Masters Preview

“A tradition unlike any other”. The Masters’ slogan could not be more true. The tournament is the hardest ticket to get your hands on in the world of sports. There is no golf tournament as prestigious and legendary as The Masters. Every year it surprises us with drama and thrill that no other tournament can provide. This year’s Masters will be no different and is packed with headlines; from Tiger Woods’ quest to return to his old form and claim his sixth green jacket to Rory McIlroy looking for redemption after last year’s choke in the final round. This year we decided to take our love for the Masters and bring Augusta National to the Harbinger Online. Here are our top picks for this year.

Players to Watch

1. Tiger Woods– Ever since that November night three years ago when he was caught cheating on his ex-wife, Tiger has not been in his dominant form where he had won 14 major championships. Despite only having one PGA tour win since his infidelity scandal, Woods is coming into Augusta as a heavy favorite. Wood’s putting was spot on when he won the Arnold Palmer Invitational. Tiger also plays very well at Augusta. He has won the tournament four times and will looking to claim his fifth green jacket.
2. Rory McIlroy– Rory, Rory, Rory. This guy almost became the youngest golfer to ever win a green jacket last year before he choked in the final round by shooting the worst score  in history by any professional golfer leading after the third round of the Masters and finished tied for fifteenth. A few months after this colossal disappointment, McIlroy won the U.S. Open in stunning fashion by breaking several records, most notably the 72-hole aggregate score record formerly held by Jack Nicklaus by shooting a 268. He will be going into Augusta with a chip on his shoulder from last year and has only gotten better since last time he stepped on the Augusta National golf course. Look for the North Irish to finish in the top five or even first.
3. Phil Mickelson– This guy doesn’t go away. Mickelson has 40 PGA Tour wins and four major wins- three being at the Masters. Most recently Mickelson wore the green jacket in 2010, where he embraced his wife who had been battling breast cancer after his win. Mickelson is kind of the anti-Tiger. The guys have opposite personalities, and contrary to what they say, I believe there is tension between the two. Rivalries or not, don’t be surprised to see the two going at it on Sunday. Like many of the other top players in the world, Mickelson is coming in hot. He already has three top 10 finishes this year along with a win at Pebble Beach. Mickelson is no stranger to Augusta, watch for him making a run at it this year.
4. Bubba Watson– Bubba is my boy. The man has got great sense humor and some pretty good dance moves . He has a pretty good golf game as well. Watson is long, strong, left-handed golfer that drive the ball as good as anyone on the PGA tour. Although Watson hasn’t ever finished in the top 20 at Augusta, this could be the year for the Floridian to land a green jacket.
5. Tom Watson– Watson is a living golf legend. He has won eight majors since he began his PGA career in 1971. Watson a two time Masters winner and will be playing in his 38th Masters this weekend. 38. That’s older than half the players in the tournament. He may be old enough to be Rory McIlroy’s grandpa and he may have not won a major since Jim Valvano won a national title with NC State but don’t count him out. If he plays like he did at the 2009 British Open (Watson was a shot away from winning it) then Watson could become by far the oldest Masters winner ever.
6. Luke Donald– Never heard of him? He’s ranked number one in the world. Okay, so you’ve probably heard of him. Either way, this guy has a way of escaping headlines. With everything going on with Tiger, Rory and the rest of the golf world, Donald somehow gets mixed somewhere in the middle. That’s probably because he only has five PGA Tour wins, and no major championships. He’s a guy you want to win. The Masters is the best way to make headlines. Here’s your chance Donald. Take it.
7. Hunter Mahan- Mahan is like the number one pick in the NBA Draft that has a great collegiate career and wins a ton of awards. Then he gets drafted and plays pretty well but never wins the championship. Mahan has five wins in the PGA but has as many majors as LeBron has rings. 0. Just like Lebron, Mahan is an athletic specimen. The guy can smash a golf ball. He has a pure golf swing and his short game has improved immensely. He is just across the board, very, very good. Scary good. Now it’s just putting together all that athletic talent and turning it into a championship. Just like Lebron, Mahan is coming into 2012 looking better than ever with two wins, most recently last weekend at the Shell Houston Open. With a truckload of confidence and the talent of a golf god, Mahan has to be a favorite this year at Augusta.
8. Lee Westwood– Much like Donald, the number two player in the world Lee Westwood is still looking for that first major win. He’s come up short in the Masters, placing second in 2010. Westwood has only two PGA Tour wins, but the guy has a way of making top tens. It is only a matter of time before Westwood breaks through. Right now he’s looking pretty good sitting on top of the Leaderboard after the first round. We’ll see how that holds up for the next three days. Would love to see Westwood put on the green jacket.
9. Charl Schwartzel– Birdie-Birdie-Birdie-Birdie. The four holes that changed Jim Schwartzel’s life. Last year in the Masters, Schwartzel stunned the world after he made four back to back birdies on the final four holes of Augusta National to win by two strokes. The Masters became his first and only PGA Tour Win. He continued success making top tens on the tour. Schwartzel is clutch, and he’s ready to show everyone that he’s not going anywhere. Last year at Augusta wasn’t just a one time price, buy while supply lasts. He’s here to stay, and continue to make his name in the world of golf. He might not win back to back green jackets, but Schwartzel is a name that isn’t going away.
10. Vijay Singh- Ah, the the Big Fijian. The guy is a winner and one of the hardest workers on tour. Singh is one of the world’s most successful golfers. The former number one golfer is only the second golfer other than Tiger to win $60 million in career earnings. Singh has three majors under his belt and 58 professional wins. Unfortunately he has fallen the last couple years to number 80 in the world and hasn’t been able to make the cut at Augusta the last couple years. If everything comes together and Singh can sink his putts, he could claim his second green jacket. It also wouldn’t hurt to make a couple of these.

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