Form Guide - 2007 US Masters
IN: News | US PGA | US Masters (2007) | Preview | by Bruce Young | 03 Apr 2007
The Masters gets underway on Thursday April 5th with Tiger Woods a resounding favourite to win the event for the fifth time.
Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson have won five of the last six Masters jackets between them and – given their current form – it would not surprise anyone to see them at the forefront again on Masters Sunday. There are several others however who could at least challenge if not win the event for the first time.
Let’s take a look at the likely chances
Tiger Woods
When asked just a few minutes after his win at the World Golf
Championship event in Florida last week as to how he felt about
his form leading into Augusta, Tiger Woods responded by saying
that he was 'very pleased’. They are words seldom
heard from Woods in relation to his form and while he may have
gotten the speed wobbles at times in the final round last week at
the WGC event, so did nearly every
other player on the demanding Blue Monster layout at Doral
Resort. Woods is looking for his fifth Masters title and there
are many to suggest it is a formality. I’m not quite that
confident but he is definitely the man to beat.
Phil Mickelson
After a shocking start to last week’s WGC event Mickelson played the final 54 holes well
enough for him to be now considered close to some very good form.
His has been a mixed bag this season with a win at Pebble Beach
and runner up at the Nissan Open mixed in with one of two less
than memorable finishes. Given his great record at Augusta in
recent years however (eight consecutive top tens including the
two wins) then it will be Mickelson who should, on paper,
challenge Woods. Given the amount of money for Woods, Mickelson
represents good value in comparison.
Jim Furyk
There is a question mark about Furyk at present given a recent
wrist injury. His form at Augusta National is hardly inspiring
although not all bad with fourth place finishes in 1998 and 2003
his best. He made a good solid start to the year but in the last
few weeks he has not been at his best.
Ernie Els
Els has been quietly going about his business in 2007 and
although he has not won he has been close to contention nearly
every week he has played. He played well last week when 11th at
the WGC event. He has been twice runner
up at Augusta National and although not one of the most talked
about prospects, he certainly has a great chance.
Adam Scott
When Scott finished runner up at the Mercedes Championship
earlier this year it appeared that this could be the year he
would improve even further on some impressive showings in major
events in 2006. Since that event in January however he has seldom
played and when he has his form has been mixed. He battled
through the wind on Sunday at the WGC-CA event to record a final round of 80
providing some concern for his many fans in relation to his
chances at Augusta but then bounced back during the Shell Houston
Open for a most impressive win. He finished 9th on debut at
Augusta National in 2002 but has done little else since in terms
of top finishes in this event.
Vijay Singh
Singh has won twice this year on the PGA Tour including the Arnold Palmer event two
weeks ago. The winner of the Masters in 2000 and inside the top
ten in each of his last five times to Augusta National, Singh has
the current form and track record at Augusta to be a serious
consideration once again.
Henrik Stenson
Stenson has played the Masters just once, missing the cut when he
did so last year, but so good a player has he become that he is
now the number six player in the world. His lack of experience at
Augusta may count against him in the final analysis in 2007 but
there is little doubt that he has the game to win a major in the
not too distant future. He has the advantage of having Fanny
Sunesson, a two time Masters winning caddy, on the bag however.
Geoff Ogilvy
Ogilvy comes into calculation as a result of his great play over
the past twelve months including his brilliant win at Winged Foot
along with his victory and runner up placing at the last two
Accenture Match Play Championships. Ogilvy has played the Masters
just once but it was an impressive debut finishing 16th twelve
months ago. He has proven his ability to win a major, is a big
event player and is in good form following his third placed
finish at the recent WGC-CA event and
his runner up placing at the Accenture behind Stenson. Ogilvy is
perhaps the best of the Australian chances.
Retief Goosen
Goosen has played well at Augusta in each of the last five years
finishing inside the top three on three occasions. He is not in
quite the same form leading into this year’s event as was
the case last year when third behind Mickelson but did win in
Qatar two months ago and was 4th at the Johnnie Walker Classic in
Thailand. This is a slightly higher level than those events but
he could feature in the finish.
Luke Donald
Donald seemed to lose his way for a few weeks after what had been
a good start to the season. He has improved again with several
very good rounds in his last few events however. He produced one
of the better debuts at the Masters when third in 2005 and stands
a chance a doing well again in 2007.
