Lucky 13 for Tiger

It’s hard to believe, but this is Tiger’s 15th Masters appearance (his 13th as a professional). He has grown up before our eyes, from a skinny Southern California kid who won six consecutive USGA titles from 1991-‘96 (three Juniors, three Amateurs) to an incredibly well-built, mentally strong, virtually unstoppable force in golf. During that time, he has amassed more course knowledge about Augusta National than any other player, especially when it comes to reading the greens. He will continue to be the favorite in every major championship until well into the next decade, and despite coming off reconstructive knee surgery last year, he appears to be in top form heading into the first major of the year. No matter what he says, Tiger would love nothing more than to win the Grand Slam (and tie Jack Nicklaus with 18 majors in the process). You can’t win all four without winning the first.

The Euro is Rising: A European has not won the Masters in 10 years, since Jose Maria Olazabal came out on top. If it’s not Tiger, I’d look for either Paul Casey, Sergio Garcia, or Padraig Harrington to end the Euro drought. Casey, in particular, seems to be peaking at the right time, having just won last week in Houston. And with three top-10s in four Masters appearances, Casey obviously feels comfortable on the course. I wouldn’t be surprised at all to see Casey become the sixth player in history to win the week before the Masters and then go on to claim the green jacket (the last was Phil Mickelson in 2006).

Greg Midland

Three in a Row

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