Masters 2012: Biggest Storylines Heading into Final Weekend

Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy were all the rage before the Masters began.

The two superstars were favored 4-1 and 6-1 respectively by Bovada, and only three-time green jacket winner Phil Mickelson was close to them at 11-1.

After one day of play, McIlroy is at minus-one, Tiger is even and Phil is two-over.

It's one of golf's forgotten men, world No. 3 Lee Westwood, who has a one-shot, five-under lead to start the day. He was only overlooked coming in for good reason—he's never won a major.

2010 Open Champion Louis Oosthuizen trails by one along with Peter Hansen at four-under.

Other big names in early striking distance include Bubba Watson (three-under), Jason Dufner (three-under) and Zach Johnson (two-under) while Steve Stricker, Matt Kuchar, Keegan Bradley and Henrik Stenson, who had the early lead on the day but quadruple-bogeyed the 18th, are all tied with McIlroy at one-under.

Two other big names to watch currently tied at even with Tiger are Martin Kaymer, Hunter Mahan, Justin Rose, Webb Simpson and defending champion Charl Schwartzel.

So, with all that in mind, what are the biggest storylines now that we're underway at Augusta?

Wire-to-Wire Westwood?

Arguably the most accomplished golfer without a major championship, Westwood now has some added pressure that he didn't have to deal with on day one.

He's often said himself that trophies aren't given out on Fridays and Saturdays, so it will be very interesting to see how well he handles himself.

If Westwood has the lead after 36 holes, there will be plenty to talk about come Saturday.

Will the World's No. 1 Rally?

Luke Donald fell off the pace early on Thursday and it has left him eight strokes off the lead already. He struggled around Amen Corner and was lucky to birdie on the 18th to at least save some face.

With Rory McIlroy still nipping at his heels for the that No. 1 spot, and now the fear of missing the cut, there is a ton of pressure on the Englishman to rebound quickly.

The Tiger Woods Effect

Playing alongside Tiger is a gift and a curse.

Some people relish the opportunity to play alongside arguably the greatest golfer ever, but it comes along with a three-ring media circus at every single hole.

Some players simply aren't used to the amount of eye balls that follow the world's most popular player and it can take a toll.

And for the players not playing with him, knowing he's lurking close behind is never good. When ear-splitting cheers from around the corner at the upcoming or previous hole are heard, it could mean trouble for those in the lead.

A lot of players can charge at Augusta, but none can roar like Tiger when it happens.

Final Pairings

There is still plenty of golf to go, but we could see some fantastic final pairings on Easter Sunday.

Some of the world's best and most exciting and intriguing players are all within a club's throw of one another and we can only dream of potential Westwood-McIlroy and/or Woods-Mickelson pairings.