The 2017 Masters begins this week at Augusta National Golf Club and it promises to be one of the best golfing weeks of the year, just like it is every year. There’s the typical few names who have been labeled as the top contenders and for the second year in a row, there was plenty of buzz surrounding the question mark over Tiger’s participation in the weeks leading up to the event but he will not take any part further than the Champions Dinner.
The defending champon, Danny Willett has had a torrid year so far and it reamins to be seen if he can string together four good rounds to give retaining his title a shot. His best finish has been a T-5 at the Maybank Malaysian Open but even that came after he led by three entering the final round only to see his chances disappear due to a poor 73.
Augusta National will test the golfers of their all round games and it is for sure that the player playing his best golf will win. Weaknesses will be exposed at Augusta and no player can expect to challenge for the title if they aren’t on their A-Game.
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Here we take a look at the top 5 contenders for the week:
#5 – Jason Day
Jason Day hasn’t had a particularly bright 2017 so far but it sure has been eventful for the former World No.1. The Aussie took time off and sat out the final few events in 2016 citing a need to rest his back (ligament strain) which had been bothering him for quite some time.
Day missed the wraparound season but hasn’t found any momentum since his return recording only one top-10 finish in 7 events which meant that he had to surrender his 47-week reign as the world No. 1 to Dustin Johnson.
Then things took another bad turn with his mother being diagnosed with lung-cancer earlier in March and he had to withdraw after his first round match at the WGC-Dell Matchplay Championships in Austin, Texas. Day admitted that the emotional stress had been having a huge bearing on his on-course form.
However, Day who won his first major championship at the PGA Championship at Whistling Straits in 2015, expressed that it has been his lifelong dream to win a green jacket and he has come close with two top-three finishes and another top-10 in his six appearnaces so far.
With his mother now recovering well, Day headed to Augusta last week playing nine holes three days in a row and also working intensively with long-time coach and caddie, Colin Swatton.
“I think I have to come in here with less expectation on myself,” said Day.
“I usually say, ‘I’m going to go out there and try and win’ but with what happened to my mum, playing golf was the furthest thing from my mind.
“I’ll do the best job I can preparing and trying to win ... I’m not counting myself out, but I think I just want to come into Augusta with a different attitude because of what’s happened with my mum.”
However, Day’s good preparation at Augusta last week coupled with the fact that his off-course stress has been marginalized will boost his chances of adding another major trophy to his CV.
“For the first time in about a month-and-a-half, I’m happy to be on the golf course; I’m enjoying myself again and I’m thankful to compete at the Masters, which I absolutely love,” said Day.
“It’s been really, really hard to enjoy myself. I think things are starting to brighten up.”
Day finished in the top-10 in three majors in 2016 before finishing second at the PGA Championship.
#4 – Rory McIlroy
Rory McIlroy, unlike Jason Day, has enjoyed a good 2017 campaign so far building on the great end that he enjoyed in 2016 by winning the FedEx Cup in emphatic fashion.
He started his seaosn right where he left off in 2016 and came close to winning at the BMW-SA Open on the European Tour in his first week before he had to sit out his next few scheduled events and as a result he missed the PGA Tour Florida swing.
He has since recovered and played in three events in the month of March recording two top 10 finishes and a T-30 at the WGC Matchplay event in Austin.
McIlroy’s best finish at Augusta so far is a fourth-place nod in 2015. He has his own demons at this course, having had a late failure in 2011 that was similar to Spieth’s last year.
McIlroy has three straight top-10 finishes at Augusta, and he’s currently ranked second in the world. The 27-year-old has four major championships in his career, though he hasn’t gotten one since 2014.
However, it remains one of his biggest goals to accomplish for the rest of his career and he will want to get over the bump sooner rather than later. A win at Augusta would aslo mean the completion of the career grand slam for him.
McIlroy’s putter continues to be streaky and he might have been able to contend at the Arnold Palmer Invitational had it been for some of those crucial putts falling after he joined the leaders. He has worked a lot on his short game in his time off due to injury and that might pay dividends at Augusta but it is his street fighting determination witnessed at last year’s Tour Championship that could count for a lot this week.
#3 Hideki Matsuyama
Hideki has established himself as an elite player with his multiple wins this season on tour. He has seen his ranking rise to a career best 4th in the world after his resounding win at the WGC-HSBC event in China by seven shots and his recent win at the Phoenix Open where he held off some big name players like Rickie Fowler.
