To respond to my overwhelming annual requests from all of you who are filling out your Masters office pool sheets today I duly submit a handful of names for your perusal..
Be warned.. this year and for many to follow any of them is fully capable of donning the green jacket come Sunday evening. Tiger is not playing. Remember, since his first of four wins on this hallowed course in 1997, we had to do Tiger free pools, because everyone picked him to win..
First of all the weather:
Rain is in the forecast for overnight on Wednesday
Thursday will have highs in the low 70s F, but with the wind blowing about an average of 10-20 mph from the NW and the possibility of rain.
Friday morning, temperatures will be in the 40s, and daytime highs will struggle to reach the low 60s under partly sunny skies with the same wind from the NW
Saturday, there will be a heavy dew in the morning and temperatures during the day will be no higher than the 50s with gusts up to 30 mph from the NW
Sunday will warm up close to 70 F in the afternoon, sunny with very little wind.
Jason Day, Rory McIlroy, Jordan Spieth, Bubba Watson, Adam Scott, Rickie Fowler, Phil Mickelson, Louis Oosthuizen, Henrik Stenson, Dustin Johnson....there are the most obvious ten
Patrick Reed, Justin Rose, Angel Cabrera, Zach Johnson, Danny Willett, Branden Grace, Charl Schwartzel, Brooks Koepka, Kevin Kisner, Rafa Cabrera Bello....there's another ten
Hideki Matsuyama, Kevin Kisner, Sergio Garcia, Paul Casey, Marc Leishman, Shane Lowery, JB Holmes, Justin Thomas, Brandt Snedeker, Matt Kuchar....there's another ten..
I can build a case for each one of these guys, If there is a factor which may be the difference maker it's the wind. In Tiger's hole by hole analysis he talks constantly about how much more difficult Augusta becomes with a gusting wind, especially when accompanied by cool or cold weather.
Friday and Saturday in particular have both of those.
So I can predict scoring will be at a premium, Who amongst all of the above is long and can handle the wind, who has a superb wedge game, and who knows all the subtleties of the Augusta approach shots and the greens which are faster this year by all reports.
The weather is favouring the great ball strikers and patience, and importantly experience.
Any clearer ??....
Bryan Angus
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