Every golf fan loves April as it is the time when we all get to sit back and enjoy the first Major of the year. The Masters!
The who’s who in Golf will descend upon Augusta National this week to take part in the 77th edition of this time honored event.
Many great legends of the game have played their part in the history of this great tournament. Names like Horton Smith who was the first ever Masters Champion back in 1934. He also backed up to win again in 1936. Ben Hogan also has 2 victories along with Tom Watson, Byron Nelson, Seve Ballesteros, Jose Maria Olazabal, Ben Crenshaw and Bernhard Langer.
The Great Sam Snead has won three times. So to have Gary Player, Jimmy Demaret, Nick Faldo and Phil Mickelson. Arnold Palmer has won four Masters (58,60,62.64) as well as Tiger Woods (97,01,02,05). Then there is the ‘The Golden Bear’ Jack Nicklaus who has won a remarkable six Masters Tournaments! (63,65,66,72,75,86).
Now we come to 2013 and another player will get his chance to join this list of golfing royalty. Who will be wearing the Green Jacket on Sunday afternoon?
Many believe that this year is especially difficult to pick the winner as many players are hitting form at just the right time. And looking at the field you would have to agree with them. The Bookies Top 5 are:-
Tiger Woods is the bookies favorite at around 4/1. And so he should be considering he already has three wins under his belt this season from only five starts. He has four Masters to his name along with eight other Top 10 finishes.
Rory McIlroy (6/1) the World No.2 is slowly finding his feet with his new Nike clubs after a few uncharacteristic performances this season. Coming off a 2nd place in the Texas Open should give him some momentum heading into this week.
Phil Mickelson (12/1) won the Phoenix Open in February and managed a T3rd at the WGC Cadillac Championship a month later. Phil loves Augusta and knows the course inside out. Expect to see him up there challenging over the weekend. And there is the added incentive of equaling Tiger on 4 Victories.
Justin Rose (20/1) has had just the four starts on the PGA Tour this season and three of those were Top 10 finishes! 4th Honda Classic, 8th WGC Cadillac Championship, 2nd Arnold Palmer Invitational. Justin’s had seven appearances at Augusta and never finished lower than 39th. Last year he finished T8th. He is ready this year to finish higher.
Charl Schwartzel (25/1) won here in 2011. Last year he finished T50th. The World No.15 is yet to crack it for a win this season however he has gone close on a few occasions. 2nd Joburg Open, 3rd Northern Trust Open, 4th Malaysian Open. Not bad from six starts this season around the world.
You can then add players like Adam Scott, Lee Westwood, Luke Donald, Louis Oosthuizen, Dustin Johnson, Brandt Snedeker and Matt Kuchar who all have the talent to win and you then realize just how hard it is going to be to win the Green Jacket in 2013.
Add to that list Defending Champion Bubba Watson, 2009 Champ Angel Cabrera, 2008 Champ Trevor Immelman and 2007 Champ Zach Johnson. Need I Go On!
With this much talent on offer this week we can expect to see some fantastic nail biting golf over the four days. The scenery alone will be worth watching on your TV screens as the course is looking fantastic as the ground staff have been busy with their final preparations.
Augusta National is considered a national treasure and is always listed in the Top 5 of everyone’s list of top courses in the world. They are always making changes to the course to keep up with technology. In 2001 the course was 6,925 yards and then lengthened to 7,270 yards. In 2006 it was lengthened again to 7,445 yards. The greens were originally Bermuda however they were also changed to Bentgrass in 1981, which resulted in a faster putting surface.
So what does it take to win at Augusta National?
Precise ball hitting is a must. With the steeply contoured greens it is imperative that you hit the ball to the right area of the green to allow for an easier putt. If you fail to do this you can expect to have difficulty in getting it up and down. In fact 3 putts will not be out of the question. Being able to avoid the 3 putts is very important, as poor putters do not win Green Jackets.
Length off the tee is important. The last five winners were all ranked inside the Top 60 in driving distance on the PGA Tour when they won. It is also worth noting that the fairways are mown away from the hole, resulting in less roll from the drive.
