Masters week has arrived and there are many different story lines this year. Here are a few:
• Tiger is coming off his win at Bay Hill and his game is looking very sharp. Obviously, he is the favorite to win his 5th Green Jacket.
• Phil Mickelson recently said that he was playing the best golf he has ever played. He’s had two strong wins this year but just missed the cut at the Houston Open with scores of 77 – 76. Not good.
• Padraig Harrington is going for his 3rd straight major. We shall see if he can amp up his game again specifically for a major.
• Sergio Garcia is still seeking his first major title. He finished the final round of the Houston Open with an 81. If momentum means anything, he’s done.
• Trevor Immelman is the defending champion but hasn’t really done anything since his win last year. It will be interesting to see how he defends this week.
• Geoff Ogilvy has been playing great all year. Paul Casey has been playing well and he's coming off a win last week. Retief Goosen’s game is returning to form. These are three players to look out for.
• Greg Norman is making his return to Augusta. He had to have suffered the most devastating Masters loss ever in 1996 when he blew the 6 shot lead on the final day. You never know with Norman. He came so close to actually winning the British Open last year so maybe he still has another run left in him. Hopefully he will play well and at least make the cut.
• Three teenage phenoms are playing this week. We shall see if Rory McCIroy, Ryo Ishikawa, or Danny Lee can make the cut or even compete for the tournament.
• In recent years, the golf course set up has been overly difficult according to many of the players. This has taken a lot of what has made the Masters the most exciting tournament to watch. The fans want to see birdies and eagles on the back nine on Sunday. It will be interesting to see how they set things up this week and if they are still “Tiger proofing” the course.
If I were picking pairings for the first two days, I would put Tiger, Phil, and Norman together. Talk about ratings.
Prediction: Big Shocker, Tiger Woods wins.
