2024 Masters things to know: Is Tiger playing? Who's the betting favorite?

The first major of the year on the men's golf calendar will have fans from around the world focused on Augusta National Golf Course as the famous venue hosts the 88th Masters, with the tournament running from April 11-14.

Practice rounds begin Monday, April 8, with the Par 3 Contest set for Wednesday, the day before the first round begins.

Augusta is a place where legends are made and there are a number of players looking to leave their mark in one of the most famous tournaments in the world.

Here are five things to watch as the 88th Masters approaches.

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2024 Masters:Tigers Woods is a massive underdog as golf world closes in on Augusta

Will Tiger tee it up at the 2024 Masters?

The Masters announced the 2024 field of players in late March, and Tiger Woods was on the list.

A winner of five green jackets, Woods most recent win at Augusta National came in an unforgettable performance at the age of 43 in 2019.

But Woods hasn't been on the course much lately. His only appearance this year was at the Genesis Open in February, when he withdrew from the tournament in the second round.

Woods had ankle surgery and played in just two tournaments in 2023, including the Masters, where he made his 25th appearance and made the cut. But a flare up of plantar fasciitis forced him to withdraw.

If he is able to play, Woods is a good bet to be in the hunt. His only missed cut at Augusta National came in 1996, when he played for the second time as an amateur.

Who's in?:Is Tiger Woods playing in the 2024 Masters? Entry list updates entering golf's first major

LIV contingent expected to come on strong

Last year there were 18 players from LIV Golf in the Masters field as Spain's Jon Rahm won his first green jacket and took home $3,240,000 in prize money.

Rahm added to his bank account when he joined LIV in December.

That means there are four LIV golfers who finished in the top four in the 2023 Masters and are scheduled to play this year. Phil Mickelson, whose fourth-round 65 helped him shoot up the leaderboard into a tie for second, will be back for his 31st Masters, looking to don his fourth green jacket.

Brooks Koepka also tied for second last year after leading going into the final round, and the 33-year old would like nothing better than to add to his trophy case, which includes five majors: three PGA Championship titles and a pair of U.S. Open titles.

Patrick Reed, the former Augusta State star, tied for fourth last year. The 33-year-old has one major, at Augusta National in 2018, when he edged Rickie Fowler by a stroke.

Rickie Fowler returns to the Masters

That second-place finish was the best showing in 10 appearances at Augusta National for Fowler, the former Oklahoma State star who has been a fan favorite since his first visit in 2011.

Fowler, 35, is back in the Masters for the first time since 2020. His game is suited to Augusta National with five top-12 finishes on his resume.

Last July, the colorful native of Southern California won his first tournament since 2019 when he edged Colin Morikawa and Adam Hadwin to win the Rocket Mortgage Classic. He had fallen out of the top 150 in the world ranking, but is back up to No. 33 after eight top-10 finishes in 26 starts last season.

Scottie Scheffler is the betting favorite for the Masters

World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler is living up to his ranking as a dominant force on tour -- and the bookmakers have taken notice.

Scheffler won his first, and so far only, major when he took the green jacket at the 2022 Masters.

After going back-to-back with wins at the Arnold Palmer Invitational and then the Players Championship the next week in March, Scheffler has eight PGA Tour wins.

At Bet MGM heading into the Valero Texas Open in San Antonio, Scheffler was the betting favorite at +400. Rahm and Rory McIlroy are second favorites at +1100.

Can Rory McIlroy break through to win the Grand Slam?

The 34-year old from Northern Ireland is No. 2 in the world rankings and won the Hero Dubai Desert Classic and the Scottish Open last year.

This is the 16th appearance at Augusta for McIlroy, who is known for his struggles at the Masters, especially in 2011 when a back-nine breakdown on Sunday dropped him from the top of the leaderboard as he carded an 80 and finished in a tie for 15th.

But McIlory has had his share of success at the Masters with seven top-10 finishes. In 2022, he fired a 64 on Sunday for his best career round at Augusta and had his best finish at solo second, three shots behind Scheffler.

The four-time major winner won his first at the 2011 U.S. Open. He has won PGA Championships in 2012 and 2014, the same year he won the Open Championship at Royal Liverpool.

It would be storybook way to become the first career Grand Slam winner since Tiger Woods, when he won the Open Championship in 2000.

The other winners of the career Grand Slam in the modern era are Jack Nicklaus, Ben Hogan, Gary Player and Gene Sarazen. Bobby Jones won the original career Grand Slam which included the U.S. Amateur and British Amateur titles, along with the U.S. Open and Open Championship.

Dennis Knight covers sports for the Savannah Morning News. Contact him at Dknight@gannett.com. Twitter: @DennisKnightSMN