He is the best player in the world yet to win a major and that could all change this week if he can convert some more of those endless birdie opportunities he seems to be setting himself up with.
The Japanese star also has an unofficial PGA Tour win at the Hero world Challenge and a couple of second place finishes to further bolster his chances at the year’s first major. The 25 year old could be hoisting his first major trophy come Sunday if his putter complies with the standard of the rest of his game.
Also Read: 5 reasons why Hideki Matsuyama will win a major championship in 2017
#2 Jordan Spieth
Jordan Spieth is a once in a century phenomenon, I’m sure that’s not the first time you’ve heard that. What he did in 2015 will be pretty hard for him to top over the course of the rest of his career but he has not contended in any major since his infamous blow up on the 12th hole at Augusta last year.
For a 23 year old it can be tough to overcome a meltdown of that magnitude especially when he was looking to make it back-to back wins at Augusta and take his tally of major wins to three. However, if there is someone who can do it, it’s Jordan Spieth. The Texan has two 2nd place finishes and a win at Augusta in three appearances. His win in 2015 was a wire-to-wire win with a record-tying score of 18 under par.
He has since recorded two victories on the PGA Tour in the form of Dean & Deluca Invitational and more recently at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. Jordan is only the second player after Tiger Woods to win nine times on tour by the age of 23 and he seems to be keeping up with all the mind-boggling records that Tiger Woods has set out through his career.
Spieth has displayed good from in 2017 and has shown a level of consistency in his iron play that is on par with his 2015 season. His putting continues to be his strongest asset and if he can drop putts at will, something that we have seen him do multiple times in the alst couple of years, he could be a proud owner of a second green jacket.
Jordan has 4 top 10’s this season in 8 events including a win and a third place finish. The World No. 6 will be eager to get back to his old winning ways and his drive to overcome his Augusta disaster from last year could be a key factor in seeing him over the line this week.
Also Read: How he’s done it: Jordan Spieth
#1 Dustin Johnson
Dustin Johnson’s new found maturity and quiet confidence has seen him rise to World No.1 in golf. He won the PGA Tour Player of the year in 2016 courtesy of his three wins and narrow miss at winning the Fed Ex Cup.
Dustin was previously known for being one of the most gifted players to not have won a major championship but that too changed in 2016 when he won the US Open. He had seen so many major championships slip out of his grasp that one thought he might never get over the line.
But his remarkable power of being able to forget and move on is what has transformed him into a machine. DJ has worked hard on his attitude and has also fine tuned his wegeplay which is now on point. His putting is almost as big an advantage as his driving is and he simply looks unstoppable right now.
He’s loving the view at the top as he continues to stretch away from the rest of the players in the World golf rankings. Dustin is on a streak of three wins in three consecutive starts on tour and became the only man to win all four of the WGC titles when he won the Matchplay event in Austin two weeks ago.
The No.1 golfer has finished in the top six in each of the last two years and his relentless pursuit to be the best player he can be coupled with scary athletic abilities make him the favourite entering the week.
The only concern is that no favourite has won at Augusta National since Tiger Woods in 2005.
There also a host of other names who will be looking to make their own cases at the Masters this week. Justin Rose, John Rahm, Justin thomas, Louis Oosthuizen, Lee Westwood, Sergio Garcia and Bubba Watson are all capable of winning the green jacket.
Jon Rahm has been in hot form and has 2 runner-ups in his rookie season. He has needed just a measley number of 15 starts to rise to No.14 in the world.
Justin Thomas has won three times this season and he could be peaking once again to get his biggest win yet.
Sergio Garcia won on the European Tour at the Dubai Desert Classic and has had a resurgence in form lately. He broke his 4 year long winless drought on the PGA Tour by winning the AT&T Byron Nelson Championship. His game seems to be in a good spot heading into the Masters too.
Justin Rose has gone winless since winning the gold medal at the Rio Olympics last year and he is hungry to kickstart his season with a win.
Bubba Watson is a two time winner at Augusta and his ability to move the ball both ways and see shots that no other player can see can see him over the line.
Lee Westwood has committed to better performances at the majors in the last couple of years and now plays a shortened tour schedule. He has had a few close calls too and will be looking to get the “never won a major” tag of his back once and for all.
Louuis Oosthuizen possesses arguably the best swing in golf and has a Major championship to his name. He has been close at the Masters in the past losing in a playoff to Bubba Watson in 2012.
