Masters 2012 Leaderboard: Surprise Performers Who Will Fade Fast

Surprises in golf often provide some of the best moments that we have seen. Charl Schwartzel at last year's Masters immediately springs to mind, but there are any number of moments you can point to that remind us why we love this game. 

Sadly, there are a few players performing far above expectations at this year's Masters who will not provide us with that warm and fuzzy hallmark moment. 

That sounds harsh, and I would love to be wrong, but there is too much evidence out there to suggest that a collapse is coming. 

Here are the biggest surprises ready to disappoint on Moving Day at Augusta. 

Sergio Garcia

It is hard not to root for Garcia. He took the golf world by storm in 1999 and was supposed to be the next big thing, but for a variety of reasons—namely, his own psyche—things have not worked out for him. 

Yet here we are, with Garcia sitting at five-under par following a brilliant second-round performance. All of that talk about whether this will be the tournament for him will start again. 

Sadly, we have seen this story play out too many times before. It would be great if Garcia was able to break through the mental blocks he has, but with so many players bunched so close together, it isn't going to be a good weekend for Garcia. 

Vijay Singh

It has been a while since we have talked about Singh as a real threat to win a major. He started strong with a two-under par 70 in the first round before shooting even-par on Friday. 

Despite the good score, Singh has been all over the place so far. He has an equal split with one eagle, seven birdies and seven bogeys. That kind of performance does not lend itself to sustained success at any course, much less Augusta. 

This could be Singh's last great hurrah, but based on the numbers, it does not appear that he is going to make it count. 

Lee Westwood

Thursday's leader nearly closed out his second round near the top, but a poor showing on 18 left him sitting at four-under par. It's not a catastrophe, though it definitely could have been better. 

The trick now is to determine which round are we more likely to see from Westwood on Saturday and Sunday. 

Given that he doesn't hit the ball long, nor does he make up shots on the green, it is more likely that he will play closer to the 73 he shot on Friday. He had a chance to make a big statement with a great round, but let it slip right through his fingers. 

Now, he is left to pick up the pieces over the weekend. That's a difficult task in any tournament, let alone one as big as The Masters. 

For the latest news, notes and information, as well as an updated leaderboard, please check out our Masters coverage all weekend long. 

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