FIVE POINTERS TO THE MASTERS AT AUGUSTA

WHITHER JORDAN SPIETH?

IS the former golden child, with four top-three finishes in five Masters appearances and a worst placing of 11th, desperate to get to Augusta to correct his horrific decline of one top 10 in 10 months? Or is Spieth (above) fearful of more evidence that the magic has gone? At the very least, let us wish him well with two warm-up events in his home state of Texas, beginning next week.

MEETING OF MINDS

IT HAS almost reached the stage where even the myriad governing bodies in golf think there are too many governing bodies. It’s certainly not been helpful as the game tries to bed in the new rules. All of the heads gathered last week — fortunately, it is a massive clubhouse at Sawgrass, so they could all be accommodated — where they agreed to keep their disagreements in-house ahead of Augusta.

TIGER’S SCHEDULE

FOLLOWING his last round 69 at Sawgrass, Tiger (right) confirmed that his final event before the Masters will be the WGC-Match Play Championship in Texas next week — a curious decision, to say the least. For one, he has not played in the Lone Star State since 2005, where he missed the cut for the first time in 142 events. For another, he would have to play seven rounds in five days, if he made it to the final four.

STAT OF THE MONTH

HERE is something to make you sit up and take notice with the Masters moving into view next month. Not one member of the current world top 10 has won the green jacket. Isn’t that amazing, given their current form and how good they are as a group? Bet on that to end this year.

LEADING AMERICANS

A LOT of them have been very quiet over the past fortnight in Florida. Both last week at the Arnold Palmer Invitational and then at the Players Championship, it felt for much of the time like a top-tier European Tour event. Are the Americans keeping their powder dry for the Masters? Certainly, only a fool would be writing them off.