs. the field. What was once an Achilles’ heel should now be considered a solid part of his game.

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I also don’t want to rule out the experience factor. Matsuyama has made 10 cuts in 11 appearances adding up to a total of 42 rounds played. That’s really impressive for someone who is only 31.

Tier 4 (31-40) | Jason Day

If you’re paying attention you know that Jason Day is one of the best players in the world right now. No, this isn’t 2016 when Day was ranked world No. 1, but it’s close.

In six tournaments this calendar year, the Australian hasn’t finished outside the top 20. He has four top 10 finishes in that span as well. To put his play into even more perspective, at this time last year Day wasn’t playing in the Masters because he was ranked 118th in the world.

The strokes-gained stats are also off the charts. Versus the field, in his last 24 starts, Day ranks first in SG: short game, first in SG: putting and fifth in SG: around-the-green. This skill set is invaluable at Augusta National.

The tee-to-green game is there as well for Day. He ranks 13th in that category. Day ranks third in strokes-gained total only behind Jon Rahm and Scottie Scheffler.

Tier 5 (41-50) | Keith Mitchell

University of Georgia All-American in 2012 Keith Mitchell is playing in the Masters for the second time in his career thanks to a top 50 OWGR. In 2019, Mitchell made the field after his only PGA Tour win at the Honda Classic.

Mitchell’s game is suited for Augusta National’s course setup, and his ability to make the cut and finish T43 in his first appearance is proof of that.

Like Rory McIlroy and Cameron Young, Mitchell’s strength comes off the tee. He hits for power without sacrificing accuracy and ranks third in shots gained OTT vs. the field in his last 50 rounds. The only two players better in that category are Scheffler and, funny enough, DeChambeau.

I selected a 50 round comparison here to highlight the fact that Mitchell consistently hits his driver as good as anyone on tour.

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Rest of the Field | Dustin Johnson (No. 68)

In betting terms, Dustin Johnson at No. 68 in the World, is incredible value. The Masters history speaks for itself with Johnson and his 2020 victory. In five of his last seven appearances, DJ has finished inside the top 10. In 2022, Johnson finished T12.

What is the state of his game? That’s the risk here. We will find out this weekend if LIV Golf has kept DJ in competitive form. I’m counting on his pure talent to push him into the weekend.

Another thing to consider is motivation.

Like it or not, LIV golfers have something to prove.

Later this week on The Athletic…

• On Tuesday, Dennis Esser will release his best bets, sleepers and daily fantasy golf breakdown for the entire tournament. I use his daily fantasy breakdown to look for great prop bets in the top 20 and top 10 market.
• On the eve of tournament play I’ll release my tournament matchup picks and some props.
• Brendan Quinn and Brody Miller are on site with news coverage and storytelling.

Cheers and good luck! I look forward to chatting in the comments.

(Top photo of Cameron Young: Harry How / Getty Images; photo of Hideki Matsuyama: Jamie Squire / Getty Images)