Lee is in great form ...and, yes, he can do a ‘Nicklaus’
THERE was a time when the 330-yard drive along Magnolia Lane would end in a little corner of Britain.
And on the menu in the clubhouse, as champions gathered on the Tuesday night ahead of the tournament, was haggis, or maybe fish and chips, or a nice leg of Welsh lamb.
Selecting those menus were Sandy Lyle, Nick Faldo and Ian Woosnam.
Among that trio, four Green Jackets were won between 1988 and 1991, Faldo winning two of his three during that period.
Before that time and after it, golfers from the United Kingdom have never enjoyed such a golden period at Augusta.
In the 51 playings ahead of Lyle’s win in 1988, no Brit had won and in the 29 stagings after Woosnam’s triumph in 1991, Faldo and Danny Willett have been the only two Brits to emerge victorious.
According to the bookmakers, there is little chance of British food at the 2022 Champions Dinner.
Rory McIlroy – hoping to become the first winner from Northern Ireland – is the shortest priced from these shores, but do not underestimate the English challenge at this year’s Masters.
The nine-strong contingent will be spearheaded by a veteran enjoying the form of his life.
Lee Westwood turns 48 later this month and recently finished second in both the Arnold Palmer Invitational and The Players – golf ’s ‘fifth Major’.
And while the runnersup spots in two hot tournaments were fine achievements, he will have been privately annoyed he did not go one better.
That is why a motivated Westwood could well be the best English hope, even though he is not the highest-ranked.
Ahead of Westwood in the world’s top 20 are Paul Casey and Tyrrell Hatton.
Casey does have five top-10 finishes in 14 Masters appearances, but Hatton has a highest placing of tied 44th in four
appearances and has missed the cut twice.
Tommy Fleetwood has not set Augusta alight in his four starts while Justin Rose is not in top form.
Away from Westwood, the best English hope – and best value with the bookies if you like a flutter on the first Major of a year – could be 50-1 shot Matthew Fitzpatrick.
The 26-year-old from Sheffield has yet to win in the States, but is now a consistent contender, finishing ninth and 10th in
The Players and the Arnold Palmer. And although his record at the Masters has not been great since a seventh place in 2016, he has the game that should suit Augusta.
Of the other home nations, Scotland will be represented by Martin Laird, Bob MacIntrye and Lyle, back as a former champion.
With the unbelievably high standards being set all over the world – by golfers of all nationalities – a repeat of that little spell
when the Brits wore green is unlikely. According to most good judges, the 2021 winner is likely to be one of the top Americans or Jon Rahm or McIlroy.
Also, if Westwood is to win, he really will have to make history.
The oldest winner of the Masters was Jack Nicklaus at the age of 46 years and 82 days.
But in the sort of form Westwood is in, do not rule it out. And even by Masters standards, what a story that would be.