For those interested in a wager at Augusta some of my thoughts on the leading chances

Tiger Woods – Little more needs to be said other than mentioning the name. The game’s greatest looks for his 14th major championship and his fifth green jacket. Woods has been in scintillating form in 2008 with four victories and one fifth place finish in five starts. Just how they are going to beat him is anybody’s guess but golf can be a funny game and it should be remembered he has won only one Masters in his last five visits to Augusta. At even money, some might say it is too short for comfort but as the saying goes no-one ever went broke backing winners.

Phil Mickelson used last week’s Houston Open as his warm up for Augusta and played solidly enough without threatening. Struggling a little with his putting at present which is a concern heading to Augusta but if he can turn that around he could take it to Tiger. With two victories at Augusta and four other top threes, Mickelson is somewhat of a course specialist. A win in Los Angeles earlier this year and three solid if unspectacular performances, since have him in good shape for another good week.

Ernie Els threw some concern amongst his followers when he played poorly at the PODS Championship and at Doral then withdrew from The Shell Houston Open last week. The reason for the indifferent form after his win at the Honda was a virus which has forced him to lay low. With such a disrupted preparation Els faces a difficult task.

Vijay Singh has had a tremendously consistent record at Augusta over recent years, in fact Singh has 10 top ten finishes to his name in the past 13 years including when winning in 2000. In some very good form at present, including when runner up to Geoff Ogilvy at his last start at Doral, everything points to the Fijian having a great week.

Steve Stricker does not have a good record at Augusta but he has seldom played there in recent years. He missed the cut in 2007 but he has become one of the game’s best players in the last two years and at number four in the world deserves some respect. He has played well in 2008 and was had a reasonable tournament in Houston.

Adam Scott was the cause for some concern when he withdrew from the Shell Houston Open after an opening round of 63 and a follow up round of 76. He was suffering from a virus so that, along with his indifferent record in major championship golf, is an issue to be considered for those who fancy his chances. Scott’s improved putting in 2008 will assist him in his quest to improve on his previous best at Augusta when 9th on debut in 2002 but there is still a question mark.

Justin Rose has made the cut in each of his three Masters appearances. He finished a very impressive 5th last year. He has played only a limited amount of events this year but his form has been very good when he has played and, although he has yet to win a PGA Tour event, it would not be the greatest of surprises for him to make the Masters his first.

K.J. Choi has been rock solid in events he has played this year and has a third place finish at Augusta to his credit in 2004. Now, with five Masters behind him, he is well placed to have another good week. He had a nice week in Houston last week without threatening the leaders .

Geoff Ogilvy has developed into a big event player since winning his first event in Tucson in 2005. Of the four events he has won in professional golf, one has been a major and two have been World Golf Championship events. He has played Augusta well in the two times he has played. He was well placed through 50 holes last year before a horror quadruple bogey at the 15th. He was a very solid 16th on debut in 2006 and in the form he is in now, including a great week in Houston where he is challenging for the lead as this is written, he has a great chance at Augusta.

Retief Goosen has produced four top three’s in his last six times to Augusta and as such is somewhat of a course specialist. Despite a slip in the world rankings in recent times, a runner up place finish at the World Golf Championship event at Doral suggests he is heading in the right direction. If he could reproduce that form at Augusta this week he stands a chance of winning his third major championship.

Jim Furyk has missed only one cut in eleven visits to Augusta but has a best of 4th in 1998 and 2003. His form has been mixed of late but a good runner up finish to Ogilvy at Doral indicates things are not too far from where he needs to be.

Padraig Harrington has regularly done well at Augusta and is in the middle of a consistently good run of form. He had a good solid warm up last week in Houston where a last round of 68 has him peaking nicely. Prior to that seemed to be in contention in everything he played in the past six months or so. Now a major winner, he plays with the knowledge he can win at this level and should do well.

Rory Sabbatini took four starts to get the hang of Augusta National but in his 5th time to the event last year he finished runner up behind Zach Johnson. Not everybody’s cup of tea, Sabbatini is nonetheless a very fine player and although his great early season form has dropped off a little, he might still do well.

Henrik Stenson missed the cut in his first time to Augusta two years ago, but improved to 17th last year. He has not played often in 2008 but has generally played well when he has including being twice runner up and once third in events in the Middle East and at the Accenture Match Play. He has the benefit of two time Masters winning caddie Fanny Sunneson on the bag.

Sergio Garcia has not missed a cut anywhere for ten months but there have not been a lot of high finishes amongst those events. The Spaniard’s best finish at Augusta National was when 4th in 2004 but his recent 15th place finish at Doral suggests he is not far from where he needs to be in order to have a good week. He has yet to win a major but has been close on several occasions including his playoff loss to Harrington at Carnoustie last year.

Luke Donald has played just three times at Augusta but his third on debut in 2005 was full of merit and he finished 10th last year suggesting that the Augusta layout suits his game. He has played well this year more especially when third at the Riviera tournament and runner up at the Honda. There is a lot to like about his chances of another good week.

Zach Johnson often plays well at this time of the year as he did when he won the Masters twelve months ago. While he has slipped in the world ranking since his two shot win over Woods, Sabbatini and Goosen last year there have been signs that a repeat victory at Augusta National is not beyond the realms of possibility. Interestingly his form this year is better than it was leading into Augusta last year, his 9th place at the recent C-A Championship a repeat of his same finish last year just prior to the Masters.

Stewart Cink was in very good form prior to his bizarre disqualification in New Orleans two weeks ago. He is a bit of a ‘no frills’ player but his form at present is as good as it has been in some time and despite a best of 10th at in ten visits to Augusta, things could get considerably better this week.

Possible outside chances

Tim Clark has a good record at Augusta because he is one of the game’s leading putters and is a grinder. He has started to play a little better of late after a slow start to the year in recovery from injury. Clark finished runner up to Mickelson in 2006 and led after 36 holes last year before a third round of 80 but still managed to finish 13th.

Jose Maria Olazabal is an Augusta National specialist with two victories and numerous top ten finishes. Olazabal returned to tournament golf only two weeks ago in Spain but last week in Houston he showed he has recovered well from a form of Rheumatism when he played well, especially early in the week. While a long shot, his regularly good form at Augusta gives him some hope a good week.

Fred Couples has never missed a cut in 23 starts at Augusta – a stunning record. Couples is a day to day proposition because of back issues but there have been some very good rounds of golf in recent weeks including a great week in Houston last week. It might be a little much to expect the 48 year old to contend but a good showing would not surprise.

Aaron Baddeley has a very ordinary record at Augusta but he has emerged as a world class player in recent times and is in good enough form for him to expect a much better week. His putting, which is such a strength in his arsenal, should give him an edge at a golf course where there is a huge premium on quality putting and now with three previous attempts at the tournament he has the knowledge he needs to take advantage.

Stuart Appleby was playing so well earlier in the year that he was being considered a possible Masters contender, especially having led after 54 holes in 2007 before finishing 7th. His form in recent weeks has not been quite as sharp but if he can find that early season form again he can expect a good week.

Thx Bruce, great summary. Also a terrifc interview with Steve Williams – I loved the Ray Floyd memoirs.

Liz

Thanks from me as well Bruce. Been waiting for this so i can sort out who to back.