Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
Augusta’s iconic greens can lift Lockdown Blues
THE 2020 Masters will have an unfamiliar feel at a different time of year – but it’s perfectly placed to lift the Lockdown Blues.
The final men’s major of the year boasts an array of sub plots and potential winners, while the aura of that famous green jacket won’t fade because it’s November.
It’s a special tournament on hallowed ground and while a lot of the spotlight will focus on Bryson DeChambeau, World No1 Dustin J ohnson is my standout favourite.
His T2 at l ast week’s Houston Open backed up a T6 at the US Open, T3 at the Tour Championship, runners-up at the BMW Championship and a win at the Northern Trust.
To say his form is trending is an understatement.
Johnson’s major return (his only success so far was at the 2016 US Open) hasn’t matched up with his talent, but I have a feeling that will change.
We were saying the same thing about Phil Mickelson in the early2000s before ‘Lefty’ caught fire with five majors between 2004 and 2013. The same can happen to DJ.
What of the Irish challenge? Well, all four – Mcilroy, Mcdowell, Lowry and James Sugrue – will be bidding to upset the odds for a number of reasons.
With Jack Fulghum, my old college team mate and a local Augusta caddie on his bag, James will be chasing a Cinderella Story this week.
He is the first Cork golfer to play the Masters and I wish him well.
G-mac will need everything to go his way as the layout at this time of year won’t play to his strengths, but if he maxes out his game, he can stay in the mix into the weekend.
With a fair wind, both Rory and Shane – who showed a lot of good stuff at Houston last week – have the ability to become the first player from these shores to win the Masters.
For the sixth year Rory is pursuing a Grand Slam, but despite that he will drive d own Ma g n o li a D r iv e lacking the same hype as previous years. That’s a good thing.
Flying under the radar will help him.
Expectation levels are possibly the lowest they’ve been in years, but does that mean he cannot win? Of course not.
There’s no doubt Rory has underperformed postlockdown – his last top-five finish was in March – but if can find his old self, this can be a historic week.