Top storylines to watch at the 86th Masters

The tradition unlike any other is back as the golf world makes its annual pilgrimage to the historic Augusta National for the 86th Masters.

The conditions look excellent for the season's first major, with 90 players set to tee off Thursday in pursuit of the iconic green jacket.

Here are the five biggest storylines to watch heading into play.

Tiger's return

It seemed unthinkable just a couple weeks ago, but Tiger Woods expects to make his return to professional golf with a stunning appearance at the Masters.

Just 14 months ago, the injuries the five-time winner suffered in a horrific car accident had doctors considering a leg amputation. Even through his dogged rehab and a brilliant appearance alongside son Charlie in the PNC Championship, Woods maintained that he was still a long way from a return to the PGA TOUR.

That timeline changed after his private jet made a trip to Augusta for a practice round last week, which sent Twitter into a flight-tracking frenzy. Woods' name remained on the entrants list as Friday's deadline came and went, and the 46-year-old announced Sunday that he would be a "game-time decision."

The images and video from Augusta did nothing to quell expectations that he will play come Thursday, and Woods essentially confirmed the news Tuesday saying 'as of right now, I feel like I am going to play.'

So what can we expect from his performance if he does hit the course? It seems insane to think he'd be a contender after not playing since the fall Masters in 2020, but Woods has repeatedly proven what happens when you count him out.

After all, this is what the final six holes of official action on the PGA TOUR looked like the last time Woods teed it up.

Spieth searching for Augusta magic

There's been no better player at Augusta National over the last eight years than Jordan Spieth. The 2015 champion has an outrageous five top-3 finishes in his first eight starts at the Masters, tying Arnold Palmer for most all-time. Spieth has actually made an astonishing $2,311.50 per shot at Augusta since 2012, according to Golf Digest's Christopher Powers - by far the most of any player who has at least two starts.

While that record is nothing to sneer at, it's actually shocking that Spieth has just one green jacket, given the number of times he's had a chance to win - including his well-documented back-nine Sunday collapse in 2016. He also likely would have claimed the win last year if he putted anywhere close to his usual average. As the Twenty First Group's Justin Ray noted, Spieth led the field in strokes gained: tee to green last year but ranked a distant 51st in putting en route to a third-place finish.

Spieth comes to Augusta wobbling slightly, with zero top-25 finishes in his last five starts, but he has shown in the past that his form can magically appear as he heads down Magnolia Lane. We'll be watching closely this week to see whether that happens yet again in 2022.

Rory's endless quest for career grand slam

Another Masters, another week of questions about whether Rory McIlroy will finally win the career grand slam.

McIlroy burst onto the scene and had four major wins by the end of the 2014 season, with the green jacket the only one missing from his trophy case. This will be the 32-year-old's eighth chance to join Woods, Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player, Ben Hogan, and Gene Sarazen as the only men to accomplish the feat.

With six top-10 finishes in his last eight trips to Augusta, McIlroy has certainly had his opportunities, but he's not coming to the event in peak form this time around. Since winning the CJ Cup in October, The Ulsterman has just one top-10 finish in five PGA TOUR events and comes to Georgia fresh off a missed cut at the Texas Open.

But McIlroy's continued struggles at Augusta with his approach game - long thought to be the most important statistic at the historic course - may be the biggest concern.

What is Bryson going to do?

Just 17 months ago, Bryson DeChambeau dropped this incredible quote when discussing Augusta National ahead of 2020's fall Masters.

"I'm looking at it as a par 67 for me because I can reach all the par 5s in two, no problem," the long-hitting Californian golfer said, according to ESPN's Jeremy Willis. "If the conditions stay the way they are, that's what I feel like par is for me."

Since that comment came out, DeChambeau has played eight rounds at Augusta National and has yet to break that par 67 number he set for himself. Six of those rounds have been in the 70s as he's finished 34th and 46th in his last two Masters.

It doesn't seem like DeChambeau will be getting in under that 67 number this time around either, with the 27-year-old landing in Georgia with a torn left labrum in his hip and a hairline fracture in his left hand. He'll be battling it out against doctor's orders, but the ailment has limited his performance since he returned at the WGC-Match Play a couple weeks ago.

Scottie as No. 1

Life comes at you fast sometimes, even in a sport that's certainly not used to a fast pace.

Scottie Scheffler came to the Masters last year ranked 22nd in the world without yet posting a win on TOUR. The Texas resident arrives at Augusta National this time around with three victories under his belt and as the newly minted World No. 1.

The 25-year-old rose to the top of the golfing world with his recent win at the WGC-Match Play, and he's making his first start as the world's top-ranked player after sitting out last week's Texas Open.

Scheffler is also primed to bring that success over to the big stage with a remarkable four top-10 showings in his last five starts.