A few other points worth considering include- Since 2008 all the winners have hit at least 68% of greens in regulation and had over 58% driving accuracy. And seven of the last eight winners finished in the Top 25 of the previous years PGA Championship.
Putting, putting and more putting. To play well at Augusta you need to tame the greens. They are some of the fastest in the world. The greens are undulating and are sure to cause issues for many players.
Experience and Wisdom will also take you a long way at Augusta National. Not only experience on the course, but experience on the big stage, under pressure when it is all on the line. Winning a Major is not for the faint hearted. Just look at all the melt downs in Major history!
Now for my Selections. I have selected four players who will give you a good run for your money, some at longer odds than others.
Let’s get the ball rolling!
Keegan Bradley $29.00 www.sportsbet.com.au
Keegan has come a long way in a short time. He joined the PGA Tour in 2011 and won two titles in his rookie year. The Byron Nelson Championship victory was followed up with a Major victory in the PGA Championship. He then went in to 2012 full of confidence. He made 21 cuts from 25 starts and had a win in the WGC Bridgestone Invitational.
This season he has raised the bar again. His consistency has seen him reach the next level in his game. 9 cuts made from 10 starts which resulted in seven Top 25’s and five Top 10’s. That is consistent golf!
He fits all the Masters trends as well. He was 3rd in last years PGA Championship, made the cut in last years Masters; is ranked 10th in driving distance and has 60% driving accuracy.
You can also include the high ranking stats of 4th in Par 5 birdie or better, 12th in scrambling, 6th in scoring average and 28th in ball striking.
Expect to see Bradley high up on the leader board this weekend. His second Major is not to far away.
Hunter Mahan $51.00 www.sportsbet.com.au
Last season was a great year for Hunter. The ‘GolfBoys’ member made 20 cuts from 23 starts and won the WGC Accenture Match Play and Shell Houston Open. He also cracked the $4million mark in prize money for the season.
This year Hunter has turned nine starts into seven Top 25 finishes! Highlights have been T8th Northern Trust Open and 2nd WGC Accenture Match Play Championship.
Stats wise he is driving the ball an average of 286 yards, 65% driving accuracy, 70% greens in regulation and 20th in strokes gained putting.
This will be Mahan’s seven appearance at Augusta. His three highlights have been 12th last year, 8th in 2010 and 10th in 2009.
Steve Stricker $56.00 www.sportsbet.com.au
They say you can not teach old dogs new tricks. Steve Stricker may be considered one of the old men on tour now however after scaling back his appearances this year he has continued to show why he is still one of the best golfers on tour.
The World No.8 has played four tournaments this season. 2nd Hyundai Tournament of Champions, T5th WGC Accenture Match Play, 2nd WGC Cadillac Championship and T38th ShellHouston Open. That is some pretty impressive golf.
When you look at his stats you realize that he is in the zone this season. 17th in driving accuracy, 2nd in greens in regulation, 11th in strokes gained putting, 9th in scoring average, 18th in Par 5 birdie or better, 17th in Par 4 birdie or better, 6th in scrambling, 1st scrambling from the rough and 27th in 3 putt avoidance.
Stricker has played at twelve Masters Tournaments. From 2008 to 2012 he has finished 6th, 30th, 11th and 47th. With his new scaled back season you would expect Steve to be nice and fresh and ready to continue on his awesome season to date.
There is plenty of bite left in this old dog!
Bill Haas $67.00 www.sportsbet.com.au
Another great season is underway for Haas. From nine starts he has made eight cuts. Six of those were Top 25 finishes. Better still five were Top 10’s!
A win is just around the corner. And there is no reason why it can’t be this week. This will be his fourth start at Augusta. In his last three visits he has finished 26th in 2010, 42nd in 2011 and 37th last year.
Bill’s driving accuracy is currently at 60%, his greens in regulation are 72% and he is ranked 14th in scrambling. These stats fit well forAugusta.
Good luck and good punting.
