It’s tough to pick against Tiger, but 37-year-old Padraig Harrington has flourished in the major championships the last two years, grabbing the last two and three of the last six. After an impressive playoff win over Sergio Garcia at Carnoustie in 2007, Harrington overcame an injured wrist and crowd-favorite Greg Norman to win back-to-back British Open titles and become the first European golfer to successfully defend his crown since 1906. Three weeks later, a pair of 66s over the weekend propelled him to victory at the PGA Championship at Oakland Hills Country Club in Michigan. That’s all well and good, but can he do it at Augusta with a healthy Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson back to form with two wins this year? The answer is in the numbers: Paddy has three top-ten finishes at Augusta since 2002, including a tied for fifth finish in 2008 and a tied for seventh in 2007. I expect Harrington will have to be a little more aggressive than he usually is, but his steady play and ability to withstand major championship pressure bodes well for his chances at Augusta. Here’s to rooting for the "Paddy Slam" at Bethpage Black!
The “Tin Cup” guy?: No, not Roy McAvoy. I’m talking about Rory McIlroy, the 19-year-old Northern Ireland native who burst onto the professional golf scene in 2007 when he finished low amateur at the British Open. A Masters rookie is definitely not the popular pick to win as there have only been three in the event’s history, most recently Fuzzy Zoeller in 1979, but McIlroy has the game to fill out that foursome. He snagged his first professional win this year at the Dubai Desert Classic in February and later reached the quarterfinals at the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship (where he lost to eventual champion Geoff Ogilvy). Augusta National may not favor the free-swinging and charismatic teenager, but what could be more exciting than Tiger, Phil or Padraig paired with a young phenom like McIlroy in the final round of the Masters.
Bob Nielsen
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