I do not believe there is a golf tournament in the world that is more iconic than The Masters. Sure, there are tournaments with a greater history (Open Championship) and that are a much better test of a perfect golfer (US Open), but the sights and sounds of The Masters are unmatched anywhere in the world. From iconic golfers hitting the first tee shots, to the event being played at the same course every year, to past champions and green jackets, The Masters is the tournament all golfers dream of winning.
Now let's butcher it with some dope pretending to know things about golf!
Like every major, I will give a few names - a true dark horse, a sleeper, and five players I think can conceivably win the tournament. Since it's The Masters, however, I will give a few other names of players I am watching, even if I don't think they will be slipping on the green jacket on Sunday.
Watch List:
Tiger Woods - Tiger is a true mystery in terms of what the state of his game true is in. The last time we saw him, he was among the worst golfers on Tour, unable to chip a ball onto the green and playing so erratically that he was finishing in last place at a golf course he has dominated. Tiger is saying all the right things heading into this tournament, and reports say he shot a front nine 30 in his practice round on Monday. Who knows if any of that is true, but if I were to make a prediction on Tiger, I say he makes the cut but isn't really in contention to win. It's easy to make the cut at The Masters since there are only 96 players in the field. He should be able to do enough to play on Sunday.
Hideki Matsuyama - At the beginning of the year, I predicted that Hideki Matsuyama will be the first player from Japan to win a major title, and this is his first opportunity to do so. It might be the worst place for him, however, as he failed to break 80 twice in his last two trips to Augusta National. He is more suited for open style golf courses.
Ben Crenshaw - Thanks for the memories, Gentle Ben.
Dark Horse:
Jose Maria Olazabal - Every year, an older past champion seems to find his way into contention late into the weekend. For a few years it was Fred Couples. Last year it was Bernhard Langer. Olazabal has not played well on the European Tour the last two season, but he was able to finish in the top 10 two weeks ago, his first top 10 finish in years, and he has made the cut in his last two Masters appearances. I think Olazabal has one last run left in him, and this might be the year he turns the clock back.
Sleeper:
J.B. Holmes - I know calling someone who won just three days ago a "sleeper" is kind of foolish, but it would still be a bit of a surprise if Holmes were to win The Masters. Holmes has never finished inside the top 10 in a major, but this course seems to set up perfectly for his game. Holmes needs to contend in a major before he will be considered as one of the best players on Tour, and this is the perfect spot for him to do so. He is entering with a ton of confidence. Don't be surprised if he is on the first page of the leaderboard on Sunday.
The Contenders:
5) Jimmy Walker - Barely took the edge over Dustin Johnson in this spot, and it's simply because Walker has less question marks surrounding him. The biggest knock against Walker is that he has been unable to win a big tournament. That is the only thing missing from his resume in the last year and a half, as Walker has been nothing short of sensational in almost every category. He's not the most exciting player, but you don't have to be exciting to win The Masters (see Schwartzel, Charl).
4) Bubba Watson - I'm just playing the law of averages here in saying that he won't win the green jacket for a third time in four years. Even Arnold Palmer needed a year in between victories. Still, he is a proven winner here and his game is perfect for this track, plus he has been playing great golf this season, so there is no reason to think Bubba won't be at least part of the conversation on Sunday.
3) Jason Day - Has come close to taking home this tournament on a few occasions, and is entering with a renewed confidence. Appears to be healthy after being sidelined most of 2014 with an injury. The criticism against Day was that he didn't win enough, and now he's entering after winning twice in the past 12 months. Day will be a major winner someday, and August National seems to be the best place for him to accomplish that victory.
2) Rory McIlroy - The best player in the world, even if he hasn't played as such in his last couple of tournaments. All eyes will be on Rory on Saturday (once it's known that Tiger won't be part of the conversation) to see if he is able to win the career grand slam. He will...some day, but not this weekend. He certainly COULD, and I think he will come close, but he needs to learn how to play well at Augusta before he can win it. There is a reason he hasn't won the career grand slam and that is because he has yet to figure out how to play Augusta.
The Champion:
Jordan Speith - I am not being very creative with this pick, but to pick anyone else, quite frankly, would be foolish. Playing better than anyone in the world right now. Came close last year, but inexperience cost him down the stretch. He has had a full year to learn from the mistakes he made, and is playing better now than he was entering this event a year ago. Jordan Speith, all 21 years old of him, will be slipping on the green jacket on Sunday.
Champion: Jordan Speith
Winning Score: -14
Margin Of Victory: Three strokes
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