Golf’s elite set to tee off in Augusta at season’s first major

Beautiful early morning weather gave way to torrents of rain on Monday and Tuesday as the world’s top golfers gathered at Augusta National to start practice rounds ahead of the Masters.

Rickie Fowler recently put an end to the narrative that he could not close the deal on the PGA Tour and he enters this week’s Masters – starting Thursday – with sights set on seeing off another dubious distinction.

World No. 8 Fowler begins the year’s first major riding high after a solid start to the season in which he finally turned a 54-hole lead into a win and now wants to shed the label of being the best current player without a major title.

Fowler, whose Honda Classic victory in February was his fourth PGA Tour win, feels his recent putting form will allow him to focus on “offense” at Augusta National.

“No, I’ve had a blast getting to know the golf course. Even when you get in the trees you get some fun shots to hit out here. You see Phil hitting out of the trees on 13 and that’s a pretty memorable shot out here, but yeah I feel the more imagination you have and being able to use that to your advantage,” Fowler told reporters

Spain’s Jon Rahm will seek inspiration from the late Seve Ballesteros this week when he makes his first appearance in the Masters after a stellar start to the season.

The 22-year-old won the Farmers Insurance Open and finished second behind world No. 1 Dustin Johnson in the WGC Dell Match Play event to put himself in contention to become the first player to win on his Augusta debut since Fuzzy Zoeller in 1979.

Ballesteros, who claimed the Masters title twice, would have celebrated his 60th birthday on Sunday. He died of cancer in 2011 at the age of 54.

“Seve is my ultimate idol and the name Seve Ballesteros is really important to me,” Rahm told reporters. “I try to emulate a lot of things he did.”

Spaniard Jose Maria Olazabal was the last Spanish Masters winner in 1999 and he also donned the Green Jacket in 1994, the year Rahm was born.

Jimmy Walker returns to Augusta National as the most recent major winner having won the PGA Championship at Baltusrol. Walker, however, has been recovering from mononucleosis, a condition that he says contributed to his lethargic play of late.

“I feel like it’s not too bad. I’ve been, I feel like I’m just real close. Just haven’t quite put it together, but everything feels close.”

The only major held at the same venue every year, experience counts at Augusta National where the learning curve, particularly through Amen Corner, on a gusty afternoon can be cruel to the extreme.

Whether in the opening round or final round, a Green Jacket can be won or lost through holes 11, 12 and 13 as Jordan Spieth learned last year when he carded a seven at the par three 12th.

“It’s a really good stretch of golf, especially with the way the forecast is looking for Thursday and Friday, the winds look like they’re going to be pretty gnarly,” said Walker.

“That’s a section of the course that gets really tough, especially if the wind swirls. I think if you get through there at even par, you’re doing really well.

“Everybody thinks 13 is such a cake walk. It’s really not.

“It’s kind of one of those trick holes. You think you should birdie it every time and then you walk away with a five.”

Johnson, Spieth and Rory McIlroy are the three clear favorites, though at least two dozen others have a realistic chance of winning if the stars all align at the right time.

With a victory McIlroy would become just the sixth man to win all four modern major championships.

Others to watch include American veteran Phil Mickelson as he goes for a fourth Green Jacket at the age of 46.

Tiger Woods will the Masters due to his troublesome back and has no timetable for his return to competitive golf.

(Reuters)