The surest sign of spring in Canada is the Masters on the schedule. It’s inching ever closer with each passing day.

And this year should be considered an extra special one for fans of the Red-and-White.

The 87th edition of the first major of the year marks the 20th anniversary of Mike Weir’s Green Jacket triumph. Not only that, but there are four Canadians in the field once again for 2023 – and a chance for five, which would be the most ever – Corey Conners, Mackenzie Hughes, and Adam Svensson.

Weir, of course, received a lifetime exemption in the Masters thanks to his win two decades ago. On a wet Augusta National, Weir used his deft short-game touch to get to 7 under for the week.

The start of the first round that year was delayed until Friday due to heavy rain, while the cut came Saturday morning. Weir was four shots back after the first round but ended up with a four-shot lead after 36 holes. He struggled in the third round, shooting a 75, and was two shots back heading into Sunday. Mattiace fired an impressive 7-under 65 while Weir had a gutsy 4-under 68 of his own. The Canadian would go on to defeat Mattiace on the first playoff hole.

Conners, meanwhile, has been trending impressively over the last few seasons at the Masters. He finished tied for 10th at the COVID-19 impacted edition in 2020 and backed that up with a tie for 8th the following year. That Masters included an ace for Conners in the third round.

The native of Listowel, Ont. kept the momentum going last year, finishing tied for sixth in 2022. That was his best-career major championship result.

“I think every part of my game was working this week,” Conners said after Sunday’s final round a year ago. “I’ve learned a lot each of the last few years and certainly a lot this year. Hopefully I can use (that) to benefit me in the future and keep playing well here.”

Hughes, meanwhile, will return to the Masters for the third year in a row thanks to winning the Sanderson Farms Championship last fall – his second PGA Tour title. Hughes has had a mixed-bag of results at major championships in his career, but this will be his fourth trip around Augusta National and he’s gotten more and more comfortable as the years have gone on.

Of note on Hughes: He won the Par-3 Contest last year in his debut. The Par-3 Contest was cancelled in 2017, his Masters debut, due to weather, and then it was not contested in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“This is a very special day for me,” Hughes said last year. “To have a family day like this before one of the biggest tournaments of the year is pretty cool.”

Last but not least the Canadian contingent is filled by Adam Svensson, who is making his Masters debut thanks to winning his maiden PGA Tour title at The RSM Classic in November.

“It’s been a dream of mine since I was 10 years old, 8 years old. It’s just incredible,” Svensson said of his win last year. “Obviously I’ll be into more events now; I’ll have more time at home to work on my game and prepare for obviously biggest events now so I’m excited.”

Svensson popped up to Augusta National Golf Club for his first trip around the storied layout the Monday after The Players Championship earlier in March (he played it the same day Rory McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler were there. Scheffler, of course, is the defending champion – and came up to Georgia fresh off his Players Championship win), calling the course “incredible.”

So, whether it’s a first-timer like Svensson, and more-experienced competitor in Hughes, a threat-to-contend in Conners, or Canada’s legendary Green Jacket winner returning for the 20th anniversary of his life-changing week, 2022 at the Masters is set to be a special one for Canadians.

And, one last thing, four might not be the final number.

Nick Taylor and Adam Hadwin both have a chance to earn their way into the Masters if they make it to the semi-finals of the World Golf Championships-Dell Technologies Match Play this week (one will have to beat the other if they both get out of Group play, however) via their spot in the world rankings. There will also be a handful of Canadians teeing it up at the Valero Texas Open as well, looking to become the final guy in the field if they win – something Conners did in 2019.

Four Canadians, for now, is a record. But stay tuned – it could get even better.

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