Golf Sport

The Pride of the South

Written by James Potter

Golf is one of my favorite sports and the US Masters is my favorite tournament of all. Arguments will always rage about which golfing major is the most important but I stand firmly in the Masters camp. I love the fact that it is played on the same historic course and I love the fact that they play for that elusive green jacket. This is a tournament based on tradition and it is as if the golf course echoes all of the heroics and tragedies of the past itself as it replays them each year with new protagonists.

This year the Masters is all about one man. Tiger Woods will start a red-hot favorite to win his first major in five years after reclaiming the world number one ranking a fortnight ago and will be fired up to finally put the doubters to bed. After his infamous fall from grace, discussion of Woods these days tends to focus on “pre” and “post” Tiger and another major victory is the only thing that can fuse his legacy together.

Tiger Woods – 4/1 ($5.00)
I will be on Tiger. I love him, he is the greatest and he is in great touch. He is the one to beat and is offering tasty odds considering how short he started here in the past when he has been in good form.

Rory McIlroy – 10/1
Don’t write him off. He is too good to forget about and his second place finish in Texas this weekend proves that he is finally returning to form. He may well be the only player in the game that can go with Woods if Tiger is at his best.

Adam Scott – 30/1
Probably Asia-Pacific’s best chance. My mail is that he has been secretly training specifically for this tournament and he is certainly overdue to stand up and show some backbone.

Bubba Watson – 40/1
You’ve got to love Bubba. The self-taught magician always seems to find a way up the leader board and his win here last year was one of the most popular in years.

Graeme McDowell – 50/1
The forgotten Northern Irishman is a total gun when he is in form. He has won a major before, the 2010 US Open, and has the right fairway-to-green style of game to suit Augusta National.

Sergio Garcia – 50/1
One of our favorites here at World Gaming magazine and he has been knocking on the door again in recent years. He deserves to win a major but consistency has been his problem and his putter would have to be firing.

Ernie Els – 100/1
The “Big “Easy” is a four-time major winner and is at a ridiculously large price. Don’t be surprised if the likable South African is thereabouts come Sunday afternoon.