2021 Masters predictions, picks, favorites: One of these nine golfers will win at Augusta National

The field is 88 men wide, but we have (surely!) narrowed it down to who actually has a shot at the green jacket

AUGUSTA, Ga. -- By the time the first round of the Masters rolls around, it seems as if there are only a handful of golfers who can actually win the tournament. It becomes abundantly clear that only great players from tee to green with a lot of experience who are coming in on good form have any chance of wearing green on Sunday. And it sounds great ... until about the middle of the first round when everyone in that category is 3 over. Entering the 2021 Masters, I'm convinced only about four golfers are playing well enough to win it. This is obviously not true, but it certainly feels true at the moment with just hours to go before the ever-important top 10 is sorted out. And it feels more accurate than normal this year with an extraordinarily fast and firm Augusta National course set up to the test and simultaneously benefit the best in the world. The way the course looks and feels right now seemingly eliminates the vast majority of the field. Despite that, the time ahead of the Masters is spent discussing which golfers actually have a chance of winning the Masters. These calls may not have much staying power if there's a surprise atop the leaderboard after the first 18 holes, but in all likelihood, the winner of the 2021 Masters will certainly be one of the following nine players.