The Masters. The greatest spectacle in the world of golf. The world's most elite golfers have gathered and after 56 holes we have a reasonable idea of who the main contenders are. With thirteen players separated by just four shots there is so much to play for going into the final 18 holes. So this article will look at who are the front runners going into this evenings final events.
The Contenders
Name: Jordan Spieth
Age: 20
Score: -5 (71-70-70)
Previous Best Masters
Performance: Debut
Jordan Spieth has probably been the outstanding performer at
this year’s Masters so far and has certainly been the stand-out rookie. The
young American has not let the course or the occasion phase him as he has
steadily and consecutively shot under par. Not only that, but his demeanor both
on and off the course has been that of someone years beyond his age and experience. If
Spieth wins he will become the youngest ever winner of the Masters, eclipsing
the record set by Tiger Woods and with Watson suffering an error-prone Saturday
there is every chance it could happen. Co-leader heading into the final day it
will be intriguing to see how Spieth copes with the pressure.
Name: Bubba Watson
Age: 35
Score: -5 (69-68-74)
Previous Best Masters
Performance: Winner (2012)
After a disappointing attempt to defend his 2012 Masters
green jacket last year, Bubba is back. The only man to not bogey a single hole
on Thursday coupled with five consecutive birdies on the back nine of Friday
left Bubba flying high going into the weekend. But leading a tournament is not
his strong point, with just one win of his eight weekend leads he will be
hoping to put a disappointing Saturday behind him as he searches for his second
green jacket. But if he is to do that in amongst a tough field, he will have to
conjure up some of that Bubba magic that earned him his first.
Name: Matt Kuchar
Age: 35
Score: -4 (73-71-68)
Previous Best Masters
Performance: T-3 (2012)
Another 35-year old
American sits at the top of the bunch as Matt Kuchar is currently positioned just one
shot off the lead. Kuchar is no stranger to being in the thick of it on the
final day of the Masters, as two top ten finishes in the last two years will
tell you. After a rather sluggish start to the week an excellent Saturday will
give him the confidence to drive forward and claim his maiden Masters title. In
last weekends preparatory tournament in Houston Kuchar finished second after a
playoff defeat to the Australian Matt Jones. Can he go one better this week in
Augusta?
Name: Jonas Blixt
Age: 29
Score: -4 (70-71-71)
Previous Best Masters
Performance: Debut
Of all the contenders
for this years green jacket, Blixt is the wildcard. Like Spieth, Blixt is
making his Masters debut and is certainly picking some fans up on the way. His
aggressive style of play means he makes a number of bogeys but also a fair few
more birdies, leaving him with three below par rounds under his belt. This is
not Blixt’s first ever major though. Last year he put together a composed round
at the PGA Championship, finishing fourth and demonstrating that he has the tools to
remain consistent throughout a major championship. Another debutant in with a
great chance of a maiden major.
Name: Miguel Angel
Jimenez
Age: 50
Score: -3 (71-76-66)
Previous Best Masters
Performance: T-8 (2008)
Miguel Angel Jimenez
stands in stark contrast to the two rookies mentioned above as he made his
Masters debut twenty years ago next year. The cigar-wielding Spaniard has
rolled back the years this week to currently sit in his strongest ever-Masters
position of tied fifth as he still searches for that elusive major. A second
round 76 meant he barely made the cut but some scintillating swinging on
Saturday left him with a six under par 66 propelling him right into the thick
of things. With plenty of experience on his side can Jimenez put together a
super Sunday to claim a European green jacket?
Name: Rickie Fowler
Age: 25
Score: -3 (71-75-67)
Previous Best Masters
Performance: T-27 (2012)
Since his Rookie of
the Year award in 2010 Zac Efron’s doppleganger, Rickie Fowler, has promised much but delivered little when it
comes to majors and especially at Augusta where he has struggled to ever
challenge at the top of the leaderboard. However, now making his fourth
appearance at the Masters, Fowler might finally be getting to grips with the
course, a silky 67 on Saturday epitomizing this. Whilst he may not necessarily
have the mental game to take this year’s green jacket, he will certainly light
up our evening on the final day with his glowing trademark orange jumpsuit.
The Dark Horses
Name: Lee Westwood
Age: 40
Score: -2 (73-71-70)
Previous Best Masters
Performance: 2nd (2010)
Its been a
performance we have become accustomed to seeing from Lee Westwood throughout his
career; steady, solid and consistent. Perhaps unsurprisingly Westwood has dropped less shots than any of the players above him in the leaderboard.
However, If Lee is to put forward a serious challenge on the final day, he
needs to convert some of these ever-present par’s into birdies. But at the end
of the day, if anyone deserves a major, its Lee Westwood.
Name: Jim Furyk
Age: 43
Score: -2 (74-68-72)
Previous Best Masters
Performance: 4th (1998, 2003)
Despite a marvellous
Friday round of 68 which contained no bogeys whatsoever, Jim Furyk has barely
received a mention in the press. This seems remarkable considering he is a
proven dangerman with a US Open title under his belt and a 2nd place
at last years PGA Championship proving he still has the game to mix it with the
best. Don’t be surprised to see him creep up the leaderboard as the evening progresses.
Name: Thomas Bjorn
Age: 43
Score: -2 (73-68-73)
Previous Best Masters
Performance: T-18 (2002)
It has been a
tournament of ‘what if’s’ for the veteran Dane so far this year as he, like so
many others, seeks his maiden major. He got a brief glimpse of Augusta glory
when he co-lead on Saturday but a spat of three bogeys meant he fell away into the evening. If Bjorn is to have success on a course that has never been
kind to him, then a masterful round needs to be shot on Sunday.
