Hello there from Augusta National! Here’s my 10 storylines for the Masters
I’m once again lucky enough to be at the Masters, and I can tell you Augusta is a buzz of excitement. The course is shining and has perhaps never been better thanks to the wonderful weather they have had leading up to the tournament.
There is so much excitement around and what is special is that it’s from so many different quarters.
So here are my Top 10 storylines on the eve of play: -
1 IS TIGER READY?
This is the biggest risk of his golfing career. If he hits his first few drives off line and has a couple of difficult chip shots which he is not able to pull off, his confidence, which is already brittle, will disintegrate. And then there’s always the possibility of his “glutes” not activating … okay, I’m kidding on that score. If Tiger has arrived at Augusta with a trustworthy swing and he has fixed his chipping, he will be a threat. Tiger plays golf better than anybody on earth. What I mean by the word “play” is that he is able to get around the course more efficiently and usually in less shots.
2 RORY, THE GRAND SLAM MAN
Having Tiger in the field is great news for Rory. It will take a lot of the media attention away, as will Bubba, who is the defending champion. Rory’s game is made for Augusta and if he plays well he will not be beaten. Unfortunately you only know whether you actually
3 BUBBA FOR A DOUBLE?
Bubba hasn’t played a tournament round of golf for a month. He’s fresh, he understands what’s expected of him and the defending champion, and he’s in a good place in his personal life. Bubba loves Augusta. His ability to shape shots left to right and right to left has been a huge factor in his success in the Masters. His putting is the other factor. Bubba runs hot and cold. If he’s hot, Rory will have a serious opponent.
4 PERFECTION – THE COURSE
It’s never been better. It’s glistening and there is not a single leaf out of place. It’s the perfect
If his putting is hot ... venue for the first major of the year. The greens are like lightning and will probably run at around 11 on the stimpmeter. To win you need to have three things. Firstly, length off the tee. Long hitters have usually won the Masters; think Nick-
5 ARNIE AT 85
The King of Golf, Arnold Palmer had a fall a few months ago and hasn’t been able to play golf since. He has promised though that he will be on the first tee on Thursday to hit the opening drives alongside his great pals and on-course adversaries, Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player. The three of them have won 13 green jackets and dominated the Masters between 1958 and 1970.
Arnie did not play in yesterday’s Par 3 Contest. He was replaced by Ben Crenshaw, who is playing in his 44th and final Masters this year.
6 THE OLD TIMERS
Each year Fred Couples brings back the past. Nobody is more loved than Freddy and Augusta brings out the best in him. Add to Freddy, Bernhard Langer who played well last year, and Miguel Angel Jiminez, and you have entertainment at the highest level. The three of them have been winning championships for 40 years and have won well over 100 tournaments – and they aren’t finished yet!
7 LEFTIES
Over the last twelve years lefties have won 50% of the Masters tournaments. When you consider that up to 2003 no lefty had ever won, that’s quite something. It started with Mike Weir in 2003 then Phil Mickelson in 2004, 2006, 2010 and Bubba Watson in 2012 and 2014. Personally I think its best to be a right-handed winner who putts with a left-handed grip.
8 THE WEATHER
Augusta has enjoyed ideal weather for the preparation of the golf course and it should stay that way for most of the tournament itself, although there is some rain predicted.
9 THE YOUNG GUNS
Jordan Spieth leads the young guns into the Masters. Over the last four months no one has played better golf than Spieth. Patrick Reed, Jason Day and Brooks Koepka are others to watch. It’s always been said that experience at Augusta is critical and over the years that has been proved right, so it’s highly unlikely that a first-timer will be lifting the trophy on Sunday
10 WHO’S GOING TO WIN? Adam Scott:
Solid long game but iffy on the greens.
– One of the best but off to a slow start in 2015
The best in the
Justin Rose
Rory McIlroy:
world
Loves the Majors and has come close at Augusta before
Jason Day:
Rory’s biggest threat in my opinion
He knows he can win but will he?
Jordan Spieth:
Patrick Reed:
Best of our guys at the moment but he’s not at his best.
Louis Oosthuizen:
Wins regular events, now can he take it to the majors?
Jimmy Walker:
Only the real greats win two in a row
Bubba Watson:
SHORT PUTT
Jack Nicklaus: “I don’t think about winning the Masters as part of the slam. You want to win the Masters because of what it means to the game.”