With the 76th edition of the Masters starting at Augusta later today, it is high time we previewed the competition. After his success in the Bay Hill invitational, all the focus is on Tiger Woods and whether he can get back to his best form and claim a fifth Green Jacket. The likes of Rory McIlroy, Luke Donald, Phil Mickelson and Lee Westwood will also fancy their chances in Georgia.
Is Tiger really firing on all cylinders heading into the Masters?
Personally, I don’t subscribe to the mainstream media’s view that this is Tiger’s tournament to lose. Yes, he played very well at the Bay Hill but one tournament win doesn’t mean success at the next one – especially when the next tournament is at the devilishly difficult Augusta National. Tiger has definitely seemed more relaxed but I think that is in part due to the fact that he believes the pressure is off his shoulders. The likes of McIlroy, Donald and players such as Jason Day and Keegan Bradley have to prove themselves more than Woods. A relaxed Tiger is a dangerous one and if Woods is anywhere near the top five after the first round then the rest of the field may just be running scared.
How will McIlroy deal with the demons of 12 months ago?
It’ll be fascinating to see how McIlroy fares after his disastrous final round at Augusta last year. He came back to win the next major, the US Open, sublimely but this will be the first time he has been out on the course that tormented him so publicly. I doubt he’ll have a breakdown but one bad shot here and there and the demons could get into his head. McIlroy has all the makings of becoming a truly great golfer but he has to start winning Majors soon if he is going to try and better Jack Nicklaus’ total of 18 victories in the big events. He’s sure to be in the mix but I’m not entirely convinced that his game is in the right position to take the title this week.
Then we come to Luke Donald, world number one but left behind Woods and McIlroy in the media’s coverage. His odds of 12/1 are a touch long for someone who has a knack of putting together four solid rounds when it counts. He has a history of performing well here, finishing fourth last year and third in 20o5. The extra confidence of being world number one might just take him to victory but anything near a bad start would leave him out of the running and if Woods and McIlroy are playing their best golf then I can’t see Donald getting near them.
Away from the European side, you can always rely on Phil Mickelson to go well at Augusta and the man with three Green Jackets is third favourite to win the 2012 iteration. Unfortunately, I see him as a top 6 finisher but not in the top spot. I’d love him to win it though, he deserves it after what he went through with his wife and you won’t find a more popular golfer amongst the field. There’s also Webb Simpson, who I think could have a big week. He was as high as world number three towards the end of last year and I highly rate him as one for the future. Hunter Mahan is the man in the best form (other than Tiger arguably) heading into the tournament and has been well backed by golfing pundits and on the betting exchanges. He could well spring a surprise but this year’s field is more open than usual meaning that statement could be applied to a lot of people.
Who will win this year's Green Jacket and join an elite group of golfers in the record books at Augusta.
Whatever happens, it’s sure to be a thrilling tournament with many of the players anticipating a flurry of birdies. I’m not going to stick my neck out and make a prediction because let’s face it, that’d be a pretty silly thing to do in a field as open as this. I just hope we see Tiger somewhere near his best, going toe-to-toe with McIlroy. That’s when we’ll know just how good McIlroy really is; if he can stay with Tiger and overcome the difficulties of last year then he deserves the billing of ‘the next great thing in golf’. As for Tiger, well he almost needs a good tournament here. Everyone who’s seen him practice has said that he’s hitting the ball as well as ever and that he has a calm, confident demeanour for the first time in yonks. That said, I think that the eventual winner won’t be a McIlroy, Woods or Mickelson – come Sunday, we’ll know and I’ll probably be left regretting that sentence…
The Eternal Sunshine of the Sporting Mind 