Padraig Harrington
Harrington has played well on occasions at Augusta, more
especially when 5th in 2002. He is playing well enough at present
to contend for a top five finish again but winning is another
thing. Has often displayed a capacity to play the Major
Championships well, especially in the USA and with this being his 8th visit to the
Masters then he has plenty of experience at Augusta to call upon.
Charles Howell III
In five times to Augusta as a player, Howell has a best of 13th.
Much is being made of the fact that he was born and raised close
to Augusta National and worked on the scoreboards as a teenager
but it will count for little come tournament week, in fact it
probably adds pressure. He has made a brilliant start to the
season in 2007 and arrives at Augusta in his best form. As to
whether that converts to a great week remains to be seen but on
paper he has his best chance to date.
Sergio Garcia
Garcia has started to find some very good form. His third placed
finish last week at the WGC-CA event
behind Woods was very impressive. He has had a couple of top tens
amongst the eight starts he has had at Augusta with fourth in
2004 being his best and perhaps now is the time for him to
realise some of the potential that many feel he possesses to win
majors.
Trevor Immelman
Immleman has developed into a fine player over the past two years
and appears on the verge of taking his game to a level where he
could well challenge in a major. He first played this event in
1999 as an amateur and did well enough then to make the cut but
in his three starts since he has made only one cut although that
was when fifth behind Woods in 2005. It would surprise to see him
challenge for the title but another a top ten is not beyond him.
Nick O’Hern
O’Hern might not be the most prolific winner of tournaments
but he has shown a great capacity to handle tough golf courses
well with a game built around percentages. He has been to Augusta
twice and has made the cut on both occasions. In 2006 he finished
a very creditable 19th and has taken his standing in the game
considerably higher since. He finished 6th at last year’s
US Open and just last week finished 6th at the WGC event. The tougher the golf course the more it
suits O’Hern’s relatively mistake free game and while
a win would be a shock there is no reason why he can’t
challenge for a top ten finish.
Robert Allenby
Augusta has not exactly been good to Allenby, his 22nd place in
2006 being his best finish in the event. There is something about
the manner in which Allenby is playing in 2007, however, that
suggests he could well have his best finish in the event this
year. He has been in great form in the first part of this year
with five top tens in six stroke-play events on the USPGA Tour, his last round of 67 at the
WGC-CA event further confirming just
where he is at with his game. Generally he has been a
disappointment in majors but he has a great chance to atone in
2007.
Paul Casey
Casey started his Masters career well when 6th on debut in 2004
but missed the cut in 2005 and did not play in 2006. He is in
good enough form at present finishing 9th and 14th at his last
two PGA Tour starts for him to be a
consideration for a top ten.
Chris DiMarco
DiMarco has hardly been brilliant this year but neither has he
been too bad. He has made his last 15 cuts in strokeplay events
suggesting that his game is in reasonable shape. DiMarco, has a
very good record at Augusta with four top twelves in six starts,
has often led the event at various stages and in 2005 lost a
playoff to Woods when it seemed no-one else was prepared to
challenge the world number one. They had streeted the opposition
that year.
K.J. Choi
Choi is having a good season in 2007 and showed in 2005 when
third at Augusta that this event is not beyond him in terms of
top finishes.
Stephen Ames
Ames’ game seems to be improving of late and although he
has had only two starts at Augusta, his 11th placing last year
was impressive.
Jose Maria Olazabal
Olazabal’s current form might not be all that special at
present but he has a great record at Augusta. He finished third
last year and is of course a two time winner of the event.
Stuart Appleby
Appleby seems to have found a bit of form during the Shell
Houston Open to suggest the possibility of an improvement in his
chances at Augusta. His record at Augusta is nothing special, his
best being 19th in ten starts but he will feel more confident
than was the case prior to Houston.
Aaron Baddeley
Baddeley is in the best form of his career at present and
currently sits 6th on the PGA Tour
money list and is at a personal all time high in the world
ranking. He has played at Augusta just twice, the last time being
in 2001 and missed the cut of both so it is hard to get a line on
his current capacity to handle the vagaries of this great layout.
Rod Pampling
Pampling was brilliant on debut at Augusta two years ago when he
shared fifth place and was the joint leading Australian again in
2006 when 16th. His form seems to have dropped away a little of
late although he has made a lot of cuts in the last six months
without contending.
