Masters 2012 Leaderbord: Peter Hanson Poised for Unlikely Win

Peter Hanson is easily the biggest surprise at the 2012 Masters, and he sits alone atop the leaderboard as he prepares for the biggest round of his life. 

Don't look for Hanson to crumble under the pressure. He's going to win this thing.

On moving day Hanson outclassed the entire field, shooting a spectacular round of seven under par on a day when many of golf's greats—specifically Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy and Fred Couples—were struggling just to make pars.

Hanson is a career journeyman on the European Tour. He's been playing professional golf since 1998, and during that time he's only won five tournaments.

Some might say that his lack of success will cause Hanson to crack under the immense pressure of the moment. 

After all, it doesn't get much more pressure-packed than Sunday afternoon at Augusta National Golf Club in early April—not to mention the fact that Hanson's playing partner is only one of golf's most beloved champions, Phil Mickelson.

I have a different take on the matter. 

The truth is that Hanson doesn't have anything to lose. He's been playing long enough to experience the emotional ups and downs of many a long season, and at 34 years old he's ready to take the next step.

I expect Hanson to come out as cool as the other side of the pillow when he steps onto the first tee. His first drive will certainly tell us whether or not he's feeling jittery, and I have the utmost confidence that he's going to drill it right down the middle.

I expect Hanson will need to shoot at least four under par to secure the win, but after his performance yesterday that should be a breeze.

It won't be much longer before we find out what he's made of. 

Stay tuned for the final round, and thank you for making Bleacher Report your source for all your PGA and Masters coverage.

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