Masters Pairings and Picks

The day has finally come for avid golf fans, Masters pairings. The big guns are spread all over the day with Tiger pulling a 10:41am time and Phil later in the afternoon at 1:48pm.

There are many interesting pairings. Immelman, Glover, and Matsuyama have a 12:09pm time. All of these players are underachieving as of late. Look for Glover to get back on track with his accuracy and distance. Tiger will have a comfortable pairing with McDowell and Allenby. I don't think any of these guys will do anything spectacular, but you can be sure that the gallery will be closely following this group. Mickelson is playing alongside Geoff Ogilvy and rising star Peter Uihlein at 1:48pm. This should be a fun group to watch with lots of fire power and risk taking compliments of Phil Mickelson.

The 9:24am group should promise to be entertaining with some of the young guns on the PGA. McIlroy, Fowler, and Jason Day all have the talent to compete at Augusta. Rickie Fowler had 7 top 10's and 2 runner ups last season, but I'm a little skeptical on his total driving stat at 150th. His 2nd best putting may keep him in the hunt come the weekend.

The 10:19am group features Kaymer, Westwood, and Kuchar. Hopefully Westwood isn't too shaken from his shaky airplane flight and can put up good numbers on the first couple of days. I'm still not sure how I feel about Kaymer. He definitely has the talent to pull out a win, but his 169th in driving accuracy scares me on a course that requires accurate drives.

One of my favorite pairings is the last of the day with Vegas, Woodland, and Quiros. I'm excited to see if Quiros hits into Mickelson again like at the PGA Championship a couple years ago at Hazeltine. His driver off the deck from 300+ yards impressed not only the gallery but Phil himself.

This years tournament should guarantee fans numerous surprises, disappointments, and Kodak moment shots. The weather forecast is perfect in the high 70's and 80's. So without further ado, here are my picks for champion, weekend contender, dark horse champion, biggest disappointment, and some fun awards.

Champion: Luke Donald. 2nd in scoring average on the tour this year. Enough said. This guy knows how to win, and how to win under pressure. Cool hand Luke will showcase his putting skills and his short iron mastery. Look for Donald to continue on his hot streak and tote the green jacket on Sunday.

Weekend Contender: Angel Cabrera. Have people forgotten that he's actually won at Augusta? Angel has had an up and down season so far but champions know how to win and make it to the weekend. Cabrera's best stats are 5th in driving distance and 17th in putting average this year on the PGA Tour. Look for Cabrera to be right there towards the end.

Dark Horse Champion: Steve Stricker. Let's run down Steve's stats for this year. 30th in GIR, 6th in putting average, 8th in scoring average, and 10th in putts per round. Stricker should always be mentioned as a threat in majors. With 3 top 10's this season, don't be surprised if Stricker shows up with a top 10 or better this year.

Miss the Cut: Ryan Moore. Even with two top ten's this season. Ryan Moore's 110th in GIR, 44th in putting average, and 70th in scoring average will be hard stats to ride going into Augusta. Players need to hit greens at Augusta to make the weekend and making putts helps too. Ryan Moore will have a hard time if he can't find the dance floor.

Best Outfit: Ryan Moore. Seriously, a guy who wears a shirt and tie while playing at the Master's wearing these shoes by TRUE Linkswear, deserves this honor. Rickie Fowler may be eccentric and flashy, but Ryan Moore, pure class.

Most Likely to Miss His Tee Time: The default would be Jim Furyk, but I'll go with Dustin Johnson. He seems too laid back to ever really be in a hurry. I can see him dinking around at the range showing off his 300 yard 3 wood swings and missing his starting time.

Most Likely to Card a 9 on a Hole: I hate to jinx anyone out there. A 9 isn't too hard to imagine at Augusta. Stats such as 167th in total driving, 178th in GIR, and 153rd in putting average, gives Trevor Immelman this award.

Most Likely to get Disqualified: Sorry Dustin Johnson, but you get this award also. What happened at Whistling Straits last year was goofy. I think it's a sign of things to come. I'm not sure what will happen to cause the DQ, but I guess missing the tee time would be an easy way to do it.