Jon Rahm, Sergio Garcia and Tyrrell Hatton look likely to be LIV Golf's main threats at the Masters while Brooks Koepka and Phil Mickelson seem unable to compete... and will sick Cam Smith even make it to Augusta?

Before a single shot had been played at LIV Golf Miami last week, Jon Rahm insisted he was 'confident' that either himself or one of his new colleagues could win the Masters.

After play had concluded on Sunday night, the reigning champion of Augusta National then admitted it would be a 'great story' if a LIV rebel could win on golf's grandest stage. 

The Saudi-backed circuit may have acquired some of the world's best players during its expensive recruitment drive since 2022 but only one - Brooks Koepka at the 2023 PGA Championship - has won a major title while playing under the LIV umbrella. No rebel has yet pulled on the green jacket post-defection.

Greg Norman, LIV's CEO, made it clear 12 months ago that there would be huge celebrations on Augusta's 18th green if one of his charges could get it done.

Koepka went closest, Patrick Reed and Phil Mickelson took their best shot but Rahm ultimately prevailed. Now with the Spaniard among their ranks, LIV brings a menacing group to this year's first major championship.

Sergio Garcia finished top of the leaderboard at LIV Golf Miami but lost in a two-hole playoff

Tyrrell Hatton and Jon Rahm helped Legion XIII win the team event a week before the Masters

The threat they pose was clear to see after the fifth round of LIV's season concluded on Sunday night. Of the 13 players heading north from Miami to Augusta, eight finished under-par on the treacherous Blue Monster course at Trump Doral National.

Perhaps surprisingly, Sergio Garcia was the pick of the lot. He finished on 11-under for the tournament but had to settle for second place after a nerve-shredding two-hole playoff with South African Dean Burmester.

The Spaniard, who won the Green Jacket in 2017, was a picture of consistency all week. He dropped just four shots over the course of three rounds and nailed a long putt on the penultimate hole of the tournament to keep himself in contention.

Rahm heads to Augusta National without having won in a year, at least as an individual, after another weekend where he was solid but not good enough to win. 

His Legion XIII team, which also includes Tyrrell Hatton, won for the second time in five LIV events this year but Rahm never looked like having a chance of winning the individual prize.

Both Rahm and Hatton finished three shots off the top two - costly bogeys ruining their chances. 

There's always a sense Rahm can go up a gear when he wants to though and he'll need to be at his best to have any chance of competing with former PGA Tour nemesis Scottie Scheffler next week. 

Rahm is the defending Masters champion and will be among the contenders again this year

Hatton had a chance of winning the individual event but two late bogeys eventually cost him

Asked whether his move to LIV has added an extra dimension to his battle with the current world No. 1 and Rory McIlroy at Augusta, Rahm said: ‘The Masters is the Masters.

'I don’t think there’s any difference whether you play PGA Tour, LIV, European Tour or Sunshine Tour. A major is a major.

'You could have asked me the same question last year with some of the LIV players. I wouldn’t say there’s anything added to it.'

Perhaps the man taking most confidence into the Masters is Hatton, who briefly looked like he could win here only for two dropped shots towards the end of his round to prove decisive.

As always with the tempestuous Englishman, Hatton's greatest opponent is often himself. If he can control his emotions then that will only put him in a greater position to prosper.

If you are one for omens, then a remarkable stat shows why this could be Hatton's moment. In the past 20 years, the average Masters winner has been 32-years-old, ranked 17th in the world and had eight previous starts at Augusta.

Hatton turned 32 in October, is currently sat 17th in the world rankings and this year will mark his eighth appearance at the Masters. Based on the evidence in Miami, he is not too far away.

The depth of LIV's talent heading to Augusta is evident in the next group of players, who finished within two shots of Rahm and Hatton. 

Big-hitting Bryson DeChambeau had a solid weekend and will be confident going to Augusta

Big-hitting Bryson DeChambeau will be hellbent on bending Augusta to his will. He is quietly putting together an extremely impressive set of results in LIV events this season without making it to the podium.

The former US Open champion has finished inside the top 10 in four of the five LIV events this season and posted a credible seven-under for the tournament here.

One back from them was another Green Jacket holder in Reed and Joaquin Niemann, perhaps the most in-form man in all of golf at the moment.

The Chilean has clawed his way into the Masters by winning the Australian Open and two LIV events this season and posting two other top-5s on the DP World Tour. He will be a solid outside bet for Masters glory.

Adrian Meronk, the player of the year in Europe in 2023, couldn't build on a superb second round of six-under. He finished two-over on Sunday to finish seven behind the leaders.

Dustin Johnson also struggled for consistency. The 39-year-old's Masters victory came under the cloud of Covid-19. There were no patrons and he would no doubt give anything to slip on the Green Jacket again in front of thousands of fans.

He was always off the pace of the leaders and a two-over round on Sunday ensured he finished in the middle of the field on one-under for the tournament.

Bubba Watson, with his graceful and effortless left-handed swing, would have been level with Garcia and others at the top of the leaderboard after day one had he not bogeyed the 18th.

But then going six-over par in his next two rounds killed any early momentum and it would be remarkable if he was to win a third Masters title next week. 

Brooks Koepka had a torrid weekend in Miami and needs quick fixes to compete at Augusta

Charl Schwartzel, winner at Augusta in 2011, was the worst of the South African contingent representing their Stinger GC team this week.

While compatriot Dean Burmester was lifting the trophy and Louis Oosthuizen threatened a win, Schwartzel was trailing towards the back of the field on four-over.

Then there's Koepka, who endured a torrid week and looks miles away from the man who threatened to cause a LIV takeover at Augusta 12 months ago.

After a solid opening round of three-under on Friday, he posted back-to-back cards of five-over to finish way back in the field. 

Phil Mickelson finished eight-over across his three rounds and another major title looks unlikely

It's rare that his name isn't mentioned at the weekend of big tournaments but he was a passenger throughout proceedings in Miami. 

He is a man for the big occasion, though, and can never be ruled out. After losing at Augusta last year, he went on to win a third PGA Championship title just a month later.

In the last decade, Koepka has played in 35 majors. He’s won five, has seven top five finishes and came in the top 10 on 13 occasions. He loves the big stage.

For Mickelson, his struggles continue. The 53-year-old has only finished under-par at two of LIV's five events this season.

Two rounds of four-over bookended an even-par round on Saturday as he failed to make an impact here. 

The three-time Masters champion proved on Sunday last year that he can still turn it on at Augusta, though. 

And then there's Cameron Smith. Will the Australian even make it to the Masters? 

He was forced out of this event after Friday's opening round, in which he finished three-over because of food poisoning.

It's thought that he will be well enough to compete at Augusta but he's searching for the sort of form that saw him edge McIlroy to win The Open at St Andrews in 2022. 

One thing is for certain. There are plenty of reasons for LIV Golf to be excited going into the Masters. Their 13 players include the defending champion and plenty of talent and experience. 

Don't be surprised, if come Sunday night, Norman gets the party on the 18th green that he so desperately desired 12 months ago.