Are You Watching This Year’s Masters Tournament?

After last year’s improbable victory by Bubba Watson, many wonder what the results for the Masters 2013 will hold. Taking place during the first week of April, this is the first major PGA tournament of the year, so the winner will set the bar for the golf year to come.

It’s hard to predict who will win in the game of golf, but the build-up before the Masters holds many insights as to what we can expect from this national favorite.

And it may seem as if America’s rock star of golf, Tiger Woods, is in the lead, already having won two of this year’s PGA tournaments. He took the big check in the Farmers Insurance Open in January and also recently in the WGC-Cadillac Championship. The latter meant Woods’ 17^th World Golf Championship title. 

Since this is the first time in five years that Woods has packed in two PGA wins prior to the Masters, it can only improve his chances of walking away with the Masters 2013 title. He said in an interview that winning these titles is making him much more confident for his performance at the Masters. Many also feel that he is strong on his way to regain his World Number One title. 

But there are many strong competitors against whom Woods will be competing. Steve Stickler, for example, came second in both the tournaments that Woods won so far. And after the friendly putting lessons he gave Woods at the Cadillac tournament, it may seem as if his skill and technique is in top shape.

Let’s not forget about the current World Number One player – Rory McIlroy. Although he managed only an eight spot in the Cadillac tournament, it seems that he is finally hitting his stride and achieving top form for the year ahead. The Northern Irishman has focused strongly on his fitness levels recently, so we can only expect a stellar performance when competing for that iconic green blazer. He’ll be back for only one tournament before the Masters when he plays the Houston Open at the end of March. 

So how is the current owner of the green blazer fairing? Bubba Watson achieved 18^th position in the World Golf Championships and fourth in the less-acclaimed Hyundai Tournament of Champions in January, making it hard to believe that he’ll win a second year in a row at the Masters.

Two other faces to keep an eye on are Michael Thompson and Russell Henley. Both these gentlemen won their first PGA championships this year and will definitely play their clubs out in Augusta. Thompson won the Honda Classic earlier this month while Henley walked away with the title for the Sony Open in Hawaii that took place in January. This is the golf season’s first full-field event, putting Henley, a PGA rookie, in the spotlight as a professional for the first time. 

But with all that said, the game of golf remains a crapshoot, so you’ll have to wait for April to see who will get to put on that sharp green blazer.