GOLF/ US MASTERS PREVIEW: IN THIS, the 73rd edition of the US Masters, the promise of compelling subplots abound. Can Pádraig Harrington continue his remarkable winning streak in the majors? Will Tiger Woods take another step in his pursuit of Jack Nicklaus's all-time majors record? How will the teenage brigade – fronted by Rory McIlroy – handle this most pressurised of all golfing environments? Is there to be a fairytale return to Augusta National for Greg Norman? Questions, questions.
It’s doubtful even if Angel, the psychic who occupies a white-fronted premises on the opposite side of Washington Road, could possibly predict which story will emerge as the main theme. But, as the cool westerly winds which hampered the first couple of practice days was yesterday replaced by more customary Southern heat, the expectation is increasingly of a tournament more reminiscent of the past and a flourish of birdies to encourage a return of the crowd’s roars which have been mainly absent for the last two years.
In fairness to Zach Johnson and Trevor Immelman, respective winners in 2007 and 2008, the absence of the traditional back-nine roars – particularly on the Sunday – had much to do with the weather, particularly the strong winds, which turned the final rounds into what Rocco Mediate, for one, referred to as, “a war of attrition, there weren’t any fireworks”.
The question is, who will provide the fireworks this time? Of course, the answer will be provided in time. Yet, as yesterday’s return of warm weather brought with it giddy expectations for the four rounds ahead, the evidence base indicates this will be a tournament fought to the end. The old way.
We could do with a back-nine charge a la Nicklaus in ’86. Or a chip-in a la Larry Mize in ’87. Or, dare we say it, a collapse akin to Norman in ’96. Or, more recently, the belligerent refusal of Woods to accept the seemingly inevitable and to eventually overcome Chris DiMarco in a play-off in 2005.
And, for sure, Woods’s rehabilitation – and swift return to winning ways in the recent Bay Hill Invitational – has provided an extra and timely stimulus to this first major of the year as he closes in on Nicklaus’s career record of 18 majors, six of them achieved in the Masters. Woods is on a career total of 14, four of them won here at Augusta National.
For the past three Masters, though, Woods has come up short. Third in 2006. Second in 2007. Second in 2008. This time, he comes in with a confident strut. If he is to win again, Woods expects to do it the hard way. No stroll in the park.
“If you just look at the landscape of the tour in ’96 when I came out here versus now in 2009, there are a lot more guys with a chance to win each and every week. The fields are deeper, the equipment (better). Guys’ margins of miss-hits are not going as far off-line. The game is getting closer and closer, it just makes it harder to win,” attested Woods.
The world’s number one needn’t look too far over his shoulder for the player closest to him, a certain Phil Mickelson. Theirs is a rivalry of the ages, a love-hate affair that has you reading between the lines. For example, when Mickelson was asked to nominate the best “clutch putter in history”, he didn’t go down the obvious route.
“You’re going to initially pick Tiger or Jack . . . but I think there are other guys that make a lot of key putts in key situations. Pádraig is a guy that when he gets there he gets it done. Nick Faldo seemed to get it done,” observed Mickelson.
If the truth be told, Woods – more than anyone – has that ability to get the ball into the hole when it matters most. Time and time again, he has done it. And, quite rightly, he should be installed as favourite for this Masters. He loves the course, and he has a track record around the azaleas and dogwoods second only to, ahem, Nicklaus.
Yet, as the past three years have proven, someone is always capable of going one better than Woods. Could we again have a surprise winner akin to Johnson two years ago or especially, Immelman last year? Perhaps someone like Nick Watney, an in-form player who has moved from 204th to 35th in the world rankings since January with a string of top-25 finishes. No win yet, though. But no missed cuts either.
Or, in the year when Norman makes a sentimental return thanks to his finish in last year’s British Open, is it time for one of the Australians to earn redemption for their nation? Geoff Ogilvy leads a list of potential Aussie winners. But he’ll he need to improve on past visits here. It hasn’t been a happy hunting ground.
And, then, there is Harrington. He’s not looking on this as the third leg of a potential Paddy Slam. Just as another Masters, another chance to win a major. He has proven rather good at that in the past couple of years. Again, he should be there or thereabouts when the business end of the tournament is played. Forget what he has done so far this season, it has all been about building up for this one.
This Masters promises to be compelling, with the course – as ever – immaculate and the weather, unlike the past two years, likely to put some heat on players’ backs. Woods is back, and is the man to beat yet again. That gap back to 2005 since his last win is too long for him.
You’ve got to figure he will close out the deal this time.
On television today BBC 2 - 9.0pm-10.30pm BBC 1 - 10.35pm-12.30am Setanta Ireland - 9.0pm-12.30am
