TORONTO — It’s a tradition unlike any other, so despite the fact the Toronto Blue Jays have a full schedule ahead this weekend as they host the Boston Red Sox — the home opener on Friday followed by back-to-back afternoon games on Saturday and Sunday — players will be paying close attention to the Masters.
Second baseman Ryan Goins, who was practicing his putting in the clubhouse on Thursday (the floor breaks right to left from where he sits), pulled out a piece of paper to confirm his No. 1 pick.
“[Jason] Day, that’s who I got to win it,” he said.
Day is tied for 21st through the opening round of the Masters, after carding an even-par 72 on Thursday.
Goins is one of four Blue Jays — along with Darwin Barney, Justin Smoak and Josh Thole — who are part of a Masters pool, which also includes a couple other team staff members.
All pool participants pick nine players, and points are earned based on the money each golfer makes. A top pick is worth three times his money earned, the second and third picks are worth double their money earned, and the final six are worth exact money earned.
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Thole says he’ll be watching a lot of Masters coverage, especially on Sunday, but then he’s reminded he’s going to be busy that afternoon.
“That’s a good point, we do have a baseball game.”
His “sleeper” Masters pick is Brooks Koepka, but Thole went with all the favourites otherwise.
“That’s how you win this thing,” he said.
Here are his picks (he folded the master pool list because he called it “secret”):
Barney, on the other hand, offered up the whole list:
Smoak’s No. 1 pick of Bubba Watson is strategic.
“I’d like to pick [Jordon] Spieth, but there’s never been back-to-back winners at the Masters — even though he dominated on Day 1,” the first baseman said.
Spieth led by two strokes after the opening round.
Smoak says the Masters will be on in the clubhouse all weekend.
“And I got the Masters app on my phone,” he said. “I’ll get the alerts.”
Other Masters picks in the Blue Jays clubhouse:
• R.A. Dickey: Jason Day. (But if David Hearn were in the field, the knuckleballer says he would pick Hearn “because he’s Canadian, and I play here.”)
• Michael Saunders: Mike Weir. (“Obviously I’m going with the hometown boy,” Saunders said)
