2013 Masters Tournament Staff Picks and Questions

Hello friends. For me the official start of spring is the sound of the opening tee shot at Augusta National. This year the man on form and who is likely everyone’s favorite is Tiger Woods. He has started the season with three wins and hasn’t looked this good going into the Masters for at least the past five years. To add to the drama Phil has already won in Phoenix this season and is also looking good. Then last week Rory McIlroy – who has been pretty awful this season – has seemingly pulled his game together and finished second at the Texas Open. There are no shortage of storylines going into the event.

This year here at Thrash Talk we have decided to change it up by allowing a different forum member to answer each our five questions along with the staff. We had some great responses. Without further ado here are everyones thoughts.

1. Who is your winner and why? If you pick Tiger who is your runner up?

Jamieson Weiss
In order to avoid speaking of He Who Shall Not Be Jinxed, I’m taking Jason Dufner, -11. Maybe I just have too much #dufnering on my mind, but I think he’s waiting to break through at a major. Dufner’s record hasn’t been all that great this year, but I’m awful at predictions. Watch out for 2012 runner-up Louis Oosthuizen though.

Danny Ottman
How can you not go with Tiger? He is back on top of the world rankings and looks to be in total control of his game. He has already won three times this year and the smart money is on him to make it four. As a runner up I will go with Brandt Snedecker. He played well early and I hope he can get it back for a run at Tiger.

Tristan Hilton
It’s very, very hard to pick against Tiger this year. It seems this year when he needs a win, he gets it. He knew that a win at Palmer’s tourney would return him to #1 and he went out there and did it. I think he feels that he needs this one just as much as he did there, so I can’t bet against Tiger. Runner up has to be Snedeker; he played extremely well to start the year and after a bit off for being hurt I think he’ll but it back together this week and play solid.

Dave Koster
Tiger is playing too well not to pick him as the winner. He’s a notorious slow starter at Augusta but I think he’ll have his A game from the beginning. I think second place goes to Brandt Snedeker. It was painful watching him lose it down the stretch in 2008 but I think he has a chance to redeem himself.

Michael C. Hepp
In my earlier article for 2013 predictions I chose Tiger to win the Masters and so I need to stick with my pick. I had a suspicion that Tiger was going to return to form in 2013 and so far Tiger is making me look really good. My runner up is Justin Rose. I love how he has played at the end of 2012 and he has kept his form right into 2013. Rose has played Augusta well before holding the 18 hole lead at least twice that I can remember, so I know he plays well there. David Orr has transformed his putting so I am expecting big things.

Mike McLoughlin
I’m going with Matt Kuchar. He won at the Match Play and has made the cut in all eight starts with three top-10 finishes. Kuchar has been incredibly consistent this year and has accumulated more OWGR ranking points in 2013 than anyone other than Tiger Woods and Brandt Snedeker. Kuchar’s got a great short game, keeps it in play and plays well under pressure.

Erik J. Barzeski
I’m choosing the favorite at about -12, and my backup pick is none other than Lee Westwood. On the bright side, they probably won’t miss the cut since it was expanded to 50 players and ties, and those within ten shots of the lead.

Golfingdad
Lee Westwood. The man has had the BPTHNWAM title (or at least has been in the running with Luke Donald) for some time now. He’s too good to retire with that title, isn’t he? He’s played well at Augusta the last three years and he played well at Houston last week. This is the year.

2. Last year’s winner Bubba Watson has not won since this event last year. What do you expect from him this year?

Jamieson Weiss
I don’t expect much. I wrote last year about how I didn’t think Bubba would win another major, and I stand by that. Everything has to fall right for him to get a victory, and even though he has played pretty well this year, I don’t see him doing to much. I could even see him missing the cut. Maybe if the powers that be at Augusta let him bring that hovercraft to the course…

Danny Ottman
I am a Bubba fan, but I do not see much happening from him. I think he has enjoyed being the Masters Champion immensely and will make the weekend but will fade.

Tristan Hilton
Not a whole lot. Just as it seems Tiger’s focus is golf and returning to the top, Bubba’s focus seems to be elsewhere. He may make the cut, he may not. Neither would surprise me.

Dave Koster
I think Bubba will finish around 15th. He isn’t playing quite as well this year and, like some other first time major winners, as enjoyed his spoils of victory. Some do it by going to Disneyland. Bubba does it with a hovercraft.

Michael C. Hepp
Bubba is someone who in my opinion does not do well with distractions. This week for him will be full of them. I think he will do something very exciting for the Champions dinner and that is about all we will hear from him. He is playing pretty well and I think he will want to have a good showing, but my expectations are quite low.

Mike McLoughlin
I think Bubba will make the cut but won’t compete. He has not finished better than 14th in any 72-hole tournament that he has entered this year. Think he’s been spending too much time making music videos and riding his hover cart 😉

Erik J Barzeski
He’ll make the cut. And that’s about it.

Jetfan1983
At first glance, I want to say not much. But looking at his record for the past twelve months, the guy has been quietly in the hunt a lot. Just this year alone, he’s finished T4, 15th, T9, T18, and T14 with one missed cut. That’s really not as bad as I thought. Sure, he’s had a lot on his plate, but it’s not like he’s completely lost his Austin Powers mojo out there. And yea, he has concentration issues and what not, but for some reason, I think he’ll show up this week and play well. Nothing is ever a lock with Bubba, but I think he’ll top ten the event.

3. Excluding Tiger and Bubba, which past champion do you expect to have a great tournament and why?

Jamieson Weiss
Phil Mickelson is always a pretty good bet to play solid at Augusta. Aside from that … Angel Cabrera, maybe? Does Mike Weir even make enough money anymore to fly to Georgia?

Danny Ottman
How about Phil? Lefty seems to be playing fairly well at the moment and already has a win under his belt in 2013. Phil loves Augusta and will play well enough to be close at the end.

Tristan Hilton
Phil is kind of the easy choice here because he plays at Augusta so well. Even though he’s had kind of an up and down year, he seems to play well when it’s at a course he excels at (look at what he did in Phoenix). I’ll say Phil if for no other reason than he likes the course.

Dave Koster
Phil. Because he’s Phil and he absolutely loves this place. I think he and Tiger may be in the final group on Sunday but I’m sticking with Snedeker as my runner-up pick.

Michael C. Hepp
My pick is Charl Schwartzel. He did not fair particularly well here last year but he is a great player and has been for the most part pretty hot this season. He of course knows how to win at Augusta and clearly has the game. I don’t expect him to win, but I expect him to play well.

Mike McLoughlin
Phil Mickelson will be a past champion that you’ll see in the hunt on Sunday. He’s won the Phoenix Open and has made seven out of eight cuts in 2013. Augusta National is the one place Phil can win any year. Even though he’s been tinkering with his putting, grip changes, I think it’s been better than the last couple seasons. Phil’s iron play always makes him a contender at Augusta.

Erik J Barzeski
Everyone else will say Phil… and so will I. The guy has, what, 73 top-five finishes or so around Augusta National?

RPMPIRE
Phil Mickelson. You can quickly judge Phil’s game in his last few starts, but those become irrelevant when he steps onto Augusta. Aside from the 2011 Master’s, Phil has always been in contention regardless of how well or how bad he played in the tournaments leading up.

4. Augusta National Golf Club is famous for setting up better for players who favor a right-to-left shot. With Tiger playing more of a fade these days how do you think it affects his chances and why?

Jamieson Weiss
None at all. Sure, Tiger’s predominant ball flight has been a fade this year, but that’s a hell of a lot better than the 30-yard slice it has been in the last dozen or so years with the driver, and he’s managed to play pretty well in the past. And let’s be real, this is Tiger Woods. If there’s anyone in the world I’m going to trust to hit a draw when he has to, it’s him (except for Kenny Perry, who probably makes hook swings when he sleepwalks to the fridge at midnight).

Danny Ottman
Tiger can do what he wants with the golf ball. He knows Augusta inside and out and knows where he can attack and where he cannot. He will be just fine even if he does have to move the ball right to left from time to time.

Tristan Hilton
I think too much is put into Augusta favoring the draw. Jack won with a fade and while the course has changed since then I still think a fade can win there. On top of that look at where Tiger has finished the last few years; while he was T40 last year, the two years before he came in at T4 so he can contend there for sure. Also, I really think that if he comes to a position where he absolutely has to draw the ball, he can and will.

Dave Koster
Sure it affects his chances because of his natural ball flight but he’s in much more control of his swing so I think it minimizes the effect. Some of his playing partners have said that he can play the draw now without too much issue so I wouldn’t be surprised if he goes away from the fade on holes like #13.

Michael C. Hepp
I believe this is the only issue besides putting that stands in Tiger’s way of winning the event. People will say that Jack won the event with a fade, but Augusta is no where near the course that Jack won all of his championships on. Sometimes a course sets up better because of where the trees are located and I think this will play a role. Last year Tiger came in on a mini roll and totally fell apart. I think the lack of a draw was part of that. If Tiger wins it will be because he putted the eyes out of the ball.

Mike McLoughlin
Even though a fade might be his go-to shot right now, he can curve it both ways when he wants to. There was another guy, Jack something, that played a fade as his stock shot and won 6 Masters. I don’t think it’s that big a deal

Erik J Barzeski
I think it’s a non-starter. First of all, Tiger knows how to hit a draw. He knows the ball flight laws, had several weeks off to develop a draw, and is not given credit for hitting as many draws as he has been all season. He will be fine.

Beachcomber
I think this could be a challenge for Tiger. He hasn’t shown under Foley that he can curve the ball consistently with the Driver from right to left. But Tiger doesn’t need to play a draw on every hole. Just a few key par fours and fives. And let’s be real… It’s Tiger Woods. The guy can shape the ball. So he’ll find a way to grind it out… Even if a stock draw tee shot isn’t in his report.

5. If you were leading the par-three contest on Wednesday would you finish it out and try to win or hit six balls in the water because you were worried about the curse?

Jamieson Weiss
Operating under the assumption that I’m a Tour player and not just myself lighting the world on fire, I’d go for the win. Only bad players worry about the consequences of winning. Tanking the par three contest with a lead would be like handing the U.S. Open trophy back to Mike Davis because checking luggage is just too much of a hassle.

Danny Ottman
Heck no! There’s no curse. I would love to win the par-three contest just so I had a shot to be the first person to win both.

Tristan Hilton
I try to win it. Just because nobody has won the par-three contest and then the actual tournament doesn’t mean that nobody can.

Dave Koster
No way. You play to win. Curse be damned.

Michael C. Hepp
I am hitting balls into the water. I will likely try to skip balls across the water and have some fun but try to lose. Likely with my luck I try to skip the ball across the water hit the pin and get a hole in one and win. I am not an overly superstitious person, but I am not one to tempt fate. There may be one day that this curse is broken, but it will not be me.

Mike McLoughlin
I would try to win both, curses are for sissies 😉 There would obviously be A LOT more emphasis and effort put into winning the
actual tournament. How cool would it be to be the first guy to do it and “break” the curse.

Erik J Barzeski
I’ve played hockey and baseball: two of the most superstition-filled sports around. I’m not hitting balls in the water, but I’m letting my kiddo putt out. I don’t believe in curses, but the added pressure of everyone feeling like you’re cursed would account for something.

newtogolf
No such thing in my book as losing on purpose. If you work hard enough to be in a position to win, you close it out and take the win. Curses are for people that want something other than themselves to blame when things don’t go their way.

Photo credits: © Timothy A Clary.