The most anticipated week of the golf year is upon us, and the run up to The Masters has rarely been so full of excitement, with a theme of redemption taking the lead.
The number of golfing luminaries who are poised to make history and start new chapters in their own careers hasn’t ever been this high in my memory.
The list is a who’s who of golf royalty, young and old.
Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, Rory McIlroy, Bubba Watson, Jordan Spieth, Dustin Johnson, Justin Thomas, John Rahm, Justin Rose,He Rick Stenson. All of these gents will have backers and an argument for each wearing the green jacket come Sunday can be made. Let’s look at the pro’s and con’s.
- Tiger: Love him, hate him, you can’t ignore him. He’s back in elite competitive form, no question about it. The questions that remain are when will he win again (soon, I think) and can he win a 15th major? His recovery from debilitating back problems with four surgeries is we’ll documented but I think is still under appreciated. At 42 he’s pumping out the highest recorded swing speed on Tour this year. That indicates a level of physical talent that belies his age and should give pause to all those young flat-bellies who grew up idolizing him, who have modeled their games on his, all power and aggressiveness. Tiger, a four time MASTERS champ, certainly knows the Augusta National layout as well as anyone. But Tiger hasn’t donned a green jacket since 2005, when he was in full flow, dominating golf like no one else before or since. Tiger might add fifth MASTERS title to his resume but not this year.
- Phil: Lefty finally broke his lengthy winless spell with last month’s victory at The WGC Mexico Championship and has been in fine form early this season. He’s made nine of ten cuts with five top ten finishes. His stat line for this wrap around 2017-2018 season is enviable: #2 in SG total,#2 in putting, #7 in scrambling, #9 in scoring average and #19 in SG Tee to Green. Impressive stuff! I’m a Phil fanatic, have been for twenty plus years, yet I don’t think Phil has another major win in him. I’ve seen his vaunted short game let him down in crucial situations too many times, including his first three rounds this week in Houston. I don’t think he can any longer sustain the vital combination of focus and freedom that is required to persevere in a major. But I truly hope I’m wrong.
- Rory: Ror’s ended his 18 month winless streak by taking The Arnold Palmer Invitational two weeks ago at Bay Hill. His driver came to life and fueled the rest of his game, as he shot the low round of the tourney, 8 under 64, on Sunday to win going away. It was a strange, sad symmetry for McIlroy, who’s last victory came at The Tour Championship on the day The King passed away. Possessing the best long game in golf, Rory is also a student of the game’s history, and knows full well what is now within his grasp – the career grand slam and golf immortality. This position and opportunity can play as a double edged sword. He’s in a select group of active golfer’s who own three legs of the career slam, yet the only one who need’s The MASTERS for completion. That pressure poses the biggest challenge for Rory, who still bears the scars from his collapse at the 2011 MASTERS, when he stood on #10 tee with the championship in hand. Given a similar position this year, Rory won’t spit the bit.
- Bubba: The other Lefty with current form (with apologies to Brian Harmon) is that big kid from Bagdad, Florida. Bubba comes into Augusta with two wins early in the season, an early winning spree that he’s never enjoyed before. And those wins were both high quality victories, the first at the revered Rivera Golf Club, that demands a shot maker’s mentality, and the next at Austin Country Club at The WGC Match Play Championship. His play at both was loose, free and full of imagination. When it comes to imagination in golf , Bubba is in a select group, which is fleshed out with Tiger and Phil, who See and go at shots other golfer’s don’t see or run away from. The key to Bubba’s play is always his mental attitude, his engagement in the challenge. Often times he’s subject to pity parties, and he’s beat before the first tee. Bubba was like a kid in a candy store after his WGC win, which is fitting since owning candy store is one of his latest off course ventures. Augusta National has been his own personal trip through Candy Land on two previous occasions, 2012 and 2014, and 2018 Ishtar be another.
- Jordan: The 2015 MASTERS winner is one of the truly special golfers in our game. He, along with Rory McIlroy, possesses a special aura that convinces you he can rise to any challenge. Exhibit #1 was the 2017 Open Championship at Royal Birkdale. He was falling apart and in the next time zone after his tee ball on #13 but he pulled off perhaps the greatest, most decisive bogey in Championship golf, then posts birdie, eagle, birdie, birdie to gut the game Matt Kuchar, and take his third leg of the career grand slam. But that was last year and Spieth hasn‘t been in form this year, especially on the greens. As I write this. Jordan is putting on a run to push Ian Poulter at the Houston Open, and seems to be finding his stoke. The boy wonder knows the joy of winning the green jacket, and the agony of throwing one in the trash. He wants to redeem himself from the back nine slide in to Rae’s creek in 2016. If his stroke is now found, he’s the man.
- Dustin: The World #1 is having a fine, if not spectacular, season so far. Perhaps we’ve become accustomed to off the charts performance from the unflappable Johnson, otherwise four top tens of six tournaments played, with a victory and two runner up finishes would rate as pretty great stuff. He’s #2 on Tour in scoring average, #1 in shots gained total and #3in SG tee to green. The one area where his play is not up to his par is approach shots to green, ranking #62 . When in his zone, he is an irresistible force, much like McIlroy and Spieth. If his mind is right, he can win any tournament. Poised for a green jacket fitting on the eve of last year’s MASTERS, a slip down the stairs at his rental home derailed his chances and his season. Is he pumped for a shot at redemption? Who knows what goes on in his head. My take is he isn’t quite back to where he needs to be to go this distance.
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