It’s the first week of April. For golf enthusiasts this can only mean one thing: The Masters is soon to be underway. The lush scenery and the cloudless skies of Augusta National would provoke in many an overwhelming sensation of calm. However, calmness is probably the most alien emotion a golfer here has ever experienced. Augusta is one of the trickiest courses out there.
It is a monstrous 7,800 yards in length but Alvaro Quiros, with his Razr Hawk Driver, has no distinct advantage here. This is because your iron play has to be so accurate, your putting so tight that one slip could destroy any advantage you might have gained over the pack. Over the last five years, only eight players have averaged below par at the tournament.
In terms of recent form, it would seem several players are in with a shout of donning the coveted green jacket. Current world number one Luke Donald has had a good year to date. He has finished in the top 25 in all four of the events he has played on the PGA Tour. More importantly, his position has improved from event to event. He managed to top the leader board at the Transitions Open, the last event he competed in. With the famed consistency of his putting, it looks as though he has a good chance of improving on his tied 4th last year and winning the event. Yet, the fact he hasn’t yet bagged a Major will considerably lengthen his odds. He needs to prove he isn’t the Caroline Wozniacki of the golfing world.
Rory McIlroy has made a quite fantastic start to 2012 coming 2nd, 1st and 3rd in the three events he has played this year on the PGA Tour. He is one of the leading contenders especially after his triumph at the U.S Open last year. With his victory then, he surely demonstrated that he had got over his meltdown at the Masters last year. He has matured and the chances of a repeat performance are slim.
Since 2007, the Shell Houston Open has become the official warm-up tournament for the Masters. On Sunday, Hunter Mahan topped the leader board at this event scoring -16 over four rounds. Seeing as Mahan, is one of the eight players who has averaged below par over the last eight years at Augusta, there is no way he cannot be regarded as a serious challenger. Phil Mickleson finished tied 4th at this event on -12. He also lies 4th in the 2012 FedExCup points standings behind McIlroy.
His recent performances, together with his impressive Masters record, three wins since 2004, make him one of event favourites. However, despite the fact that the fast bent mixed greens at Redstone are similar in pace to those at Augusta, this doesn’t mean to say that if you play well there you’re going to play well in the Masters. Mickleson won this Open last year but then went on to finish 27th at Augusta.
Finally, I think we need to mention the biggest name in golf. Tiger Woods finished tied 4th at Augusta in 2011 despite having a pretty abject season. Yet this year, he seems much more like the old Tiger coming 2nd and 4th at two events and winning the Arnold Palmer Invitational at the end of March, without, it must be said, the presence of Donald and McIlroy, (who both chose to take lengthy breaks before the tournament this year). Nevertheless, it seems as though he has a very good chance of adding to his collection of green jackets this year.
To leave you with an interesting fact: 72% of players who finished in the top three since 2004 were residents in the Southern United States. Indeed, only four of these players, Cabrera (2009), Olazabal (2006), Scott (2011) and Westwood (2010) were non-American residents. South African Charl Schwartzel, the 2011 champion, conforms to the trend as he resides in Florida when competing on the PGA Tour. McIlroy, also, has perhaps spotted this trend as he has been renting a property in the same state whilst competing on the Tour in 2012. Will this choice prove decisive?
The Masters will tee off on Thursday 5th April. Tee times are due to be announced later today. I can’t wait.
The Predictions of the Vision Sports Team:
Jack Bradshaw
Winner: Tiger Woods. He hasn’t been in a better position preparation-wise going into a Masters for a while (after winning the Arnold Palmer Invitational).
Surprise Package: Ryo Ishikawa. Finished 12th in 2011 and could be challenging this year.
Fred Nathan
Winner: Rory McIlroy. He’s got it all and his game has improved markedly since splitting from his agent Chubby Chandler. Haven’t seen someone so skilful so young since Tiger.
Surprise Package: Adam Scott: Tiger’s old caddie Steve Williams is now carrying the Australian’s bag and he finished third last year. His putting is his Achilles heel but that has come on leaps and bounds in the last year.
Prakhar Chandra
Winner: Tiger Woods. He won the Arnold Palmer; his confidence is back.
Surprise Package: Louis Oosthuizen. He finished third at the Shell Houston Open last week. He could be a contender.
Phil Boyce
Winner: Rory McIlroy. He’s overcome his meltdown at last year’s masters after winning the US last year. He couldn’t be in a better position.
Surprise Package: Justin Rose. He won the Cadillac Championship in March. He could be a threat.
Kirushanthan Sivagnanam
Winner: Luke Donald. He’s World No.1 and his consistency is unparalled.
Surprise Package: Bubba Watson. He finished second at Cadillac Championship and tied second the Tavistock Cup. Got to be worth a shout!
Dave Washington
Winner: Rory McIlroy. He’s out to prove that’s he currently the best player in the world.
Surprise Package: Keegan Bradley. He won USPGA last year. He might have a chance.
Chris Underwood
Winner: Lee Westwood. Had some excellent finishes in the last couple of years and is decent run of form with his 4th place finish at the world matchplay.
Surprise Package: Sergio Garcia. Surely too good a player never to win a major and he’s showing signs of recovering some form after a disastrous couple of years.
Alex Finnis
Winner: Luke Donald. History says that an American will win the Masters but British golf is so strong right now I fancy the winner to come from the home nations. Donald won the par 3 tournament last year and has the experience and ability to end with the green jacket come Sunday evening.
Surprise Package: K.J. Choi. He’s finished in the top 10 here in the past two years, so could go all the way this time.
Oliver Wessely
Winner: Tiger Woods. It’s just written in the stars.
Surprise Package: Jason Day. Came second last year, (so not really a surprise package), but he does perform in the Masters and could slip under the radar and lead the field at one point over the four days.