This is it! The week golfing fans everywhere have been waiting for. The Masters at Augusta National Golf Club is finally upon us, and it is safe to say that there has not been so much hype surrounding golf’s most famous tournament in quite some time.
All eyes will be on Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy as he bids to become just the sixth player to complete the Career Grand Slam at the age of 25, following in the footsteps of greats such as Ben Hogan, Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods.
McIlroy’s record at Augusta is solid, but not spectacular.
His best finish is a tie for 8th in 2014; however he is best remembered for his collapse in 2011, where he led by four shots going into the final round, but ended up shooting 80 and finished in a tie for 15th.
That final round collapse was a lesson that the inexperienced McIlroy needed to learn. He played that day like a player who was trailing by four shots, rather than a player leading by four. He attacked every pin and tried to separate himself from the field, but ultimately Augusta chewed him up and spat him out. It was a blessing in disguise for the man from Holywood.
Since that infamous day in April 2011, McIlroy has won four major championships, and has grabbed hold of the world number one spot and it appears that he won’t be letting it go anytime soon. Should McIlroy win this week and earn the Career Grand Slam at the first time of asking, then he truly deserves his place among the greats of the game of golf.
If McIlroy is to win this week then he must perform on the par-5s. Last year he played Augusta’s par-5s in level par, finishing the tournament on that very number. In stark contrast the winner Bubba Watson played the par-5s in eight under for the week, and that was the exact number he finished the tournament on.
While McIlroy is known for consistently hitting greens in regulation, his putting is sometimes his Achilles heel, so that could prove to be another crucial factor in determining whether he will win this week or not.
The World Number One will face stiff competition from a number of players, who will be vying to get their hands on the Green Jacket.
Last year’s runner-up Jordan Spieth has risen to number four in the world rankings and is most certainly playing well enough to be in contention.
Jimmy Walker, who finished tied for 8th alongside McIlroy last year on his debut has also cracked the top ten of the World Rankings, and with two wins to his name already this season, he should also be challenging for his first Major victory.
Other players that should be in contention are defending champion Bubba Watson, Dustin Johnson, Jason Day, Matt Kuchar, Henrik Stenson and Patrick Reed.
And who would be bold enough to write off Tiger Woods, who is launching yet another comeback to the tour, hoping that he can rediscover the form that saw him dominate golf for over a decade.
Sweden’s Jonas Blixt was 250/1 for last year’s Masters and he finished tied for second alongside Spieth, so perhaps another underdog will challenge for the coveted Green Jacket this year.
Once Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player and fittingly Ben Crenshaw, who is gracing Augusta for his 44th consecutive and final appearance, hit the opening tee shots on Thursday, all eyes will be on Rory McIlroy to see if he can add his name to the history books and win the Career Grand Slam.
One thing is for sure, this is certainly shaping up to be the most interesting and compelling edition of the Masters in quite some time, and whoever comes out on top will be a worthy winner of the famous Green Jacket.
