The start of the 90th Masters is upon us.

Months of anticipation, weeks of fine-tuning and three days of on-site preparation are in the books. The opening round beckons at Augusta National Golf Club, where the iconic white scoreboards will be put to use Thursday morning.

Before the action gets going, our on-site writers debated a handful of pressing questions that have emerged as storylines have begun to take shape around the 91-player field. Let's dive in:

Which potential storyline are you most eager to watch unfold?

Will Gray: One year after Rory McIlroy brought this place to its feet with a Grand Slam-worthy performance, the only outcome that I think could come close to matching that level of revelry on the grounds of Augusta National would be a second Masters title for Jordan Spieth.

Spieth is now a full decade removed from his 2016 collapse when he (literally and figuratively) handed the green jacket to Danny Willett. His form this year has shown signs of promise amid patches of inconsistency, and at No. 61 in the world he would be a true outlier should he win. The number of players who have gone more than a decade between Masters wins is rarified air: 11 years each for Ben Crenshaw and Jack Nicklaus, 13 years for Gary Player and 14 for Tiger Woods.

History inches closer each year to Spieth being a one-time Masters winner - which would have been a shocking conclusion in the wake of his 2015 triumph. But if he gets in the mix on the weekend, this place will be buzzing.

Paul Hodowanic: I am most excited to watch how the golf course plays. Folks, we don’t always get years like this.

Aside from a bit of rain last Sunday, Augusta National has spent the entire lead-up to Thursday baking out in the sun, which will create the ideal playing conditions for all four rounds. An already exacting test will become even more challenging, shrinking landing areas and forcing true artistry from the competitors. Augusta National is currently set up to expose any weakness a player might have. That’s the recipe for an iconic tournament. We’ve gotten these conditions at times in recent years, but not for this sustained period. It should allow the best players in the world to rise up the leaderboard and deliver us incredible drama come Sunday.

Which first-time participant will have the best week?

Gray: I'm intrigued by what I've seen this year out of Marco Penge. The Englishman earned his PGA TOUR card via the DP World Tour and has shown signs of promise of the first few months, with a T16 finish at The Genesis Invitational followed by a T4 result at the Valspar Championship. Those are two venues where you can't exactly fake it from a ball-striking perspective, and, after a T21 result last week in San Antonio, he's got just enough momentum for me to think he could sneak onto the fringe of contention in his Augusta debut.

Hodowanic: It’s a chalk pick, but I think it’s Jacob Bridgeman. He won at The Riviera Country Club, often a good precursor for Masters success. But more than that, his floor is just incredibly high. He’s finished inside the top 18 in every start this season. He also played this course several times while in college, so he should be better equipped than some to handle the nerves. One more stat: He leads the Data Golf points list, a metric that has correctly predicted the last four Masters champions. I won’t go quite that far, but I expect him to have a great week.

Which player will exceed expectations without slipping on the green jacket?

Gray: I think we're going to see a big week out of Nicolai Højgaard. The Dane was in the mix in 2024 in his Masters debut before settling for a T16 finish, but he enters this week with even more promising form. A runner-up in Houston in his most recent start, Højgaard also cracked the top six at both PGA National and TPC Scottsdale in the wake of a T4 finish in Dubai to kick off the year. Højgaard has been surprisingly steady on the major stages, with made cuts in nine of his last 10 major starts, including a T14 finish at The Open last summer.

Hodowanic: Rory McIlroy. We’re living in a new world where success for McIlroy at the Masters is no longer a binary of did he win or not. In fact, with all the focus on looking back at McIlroy’s win last year, there’s been little discussion of what he might do this year. And, as far as I can tell, every expert seems to be turning their focus to someone else. So with that said, I think McIlroy is again a major factor down the stretch Sunday, but falls just short. The narrative of McIlroy leaving the tournament will not be one of disappointment, but of optimism for his future this season and at the Masters for years to come.

It's been a decade since the player facing the most pressure at Augusta National wasn't named Rory McIlroy. So who is it now?

Gray: It felt like Frankie Fleetwood was under the biggest microscope during Wednesday's Par 3 Contest, but now it's dad's turn in the spotlight. Tommy Fleetwood enters this week unburdened by questions about when he'll get his first PGA TOUR win, but at No. 4 in the world, there's increasing speculation as to when he'll get a maiden major - or get close to one again.

It's been eight years since his dazzling 63 on Sunday at Shinnecock Hills and seven years since he played alongside Shane Lowry in the final group at Royal Portrush. The true brushes with major title aspirations have been more fleeting in recent years, as even Fleetwood admitted this week that his T3 finish at the 2024 Masters was well in the wake of a decisive win by Scottie Scheffler. At age 35, Fleetwood isn't running out of chances. But this is certainly one where his stature in the game and recent form are well aligned, and those opportunities don't exactly grow on trees.

Hodowanic: With the monkey off McIlroy’s back, this question requires a new answer. Let’s go with Ludvig Åberg. The Swede is still young and will have many more cracks at this tournament (theoretically). Still, he’s beginning to verge on uncomfortable territory as he continues to struggle closing out tournaments. It happened at THE PLAYERS Championship and again at the Valero Texas Open. It’s happened at both of the last two Masters, too.

To this point, it doesn’t seem there’s much scar tissue, but if it happens a third time at Augusta National, it starts to get interesting. There’s also no guarantee that Åberg can continue to play at this level every year at Augusta National. Peak windows are often smaller than you think they will be, and Åberg’s Masters record is sterling. He would do well to grab a green jacket before the tide turns.

Who wins the 90th Masters?

Gray: He plays well in majors. He plays well in the Masters. He's won multiple majors, has contended deep into the weekend at Augusta National, has the right ball-striking composition and enters with some strong recent form. He checks all the boxes, and this is the week that Xander Schauffele gets his green jacket.

Hodowanic: Cameron Young. He seems incredibly at peace after the win at THE PLAYERS and has a proven track record of elevating at the majors. He’s been a bit boom or bust here, though. He’s got two top 10s and two missed cuts.