Now inside of a month from the Masters, a handful of guys could be contenders for the first major of the year. But with parity in golf at perhaps an all-time high, which five players seem most likely to take the green jacket?
Nick Watney: The most consistent player of 2011 is Watney. The Doral winner has not finished outside of the top 10 in five starts this year. He’s never finished outside of the top 20 at Augusta, including 7th last year.
Dustin Johnson: Be it working with Butch, finding a flame, or whatever it is, Dustin Johnson looked like the guy that could have won two majors in 2010. If he can play anything like he did at Doral on Saturday and, though the putts didn’t go down, Sunday, then he could be lethal.
Luke Donald: Luke Donald may not have won his second World Golf Championship of the year, but he has been playing some impressive, steady golf. Two top tens in his first three Masters starts, but two missed cuts since in the next three. Forget those.
Phil Mickelson: Though Lefty looked way off in the final round at Doral, Mickelson has won three Masters titles since 2004 – the most in that period. The roars may have come back at Augusta due to a variety of tactics to make the course a little easier, but Mickelson is the guy leading the charge. Experience means the world at Augusta, or at least it does to Mickelson, whose year centers around this tournament.
Tiger Woods: Tiger’s been on the “drive for five” Masters wins since, well, 2005, but he found a fourth place finish last year when he had no business playing major tournament golf. That finish will look even more astounding in time, but keep it in mind when analyzing Woods’ final round 66 at Doral, and a lot of confidence that he is on the right path.
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