Grand Masters: the favourites at Augusta
Despite five months of unrelenting misery for Tiger Woods, the former golden boy remains the favourite to win the Masters this week. But there are plenty of big names hoping to stymie the 34-year-old as he attempts to journey from infamy to immortality at Augusta.
A field of 96 players will be looking to don the winner's green jacket on Sunday (there were to be 97, but Raymond Floyd, winner in 1976, has decided to call time on the tournament). How do the biggest hitters measure up?
Phil Mickelson
Mickelson was ranked second in the world earlier this year, and when Woods announced his break from the game there were those who felt that in the absence of the true king, Mickelson could get his hands on the crown. With Woods' return to the game coming more quickly than originally expected, turns out that taking the No.1 spot was never an attainable goal - but in any case, the Californian has disappointed this year, dropping to No. 3 in the world after a series of patchy outings.
Mickelson's highest placing has been a tie for eighth place at the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am - his only top-10 finish in 2010. So far this season the 39-year-old has attracted attention more for his choice of club (when he circumvented new rulings on club faces by playing the controversial Ping Eye 2 club), rather than for his spellbinding golf. But before Woods’ world imploded at the end of 2009, Mickelson was his most consistent rival, winning both the WGC- CA Championship and the HSBC Championship, and also beating Woods in the Tour Championship last September.
It's been suggested that Mickelson's thoughts are preoccupied with more important issues than golf - both his wife and his mother were diagnosed with breast cancer last year. While we wish Phil's family a speedy recovery, we'd love to see Lefty put in a solid shift here in order to prevent Woods thinking he can have it all his own way.
While he remains one of the favourites, going by form alone Mickelson doesn't look like the most obvious candidate to win here, even if he's done it twice before, in 2004 and '06 (Mickelson's also had 10 top-10 finishes at Augusta in the last 11 years). But who knows - maybe a lack of Woods is what's been holding Mickelson back? With that fierce rivalry resuming on Thursday, perhaps Phil can find his game for the first time this year. Just as long as he stays away from the wacky club selection.
Ernie Els
It's fair to say Els had a disappointing 2009, failing to win a single tournament for the first time in almost 20 years. But if that poor form was enough for some to write off the South African, his play in recent weeks has installed Els as the firm second favourite behind Woods. Two wins on the bounce in March, at the WGC-CA Championship and then the Arnold Palmer Invitational, mean Els is in good shape for victory. And the 40-year-old would dearly love to win here, having finished in second place in both 2000 and 2004.
There's a slight edge here too; earlier this year, Els called Woods "selfish" for the timing of his scripted press statement and apology back in February. Els has since stepped back from that comment, saying that perhaps he himself was being "selfish" in criticising Woods, who he describes as a "pretty good friend", while Woods has apologised for the questions his fellow pros have had to endure relating to his absence. All very amicable, but still - we're certain that some part of Els would delight in the opportunity to best the world No. 1 on the big stage.
Away from the Els-Woods rivalry, a minor kerfuffle has broken out regarding Els' decision to use Dan Quinn as his caddy at Augusta, rather than long-time caddie Ricci Roberts, but the Big Easy shrugs off such concerns. Els decided at the start of the year to split his schedule between the two caddies, granting them two majors a piece. Els reckons he knows Augusta well enough that advice from the bagman won't be necessary - which is perhaps for the best, since this will be Quinn's first visit to Augusta.
Of more concern is Els' sometimes erratic putting; even at his best, the big man can still be a little hit and miss when it comes to getting the ball in the hole. Still, Els says his short game and putting is in particularly fine fettle right now. On Augusta's fast greens, it will need to be.
Tiger Woods
To quote the scholarly Sid Waddell, “this would be the greatest comeback since Lazarus” - and it's difficult to believe such a resurrection could ever take place, even this close to Easter. Still, whatever you think of Woods' recent press conference, a sudden shortfall of confidence clearly isn't an issue - at times the man even showed flashes of arrogance, despite his supposed intentions to conduct himself in a manner more in keeping with the game's traditions from now on.
The sheer implausibility of Woods being able to come back from a s*x scandal that has left the corporate-friendly role model looking seedier than a Ron Jeremy double-bill is fascinating in itself. But there are other factors to consider. Woods may have been shaken by the exposure of his double life - he may have been left distraught. But there's a real possibility that Woods is also pretty annoyed.
Just before the golfer made history in 1997, winning the Masters at the age of 21 with a record-breaking score of 18-under, some 12 shots clear of nearest rival Tom Kite, Colin Montgomerie had prophesied that Woods' lack of experience in big tournaments would go against him. Not that we want to highlight Monty's occasional gift for unintended inspiration, but after the win Woods admitted that the Scot's words had spurred him on "big time".
Montgomerie has again spoken out this time around, on how Woods aura of invincibility will be affected by the drubbing he has taken in the press. We're not suggesting that alone will be reason to make Woods say "I'll show him," - these days, Woods probably doesn't pay much attention to Montgomerie's opinions.
But with so much ignominy heaped on Woods' shoulders, so many pundits and would-be experts chiming in with a loud-mouthed opinion (present company included), we'd guess the 34-year-old is seething. He also strikes us as a man more than capable of turning that anger into a positive force. After a protracted break from competition, conventional wisdom tells us that Woods has no chance this week - but Woods is not a conventional man. What better way to confound the critics, get the corporate sponsors back on side and thrill the fans than with this most unlikely of victories?
Or maybe he'll fall flat on his face, miss the cut and decide to hit the casino on Saturday night, rather than choose to hang around stuffy old Augusta. Even so, that eminently rational urge you have to bet against the guy - maybe ignoring it would be the smart move. Just in case.
Tags: