2011 Masters Golf: 10 Golfers Who Have Excelled at Augusta National

Jamie Squire/Getty Images

The Masters is a special time for golfers. 

It is golf's unofficial start to spring and the Superbowl of golf. 

Augusta National is one of the most beautiful and difficult course the players play on TOUR.

Any weakness in your game is easily exploited by the grounds of the Masters. 

Augusta's difficulty is reflected by the fact that few people really figure out the tricks. Take Sergio Garcia as an example, he has been CUT four times out of 12 appearances at Augusta and has only two Top 10 finishes in his career. Or even World No. 1, Martin Kaymer, who has never made the CUT at Augusta. 

As many do never seem to find their comfort zone, there are few who make Augusta their second home.

This slide show will countdown the Top 10 players who feel right at home on Augusta's hollow grounds.  

Please feel free to comment with your own versions of the list. 

10. Fred Couples

Michael Cohen/Getty Images

Masters Appearances: 26

Masters Victories: 1 (1992)

Masters Top 10's: 11

Freddy Couples certainly is at home at Augusta National. With 11 Top 10s in 26 appearances, he is one of the best players at to ever play in the Masters. 

As recently as 2010, he made a run for his second green jacket at the tender age of 51. He finished at -9 (66/75/68/70) and in sixth place. 

Couples has also proven this year that the game has not passed by him with a sixth place finish at the Northern Trust Open. 

Couples goes into this year's event as a dark horse because of his seemingly ageless play and history at the course. 

9. Seve Ballesteros

Angel Martinez/Getty Images

Masters Appearances: 31

Masters Victories: 2 (1980,1983)

Top 10's: 8

Seve became the first European player to take home a green jacket with his victory in 1980. That same year he became the youngest player with a green jacket. That record would eventually be broken in 1997 by Tiger Woods. 

Seve's short game combined with erratic driving and recovery ability easily made him a fan favourite.  

His career was cut short due to back injuries however in his prime, Ballesteros amassed 50 European TOUR victories, four PGA TOUR victories and five Major championships. 

Seve remains a huge influence to the international game. Among many European players, Seve has had a huge influence on fellow countrymen Sergio Garcia.

8. Sir Nick Faldo

Warren Little/Getty Images

Masters Appearances: 23

Masters Victories: 3 (1989, 1990,1996)

Top 10's: 3

Sir Nick Faldo has made the most of his opportunities at Augusta. 

His three green jackets have come on his only three Top 10 finishes. 

His first green jacket came in 1989, where he shot a final round 65 (low round of the tournament) to get into a playoff where he would win on the second hole. 

His victory 1996, was known more for the colossal collapse of Greg Norman than his play, however, the final round 67 and the five shot margin of victory are certainly something worth noting.  

Despite rather unspectacular victories, Faldo's three jackets are something that very few people can say they have. 

7. Ben Hogan

Scott Halleran/Getty Images

Masters Appearances: 34

Masters Victories: 2 (1951,1953)

Top 10's: 17

Not many people have had such an impact at Augusta to have a piece of it named after them.

Ben Hogan is one of these men.

The Hogan's Bridge is the infamous bridge that crosses the creek of the signature 12th at Augusta.

The bridge has been named in is honour because of his extraordinary win in 1953, where he set a record score of 274. 

Below is a quote from the plaque on Hogan's bridge that commemorates Hogans achievement: 

"This score will always stand as one of the very finest accomplishments in competitive golf and may even stand for all time as the record for The Masters tournament."

Ben's two green jackets may not seem like a lot, however, consider that Hogan had four runner up finishes in his career. 

6. Gary Player

Ian Walton/Getty Images

Masters Appearances: 52

Masters Victories: 3 (1961, 1974, 1978)

Top 10's: 15

Gary Player became the first non-American to wear the green jacket in 1961. He is also the player with the most appearances at the Masters, with 52. 

His three Masters victories put him in elite company with only nine other people. 

Gary Player has had a huge influence of the game on international level and has been a hero to players like Ernie Els. 

Gary is a huge fitness nut, he is said to be the pioneer of training for exceptional golf performance. 

To this day, at age 75, he could probably take many of today's TOUR players in a sit up competition. 

5. Phil Mickelson

Michael Cohen/Getty Images

Masters Appearances: 18

Masters Victories: 3 (2004, 2006, 2010)

Top 10's: 13

With three green jackets to his name, including the 2010 Masters title,  Phil Mickelson has definitely excelled at Augusta National. 

Phil broke the "best player without a Major" label in 2004 with his first green jacket.

What may be even more impressive is that in his entire career, Phil has only finished outside of the Top 10 at Augusta 5 times. 

Any player that earns four Masters Championships earns a special exemption to become a member at Augusta National. He may very well be only the fourth player to join the very exclusive club. 

Going into this week's Masters, Phil goes in as the odds on favourite to win. 

4. Sam Snead

David Cannon/Getty Images

Masters Appearances: 47

Masters Victories: 3 (1949, 1952, 1954)

Top 10's: 15

"Slammin Sammy" is one of only seven players with at least three Masters titles. 

He became the first player ever to win the now-traditional green jacket when he won his first Masters Championship in 1949. 

Snead was in the top five nine times and the top 25 an amazing 26 times, these performances are second only to Jack Nicklaus.  

From 1984-2002, Snead hit the ceremonial first tee shot to open the tournament.

3. Arnold Palmer

Sam Greenwood/Getty Images

Masters Appearances: 52

Masters Victories: 4 (1958, 1960, 1962, 1964)

Top 10's: 12

Arnold Palmer is one of the all-time greats in the world, let alone at Augusta. 

Arnie is the first man in history to earn four green jackets. He is also one of the three men with "exceptional play" memberships to Augusta National.  

Over his time on TOUR, Palmer developed a huge fan base known as "Arnie's Army" which is still strong to this day. 

With the Arnold Palmer Invitational, he is one of the few people to have their name attached to a PGA TOUR event, the Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by MasterCard. 

Palmer is also the first man in history to earn one million dollars in career earnings on TOUR. 

Palmer has been the honorary starter at the Masters since 2007. 

2. Tiger Woods

Sam Greenwood/Getty Images

Masters Appearances: 16

Masters Victories: 4 (1997, 2001, 2002, 2005)

Top 10's: 11 

Tiger Woods has made his unofficial home Augusta National. 

Tiger has four victories to his name, including some of the most memorable moments in Masters history. 

His breakout win in 1997 was one of the best performances ever at Augusta, the four round total of -18 (270) still stands as the record low at Augusta. That week, he won the Championship by 12 strokes, this is also a record. 

His last green jacket, in 2005, is also very memorable. On the 16th green, Tiger hit the now infamous chip that hung on the lip for a couple seconds before falling. What is often forgotten about that day, is that Tiger bogeyed both 17 and 18 and had to win the tournament in a playoff against Chris DiMarco. 

Despite losing his World No. 1 ranking and some of his intimidation factor, his familiarity and history with Augusta has to put him among one of the favourites this week.   

1. Jack Nicklaus

David Cannon/Getty Images

Masters Appearances: 45

Masters Victories: 6 (1963, 1965,1966, 1972,1975, 1986)

Top 10's: 22

Jack Nicklaus owns some of the most magical moments in Masters history. 

No man has more masters victories than Jack Nicklaus. 

His victory in 1986 at the age of 46 is Nicklaus' crowning moment at Augusta national. Nicklaus shot an emotional back nine 30 en route to a 65 and a one stroke victory. With the win, he remains to this day the oldest winner of the Masters. 

Nicklaus broke the scoring record originally set by Ben Hogan in 1965. The four-round total of 271 would stand until Tiger Woods broke it in 1997.  

Nicklaus has been in contention at the Masters more than anyone with 22 Top 10s and a record tying four runner up finishes.