Masters Field 2014: Analyzing How Injuries Will Affect Biggest Stars

The specter of injuries is one of the biggest storylines heading into the 2014 Masters.

As every golf fan knows, Tiger Woods has already withdrawn, while even more stars have missed time over the last month or two because of health problems.

While the Masters will likely lose some of the more casual fans as a result of Woods' injury, having him out and other top players nursing injuries may help to open up the field and make things much more unpredictable.

These three stars should be near the top of the leaderboard, though, after moving past their respective injury issues.

Jason Day: Thumb

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An injured thumb has kept Jason Day sidelined since winning the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship back on March 9. That's almost a full month without competitive golf before one of the most important tournaments of the year.

However, Day said that the thumb will be a non-factor this week, per USA Today's Steve DiMeglio:

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"It's fine," Day said. "There's no pain. I'm taping it just as a precaution. To be able to swing pain-free now is great. ... I've played 36 holes here over the last four days, and the hand's coming up nicely. I'm really looking forward to a nice, solid start."

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GolfChannel.com's Rex Hoggard said that fantasy golf players shouldn't panic if Day is in their lineup:

The 26-year-old has played in two Masters events, finishing second in 2011 and third in 2013. He withdrew from the second round of the 2012 edition after injuring his ankle. DiMeglio noted that Augusta National complements Day's style very well, leading to his strong results.

Of the biggest stars dealing with injury heading into the Masters, Day seemed the biggest doubt. Given the fact that he's played some holes at Augusta without feeling pain, though, the thumb shouldn't adversely affect his performance too much.

Rust will be the bigger question mark.

Phil Mickelson: Oblique

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Phil Mickelson's back has always been a lingering problem throughout his career, but it was instead his right oblique that was the subject of consternation for the three-time Masters champion.

The 43-year-old withdrew from the Valero Texas Open in March, citing pain in his side, per Golfweek.com's Brentley Romine:

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"My back's feeling great, my body's been feeling great," Mickelson said in a statement. "I felt as good as I have all year. My speed is back, I was hitting the ball hard, driving it great. I pulled a muscle on my downswing trying to hit the ball hard on the second hole (the par-4 11th). It just killed and it wouldn't subside for 10 or 12 seconds."

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Mickelson used the Shell Houston Open as a gauge for whether or not he'd be ready for Augusta. He finished 12th and said after the first round that the oblique wasn't an issue, per CNN:

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"I feel a lot better," Mickelson told the PGA Tour website. "I travel with a light therapy machine, and I got on it right away, and I think that made a world of difference as far as expediting the healing process to where it doesn't hurt anymore.

"It just feels sore like I was working out, as opposed to kind of a painful experience."

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It looks like Mickelson should be ready for Thursday, which never seemed to be much of a threat. Mickelson would probably play the Masters on one leg if push came to shove.

More importantly, the oblique shouldn't limit his performance over the four rounds. If Lefty had labored in Houston, then it would've been much more foreboding for his Masters potential.

Hunter Mahan: Back

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Like Day and Mickelson, Hunter Mahan was forced to miss some time on the course, but if anything, the break has served to make him more prepared for the Masters.

The 31-year-old withdrew from the Arnold Palmer Invitational back in March, citing lower back soreness.

It seemed to have been more of a proactive move than anything else, per Ryan Lavner of GolfChannel.com:

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“I didn’t feel very good and it wasn’t going to get any better,” he said, when asked whether the withdrawal was precautionary. “I didn’t like that recipe. I was concerned about a few weeks afterward. You kind of have to protect yourself at times.”

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Mahan finished 31st at the Shell Houston Open over the weekend.

His back may continue to linger a bit at Augusta, as he said it was giving him problems even before the Arnold Palmer Invitational. Taking a couple of weeks off is unlikely to solve the problem completely.

But Mahan had four top-10 finishes in his last five starts before Bay Hill, so even if it is troublesome, it shouldn't hurt his performance too much.