Name: Justin Rose
Age: 33
Score: -1 (76-70-69)
Previous Best Masters
Performance: T-5 (2007)
If it had not been for
such a hideous opening round then the current US Open champion would be well in
the hunt for his second major. Unfortunately his opening round of 76 has left
the Hampshire-born star with plenty of catching up to do. Rounds of 70 and 69
have pushed him under par for the tournament but something even better will be
required if he is to claim his first green jacket.
Name: Kevin Stadler
Age: 34
Score: -1 (70-73-72)
Previous Best Masters
Performance: Debut
Like father like son?
Kevin Stadler, son of former Masters winner Craig Stadler, is another fresh
face to the Masters scene as the 34-year-old American makes his Masters debut.
Stadler has certainly attacked the course in his first year with just the one
par across Amen Corner’s three holes in his opening three rounds. The green
jacket might be beyond him but his father will be proud of his debut regardless.
Name: Fred Couples
Age: 54
Score: -1 (71-71-73)
Previous Best Masters
Performance: Winner (1992)
They say wine
gets better with age and in that sense Fred Couples is certainly a very fine wine. It may
be 22 years since his only Masters victory but we have become well accustomed
to seeing the veteran in amongst the front runners on the final day as he has
finished inside the top fifteen in every one of the last four years. Can Couples outfox all of his young compatriots?
Name: John Senden
Age: 42
Score: -1 (72-68-75)
Previous Best Masters
Performance: T-35 (2013)
Australian John Senden
has made the cut only once before in his four Masters appearances but
yesterday found himself in the final pairing after a marvellous four under par
68 on Friday. However Senden seemed to struggle with the pressure and will
probably prefer being away from the lead and out of the limelight. Will he
depart Sunday with a shiny new green jacket though? I don’t think so.
The Long-Shots
Gary Woodland – At one
point yesterday Woodland was four under par after picking up seven shots from
just ten holes. Unfortunately Amen
Corner became his undoing as he collapsed to level par.
Ian Poulter – Like his
national compatriot Rose, Poulter's tournament was ruined by a disappointing
first round of 76. Would have to have an excellent round and rely on the
dropped shots of others.
Kevin Streelman –
There or there abouts for much of the week but just not quite had the class to
convert a steady run into an excellent run. Expect a solid top twenty finish.
Adam Scott – Looked in
brilliant form after Thursday becoming the first defending champion to shoot
sub-70 since Vijay Singh in 2000. Faded as the week has progressed and unlikely
to retain.
On a day which saw, at one point, five players holding a share of the lead and a further five just one shot back, Northern Ireland's Rory McIlroy emerged clear with a one stroke lead heading into Sunday. McIlroy endured a rocky round with some sloppy short-game errors on the 8th and 12th dragging him back into the rest of the field. At one point eighteen players were within three shots of the lead but the new world number one showed all the steely grit that has earned him three major titles, claiming three birdies over the last four holes to move to -13.
Behind him lie a star-studded line-up of leaderboard-topping veterans but his playing partner on the final day does not yet fall into that category. Austrian Bernt Wiesberger sits just one shot behind McIlroy after a special six under par round today saw him move to well within contention heading into the final day. With only five past major appearances and just one cut made, you would be forgiven for not recognising the Austrian but he has strung together three days of solid golf and will be feeling relaxed in amongst the golfing worlds big boys..jpg)
One shot further back is a man we have become all too accustomed to seeing on the final day of majors after two tied second performances and a tied fifth just this year. After an eclectic day of bogeys and birdies on friday, Rickie Fowler will have been pleased to see a squeaky clean scorecard as he finished his round this afternoon. An intelligent round of exploitative golf saw the 25-year-old American birdie all three of the par fives to leave him sitting just two strokes behind McIlroy and with plenty of confidence after seeing the Northern Irishman make a couple of errors today. Set to don his traditional orange attire for the final day, will the future be bright for the American?.jpg)
These three will have to be on their toes though as lurking on ten under par is the master and the apprentice, Phil Mickelson and Jason Day. 'Lefty' is no stranger to a major title having collected five in his time, and the veteran looks ready to pounce with another US PGA title a very realistic possibility. With a string of four birdies in five holes towards the end of his round yesterday, he put himself well in the hunt for the title. Mickelson has been playing some assured golf around this generous Valhalla course and with the capabilities of his short game, McIlroy, Fowler and Wiesberger will be looking nervously over their shoulder..jpg)
Day had a less fruitful day than those around him as he left the course with just a 69 but will be remembered for save-of-the-day after wading, barefoot, through a creek to play his second shot after a wayward drive on the second hole. Remarkably, considering his position, Day parred the hole but will be disappointed with his day on the whole having lost ground to his partner, McIlroy. The Australian certainly has the attributes to challenge though and is another heavyweight on this super Sunday.
There is a mixture of players at -9, just four shots behind the leader. Henrik Stenson is the most recognisable of the four after his fantastic end to last year but Louis Oosthuizen is the sole major winner in this group after his 2010 Open Championship victory. Joining them are American, Ryan Palmer and Finn, Mikko Ilonen who both laboured through Saturday, both shooting 69's, a disappointing score comparable to those around them. At just four behind, they will all think they are still in with a chance and, especially Stenson who is still searching for that maiden major, will pounce on any mistake from the leaders.
