Masters 2012: Who Has Become the Player of the Year Favorites?

This year's Masters Tournament has been a great one, and as Day 4 gets underway, all the fans can do is brace themselves for one of the players in the running for the green jacket to just pull away and dominate. 

Such a performance can put the eventual winner, or even one of the runners up, in the running for Player of the Year.  This year at Augusta National, quite a few candidates have made themselves stand out.

Let's start with seasoned veteran Phil "Lefty" Mickelson.  He won his third Masters just two years ago and, after a great performance yesterday, finds himself just one stroke behind leader Peter Hanson. 

Out of all the candidates about to be mentioned, Mickelson probably has the greatest advantage.  He appeared in his first Masters Tournament in 1991 and has not missed one since 1993, so he knows the course quite well.

Let's not forget that Lee Westwood isn't that far behind Mickelson—just four strokes.  Back in 2010, Westwood entered Day 4 with a one-stroke lead over the eventual champion, who finished three shots ahead of him. 

That said, he could be looking to avenge that loss this year, and given how much of a comeback that would mean, he'd almost have to be considered for Player of the Year.

Now, let's talk about the man ahead of Mickelson—Sweden's Peter Hanson.  This is just his second time playing at the Masters, having not made the cut last year.  The fact that he went from that type of performance to being the man on top entering today is unbelievable, and when the time comes to announce Player of the Year, his name will definitely be in the mix.

The same can be said for Louis Oosthuizen of South Africa.  Here is a man who came to the Masters the past three years and failed to make the cut each time. 

Now he's in third place and just two strokes behind Hanson.  Should he have a great day and win the green jacket—or at least come close to it—he could definitely be under consideration depending on how the rest of his season goes.

Lastly, we come to fan-favorite Tiger Woods.  Is he a legitimate candidate for Player of the Year?  Well, it's tough to say at this point.

His performance at Augusta this year has been less than average, and he is currently tied for 38th place, virtually out of the running.  Still, let's not forget that he recently won the Arnold Palmer Invitational, his first PGA victory in two-and-a-half years. 

If he can finish out today with a bang and add a few more victories over the course of the year, he could easily be a dark-horse candidate.

That all being said, the 2012 Masters Tournament has been a great one.  Some veterans have continued to shine, while some under-the-radar talents have begun to come out of their shells as well.

Simply put, whoever wins the green jacket this year—and even some of the losers—will automatically be in the run for Player of the Year.  The performances by some at Augusta this year have just been too good to overlook for consideration of the esteemed award.

In terms of who actually wins Player of the Year, we'll just have to see how the rest of the season goes.