Masters Predictions 2015: Early Picks and Projections for Augusta
As arguably the most prestigious event in golf, the Masters brings out the utmost competition and excitement from the world's best golfers. That will once again be the case this year as any number of participants could potentially come out on top.
All eyes will be on the likes of world No. 1 Rory McIlroy and the returning Tiger Woods, but the field is stacked with a ton of great talent. That includes multi-time green jacket winners such as Phil Mickelson and Bubba Watson, as well as guys who are still searching for their first win at Augusta National.
With the Masters finally on the horizon, here is a look at some predictions regarding how some of the most skilled and popular golfers will fare in the first major of 2015.
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Masters Predictions
Dustin Johnson Will Win Green Jacket
After several months away from the game, Dustin Johnson has returned in 2015 with a vengeance. The American star has four top-10 finishes in six events, and he seems to be playing some of the best golf of his career.
Over has past five events, Johnson has finished worst than sixth on only one occasion, and he came away with a victory at the Cadillac Championship. The 30-year-old South Carolina native is coming off a sixth-place showing at the Valero Texas Open where he crushed the ball off the tee, according to Golf Channel on Twitter:
That should serve him quite well at Augusta, and it will allow him to be in the mix provided his intermediate and short games are on point too. Although Johnson's best career Masters finish is 13th, he has a penchant for being competitive at majors.
Johnson is still searching for his first major title, but he has finished in the top five at the Open Championship, U.S. Open and PGA Championship in the past.
One person who expects Johnson to finally add his name to the list of major champions this weekend is two-time U.S. Open champion Curtis Strange, per Scott Hamilton of the Winston-Salem Journal:
Being in good form ahead of a major is certainly important, and it can be argued that nobody is playing better or more consistently right now than Johnson.
If he is able to carry that over to Augusta, then Johnson is going to be extremely difficult to beat and prevent from donning the green jacket.
Rory McIlroy Will Finish in Top 5
After winning the final two majors last year, it should come as no surprise that Rory McIlroy is considered the man to beat at the 2015 Masters. The Northern Irishman is still in search of his first green jacket, but he has a great chance to nab it if he plays to his potential.
That is something that hasn't always been easy for McIlroy at Augusta National, though. Last year's eighth-place finish at the Masters was his best to date, and he is seemingly always undone by a less-than-stellar round, as pointed out by Alex Myers of Golf Digest:
Avoiding a negative round will be key in McIlroy's pursuit of a green jacket, and Ernie Els believes he can do it. In fact, the four-time major champion expects McIlroy to win the Masters on multiple occasions by the time it's all said and done, according to BBC.com's Iain Carter.
"He's too good," Els said. "He's playing against great players but, you know, Rory has that factor where when he's on these other guys can't play with him. There are no guarantees in this game but I'd say he would win at least four."
That is huge praise from one of the all-time greats, but there is no doubt that McIlroy has that type of ability. Winning the Masters may be a mental hurdle for him more than anything else, which can be the toughest obstacle to clear for some golfers.
McIlroy has finished ninth and 11th in his past two tournaments, which suggests that he should be in the mix, but he'll have to settle for a top-five finish rather than his first green jacket.
Tiger Woods Will Make Cut
It has been seven years since he last won a major and 10 years since his most recent green jacket, but Tiger Woods will be the talk of the 2015 Masters, nonetheless.
Woods has been out of action for the past couple months in an effort to get his game and his health in order, but he will make his long-awaited return at Augusta National, according to a statement on TigerWoods.com.
"I'm playing in the Masters," Tiger said. "It's obviously very important to me, and I want to be there. I've worked a lot on my game and I'm looking forward to competing. I'm excited to get to Augusta and I appreciate everyone's support."
Woods' level of play prior to taking time off was nowhere near what golf fans have grown accustomed to over the years. One can only assume that a player of Tiger's caliber was embarrassed by it, so he probably wouldn't be back in action unless he felt good about his chances.
That is a sentiment echoed by his friend, Notah Begay, per PGA Tour on Twitter:
Considering what a struggle the past couple years have been, expecting Woods to vie for his fifth green jacket is a bit too lofty. That doesn't mean he can't have a positive result, though.
As long as Tiger doesn't withdraw or miss the cut, it will be a step in the right direction for him. Based on the work Woods has done to fine-tune his craft, making the cut and playing through Sunday is a reasonable expectation that he can meet.
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