“There is absolutely nothing humorous at The Masters. Here, small dogs do not bark and babies do not cry.”
— Gary Player (’61, ’74, ’78)
It’s that time. Time for that “Tradition Unlike Any Other.”
Masters time.
Doesn’t get any better, anywhere, anytime, any place. This is it.
We go back to the early 30s and give you these words from the late, great Bobby Jones, to set the stage:
“We want to make bogeys easy, if frankly sought, pars readily obtainable by standard good play and birdies, except on par fives — dearly bought.”
With that in mind, let’s get right into the inexact science of bringing our list of favorites at this year’s Masters.
Our favorites, like The Masters, are unlike any others as we’ve divided them into four groups of five.
Here they are:
TOP TIER:
Justin Thomas: J.T. is our top pick. Reasons are simple. He’s been playing better golf on a consistent basis over the past 60 days than anyone else headed for Augusta National. He has the complete game to be totally in the thick of it on Sunday afternoon.
Justin Rose: Didn’t play that well in Houston but played well enough. Runnerup last year, this could be his time.
Rickie Fowler: Played really sloppy in Houston but we’re betting his mind was somewhere else. Mainly down Magnolia Lane. If he’s in the hunt on Sunday, look for the crowds to really get behind him.
Rory McIlroy: If he’s driving it the way he did at Bay Hill and putting it the way he did at Bay Hill that particular Sunday, look out. He could run and hide from the rest of the field. His “A” game is that strong.
Dustin Johnson: There’s nothing in his game that isn’t suited perfectly for Augusta National. Not coming in with all the fan-fare of last year when he took the infamous slip-and-fall at his rental home. Heard he’s staying in a one-story house this year.
SECOND TIER:
Jon Rahm: If his putting is on, he has the total game to win a Green Jacket. If not this year, then sometime in the near future.
Bubba Watson: Bubba insists he’s not a favorite despite the fact he’s already won twice this year. Okay, that’s why he’s in our second tier. Hope that makes you happy, Bubba.
Jordan Spieth: Putting woes continued at Houston. After problems on Saturday, he putted well on Sunday, getting a tie for third thanks to some great putting. He seems to get in a different frame of mind at this event but still has a ton of scar tissue from his Sunday performances on the 12th hole. He needs to figure out that the center of the green on Sunday beats the hell out of Rae’s Creek.
Sergio Garcia: Can’t see him repeating. The planets aligned perfectly for him last year but he should be hanging around somewhere in the top 15.
Matt Kuchar: If slugs like Mike Weir and Trevor Immelman can win The Masters, why the heck can’t Kooch?
THIRD TIER:
Tiger Woods: Odds-on favorite? That what the books are saying. Is everyone expecting too much from the 2018 version of Tiger Woods? We say yes. He can’t win unless by some miracle, he’s discovered away to hit his driver straight consistently. He can’t win hitting two-irons and three-woods on this track and he knows it. Rest of the game is solid enough to put him in contention.
Jason Day: Got in early, practiced all weekend on site. Just hasn’t had it so far this year. This would be a great week to get it together.
Hideki Matsuyama: Hasn’t been that good this season but in all fairness is coming back off a wrist injury.
Paul Casey: If he can putt half as good as he did when he won The Valspar, he can contend.
Phil Mickelson: Jack Nicklaus won at age 46 back in ’86. Phil is now 47 and he’s certainly no Jack Nicklaus. That being said, Phil shot 67 Sunday in Houston. The last time he shot 67 in a final round in Houston was 2006 and he went on to win The Masters the following week.
FOURTH TIER:
Xander Schauffele: He’s continued to impress. Has a complete game. Good dark-horse pick.
Tony Finau: Can he use his awesome length to his advantage?
Alex Noren: Can he play Augusta National with a power fade? A guy named Nicklaus used to.
Thomas Pieters: Can he repeat the good week he had at Augusta last year?
Tommy Fleetwood: Can Europe’s best player make his presence felt at Augusta?
There you have it. Twenty players to watch. Past wisdom has said that The Masters may be the easiest major to win. Part of that is because there are a lot of players in the field who cannot win. While it may be the easiest to win, it’s also the easiest to lose come Sunday afternoon on the back nine.
Can’t wait!
