2013 Masters Handicapping: Projecting the Winner and Top 10 at Augusta

There is a line of thinking that the 2013 Masters is a "Tiger Woods and everybody else" event.

There are also plenty of people who believe Woods’ wayward driver, Rory McIlroy’s continued struggles and the phenomenon of “What Will Phil Do Next?” makes this Masters more wide open than many have been.

Weather conditions and nerves will have a lot to do with how that all plays out, but the fun part is trying to predict who will win and who will finish in the top 10.

So, with appropriate trepidation, I submit my list of predictions for the winner and the top 10.

10. Lee Westwood

Lee Westwood has suffered through some near-misses in the majors, especially in the Masters, when he finished third and second two of the last three years.

The common denominator through all of his near-misses has been his short game, an area that has received a great deal of attention from the 39-year-old Englishman.

Augusta National will quickly expose someone with a suspect short game.

9. Fred Couples

This will be the 29th Masters in which Fred Couples will compete and, believe it or not, he still believes he can compete.

The 53-year-old (which is the same number of career wins he has) Couples won in 1992, but has sporadically been in contention since then.

His latest run was in 2010, when he set Augusta National on its ear, shooting 66 in the first round.

Unfortunately, he followed that up with a 75—and even though he followed up with 68-70, the best he could do was a sixth-place finish.

8. Ian Poulter

At 37 years old, Ian Poulter might be starting to hear the creaking of his window of opportunity to win the Masters slowly starting to close.

He is the undisputed face of Ryder Cup golf, but is still chasing his first major title.

He was pretty good last year, finishing seventh, but for all the splash and flash that Poulter creates, his resume will be lacking if he doesn’t get that elusive major.

He’s ranked 12th in the world but needs to get a major soon.

7. Matt Kuchar

There isn’t much in Matt Kuchar’s first five appearances at the Masters to feel good about how he might do in his sixth, but the always-smiling Kuchar is off to a great start this year.

A win, three top-10 finishes and over $2.2 million in earnings tell the tale of 2013 for Kuchar.

He finished third a year ago in the Masters, including a clutch 69 in the final round.

Keep an eye on Kuchar this year.

6. Steve Stricker

There is precedence for a player in his 40s to win the Masters. Jack Nicklaus, of course, shocked the world by winning the event in 1986 at the age of 46.

Steve Stricker could well be the next one.

He has what his peers would love to have: a silky-smooth putting stroke that holds up well under pressure.

His resume is not sparkling at Augusta National; as a matter of fact, in 11 career Masters appearances, he’s finished under par just three times.

He’s playing well this year and could surprise.

5. Keegan Bradley

Keegan Bradley played in his first Masters a year ago and finished 27th.

He finished the tournament with a round of 69.

But the Bradley who puts the tee in the ground Thursday is so much different than the one who shook hands with his competitor last year on the 18th green.

He’s as gritty as they come on the PGA Tour and has unbelievable talent.

Bradley really blossomed last year at the Ryder Cup and is the 11th-ranked player in the world.

He’s too good not to be right in the middle of everything come Sunday afternoon.

4. Rory McIlroy

When the professional golf season began in January, a tremendous amount of attention was focused on Rory McIlroy and Woods, their friendly rivalry, their battle for world supremacy and a wonderful, birdie-filled battle at Augusta National.

But McIlroy got out of the starting blocks terribly and has been playing from behind for three months.

He showed some improvement at the Valero Texas Open, but was it enough to make him a serious threat this week?

McIlroy is a fairly safe top-10 choice, but will need to be much better to make a run at winning.

3. Justin Rose

Justin Rose is the third-ranked player in the world.

He has three top-10 finishes in four starts on the PGA Tour, and his play the last three years in the Masters has improved to the point that he finished eighth in 2012.

He’s long, accurate and more than capable of seriously being in the hunt come Sunday afternoon.

He’s shot rounds of 68 the last two Sunday afternoons in Augusta, meaning he knows how to handle the big-time pressure that’s part of the final round.

2. Phil Mickelson

Phil Mickelson has won three times at Augusta National, and there’s no substitution for experience, especially in the Masters.

But experience without playing well won’t bring another chance at a green jacket.

Since 1999, Mickelson has finished in the top 10 11 times, including those three wins.

He’s won over $9 million and if he’s on form, he can make a lot more this weekend.

The bottom line, however, is nobody knows how the big left-hander will do when the tournament starts.

1. Tiger Woods

Prior to last season’s tie for 40th, Tiger Woods had a streak of seven top-10 finishes, including only one outside the top five.

Yes, he’s not driving the ball particularly long (295 yards, 32nd) or straight (55.80 percent of fairways hit, 147th), but he’s back to putting the ball well.

And as everybody knows, the greens at Augusta National will ultimately determine the championship next weekend.

This is a critical major for Woods, who still harbors hopes of equaling and surpassing Jack Nicklaus’ mark of 18 major victories.