The top storylines heading into the 2019 Masters

There are 87 golfers in this year's Masters field. It's small compared to most years but actually the same size as in 2018. And the event certainly has plenty of star power at Augusta National this week. All the big names are there, as the golf world prepares for the first major of 2019.

As if Augusta National isn't daunting enough, to most golfers the par-4 fifth hole had an extra 40 yards added to it, over the summer, making it a 495-yard challenge. With the tee box moved back, the premium will be placed on the second shot at the hole known as "Magnolia." Even before the change, No. 5 traditionally played as one of the toughest holes on the course.

Weather is always a concern at the Masters, considering it's played in April when the skies can seemingly open up at will. For the second day in a row Tuesday, practice rounds were suspended due to poor weather. The good news: The forecast calls for clear skies and relatively mild temps for the first three rounds of the tournament. Sunday's final round, however, looks dicey with a chance for thunderstorms.  

As always the case, there is plenty of great foreign talent in the Masters field. And if history is any indication, there's a good chance the 2019 winner will have been born outside the United States. It's been an every decade thing of late. In 2009, Argentina's Angel Cabrera won the Masters, Jose Maria Olazabal of Spain donned the green jacket in 1999 and England's Nick Faldo won his first of two straight in 1989.

It's always fun to look at the past champions in the field, especially from way back, to see who might have a chance to make some noise. There's been a lot of buzz surrounding 1992 winner Fred Couples and whether this might be his last go-around at Augusta. The 59-year-old Couples said earlier this week that he wants to keep playing in the Masters. So there's the answer. He's finished in the top 20 in six of his last eight starts at Augusta.

Figuring out who will be low amateur at the Masters is always a fun challenge. There is certainly plenty of talent to choose from, beginning with 2018 U.S. Amateur champ Viktor Hovland from Norway. Devon Bling, runner-up from that event, is also in the field, along with 2018 U.S. Mid Amateur winner Kevin O'Connell. So is South Africa's Jovan Rebula, who won last year's British Amateur title. 

Another interesting trend to follow this week is whether or not the 2019 Masters winner will also be a first-time major champion. That's been the case at each of the last four Masters, with Jordan Spieth (2015), Danny Willett (2016), Sergio Garcia (2017) and Patrick Reed (2018) all claiming their first major championship at the famed Augusta National track.

It would seem there is a good chance that streak of first-time major winners being crowned at Augusta will continue. Could Tony Finau be the guy? He tied for 10th in his first Masters appearance during a breakout 2018 season that also featured top-10 finishes at the U.S. Open and Open Championship. He has only one top-10 thus far in 2018-19, but he's worth keeping an eye on.  

There are plenty of young U.S. stars seemingly primed to win their first major this weekend, one being 25-year-old Xander Schauffele. He's won twice already on the 2018-19 slate and is third on the PGA Tour Money List and in the FedEx Cup standings. Schauffele tied for 50th at the Masters in 2018, but there's plenty of reason to believe he'll fare much better this time.

Another 25-year old to keep an eye on is Bryson DeChambeau — not just to see which cap he'll wear or how long it takes him to address an approach shot or line up a putt. The quirky DeChambeau hasn't made much noise over the last couple of months, but his unique and somewhat compulsive approach to the game can be entertaining.

It's major time, so that means the focus shifts to Rickie Fowler. Now 30, the door for Fowler to finally earn that elusive major is not closing, but it's not wide open either. By all accounts Fowler is poised to do all he can to make 2019 the year that he gets the job done. Augusta would be a good place to do it, considering he came close with a second-place finish last year.

While Fowler remains the trendy pick to get the major monkey off his back, don't forget about fellow veteran Matt Kuchar. In fact, the soon-to-be 41-year-old Kuchar might have a better chance than Fowler at finally winning a major. Kuchar has won twice in 2018-19, was runner-up at the recent WGC Match Play event and tied for seventh at last week's Texas Open. Need more reason to like his chances? Kuchar placed within the top eight in four of the last seven Masters.

Looking for a dark horse? There are plenty to pick. A few names to remember: trendy sleeper Patrick Cantlay or surprise Texas Open winner Corey Conners. How about South Korean standout Si Woo Kim? Or Englishman Matthew Fitzpatrick, who tied for seventh at the 2016 Masters and just seems like someone who is capable of turning heads this week.

Koepka made it halfway to a career Grand Slam by winning the U.S. Open then outlasting Tiger Woods to claim the PGA Championship title last year. Would it be too much to ask for Koepka to capture the other two majors in 2019? Maybe, but he shouldn't be counted out. Not many golfers have the confidence that Koepka currently harbors when it comes to big-time events. 

Jordan Spieth's recent struggles with his game have been documented to the brink of exhaustion. But what can't be overlooked is that Augusta National is his happy place, and that should matter this week. In addition to his 2015 victory there, Spieth sandwiched that title with T2s at the Masters in 2014 and '16. Plus, his third-place finish in this tournament was the best at a major for him during the 2018 campaign. 

Justin Rose heads into the Masters atop the World Gold Ranking. But Dustin Johnson is close behind. Both are among the favorites at Augusta this weekend, so that should be fun to see which one of these two golf giants comes out ahead. Rose tied for second at the Masters in 2015 and was the lone runner-up in '17. Johnson has finished in the top 10 in each of his last three starts at Augusta.

One golfer not receiving much fanfare pre-Masters is defending champion Patrick Reed. Perhaps it's because he soured the golf world with his actions at the 2018 Ryder Cup or the fact he has just one top-10 finish on the 2018-19 schedule to date? Regardless, he'll try to become the first golfer since Tiger Woods (2001 and '02) to repeat as Masters champion.

With three victories (2004, '06, '10) at the Masters, Phil Mickelson feels right at home at Augusta National. However, he has not fared well there since tying for second in 2015, and last year he tied for 36. Nonetheless, Lefty is an intriguing prospect this week, mostly because his win at Pebble Beach earlier this year proved he might still be a consistent contender.

A Masters victory is all that stands between Rory McIlroy and a Grand Slam. That's easier said than done. But the signs seem to point to this being the year McIlroy, who enters this tournament as the betting favorite, joins that elite group of golfers to win all four majors. He's placed in the top 10 at Augusta in each of the last five years, won the PLAYERS Championship this year and placed no worse than a tie for ninth in his last seven PGA Tour events.

That's the question the entire golf world is asking this week. Woods' resurgence in 2018 has many believing he'll record his first major title since 2008 this year. He last won at Augusta in 2005, and he's tamed this course three other times so familiarity obviously won't be an issue. But, rather, does he have the overall game and stamina to seriously contend this weekend? We'll soon find out.