Well, after continuing my terrific track file with my ANA picks closing week -- at least Inbee made the playoff! -- I'm prepared to strive once more, this time with my selections for the Masters.
Let's be clean on this one. There are SOOOOOO many properly picks this week that you may take just about any 5 gamers in the area and feature a decent risk of choosing the winner. And the Masters has a manner of giving us sudden winners. How lots of you picked Sergio to break via final 12 months?
After some non-public debate, I have determined now not to encompass Tiger on this list. While he has advanced tons faster than I anticipated and I won't be amazed if he does win, he would not make my "five to Watch" list. Why? Because I still see him making strategic mistakes coming down the stretch in regular activities, and I suspect he is nonetheless learning how his frame reacts to adrenaline after the fusion. That can simplest be amplified in a chief, and he hasn't even teed it up in a major in two years. You should move all of the manner lower back to the 2015 Masters just to discover a essential when he played the weekend!
For the record, I do expect Tiger to contend this week and I expect getting a "fundamental rep" will help him begin prevailing the regular tournaments quickly. But I feel that he is still one, possibly two, majors faraway from being a severe preferred inside the large ones. So, barring any wins before the USA Open, I'm focused on Carnoustie as a practical danger for a Tiger foremost.
In the interim, who are my frontrunners for a Masters win? They might not be the ones you will anticipate. Here's my list:
- With three Masters in his pocket and a WGC win already this season, Phil Mickelson seems ready to get back in the mix. Phil generally plays well here, no matter what his game looks like coming in, but he's shown steady improvement in all areas of his game through the early part of this year. He might not be my top pick, but he's definitely Top5.
- Rory McIlroy seems to have finally found his putter, which should worry the rest of the field. And if any of his competition hopes that's a fleeting thing, Rory's win at the API should have them shaking in their Footjoys. When Rory's firing on all cylinders, he can seduce a really low score from Augusta National's sensuous greens. Look for him to make a good run at the career Grand Slam this week.
- Bubba Watson has two Masters already, but he's never come into Augusta with two other wins in his rear view mirror. His putter is rolling well, his driver is seeking fairways better than it has in a long time, and his mind seems free from the boogeymen that have haunted him at times. And like Phil, Bubba has a special relationship with Augusta. I like his chances as well.
- Last year Justin Rose came up just short in his duel with Sergio -- not as a result of bad play, but simply because Sergio was "on." Justin has since rebounded from that loss, posting a couple of wins in the past few months and Top5s in the Valspar and API, so he's also in good form. He's somewhat under most people's radar, and I think that's a shame.
- And my flier is... Ian Poulter . I've already written about how I think the last couple of years have changed Ian's perspective, and I think he's primed to play well this week. It's easy to forget that he has a pretty good record around Augusta, and I think he's in a good frame of mind to make a push for his first major this week.
As for my pick, I've already written in past posts that Bubba Watson moved to the top of my list when he got his second win in Austin, and I've seen nothing since to change my mind. Given Bubba's current form, I think my picks may fare better this week than they did at Rancho Mirage.
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