Masters 2015: What Golf's Top Stars Must Prove
The world’s best golfers have arrived at Augusta National for the 79th edition of the Masters Tournament.
All of the players in the field have questions to answer and things to prove. Each player must prove that he can raise his game for the first major of the year. He must prove that he won’t be overwhelmed by the unique challenge of Augusta National. He must prove that he can maintain focus and not get caught stopping to smell the azaleas, as one mistake tends to turn into another at Bobby Jones’ golf course.
A few stars—such as Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy, Phil Mickelson, Bubba Watson and Jordan Spieth—have more to prove.
Read on to find out exactly what they need to do.
Tiger Woods
1 of 8
What He Has to Prove: All his practice has paid off
Last year, most Tiger Woods-related headlines concerned the star’s injured back.
This year, the golfer claims his back has not been an issue, save for one round at the Farmers Insurance Open in which it tightened up. What has been an issue, and what has dominated headlines, is Woods’ short game troubles.
After switching coaches in early December of last year, Woods teed it up at the Hero World Challenge and duffed, chunked and skulled his way around Isleworth’s greens. The issues surfaced again at the Waste Management Phoenix Open in February, and he wasn’t much better at the Farmers Insurance Open before withdrawing.
The former world No. 1 hasn’t teed it up in two months and has been working diligently on his game. Indeed, he said in his pre-tournament press conference that he’d “worked his ass off.”
If we’re to believe he has any chance of winning more majors in general, or this major in particular, he needs to prove that he’s gotten his pitching and chipping straightened out.
Phil Mickelson
2 of 8
What He Has to Prove: His short game is Augusta-ready
Mickelson has made seven starts on the PGA Tour this season. While he’s recorded a pair of top 25 finishes, there are concerns about his short game. Lefty is currently 112th in scrambling and 196th in scrambling from the rough. He’s 75th in strokes gained: putting.
Mickelson worked on his short game ahead of last week’s Shell Houston Open, where he finished tied for 17th. As he said (per Reuters UK): "My short game actually was what threw away so many shots [last week]. I spent the last three days working on that. So I was able to turn that around in a few days and the game feels pretty good."
Mickelson fired rounds of 76, 73 to miss the cut at Augusta last year. If he’s going to do better than that, he needs to show that he can control spin, trajectory and distance. Otherwise, he won’t be up for the exacting challenge that is Augusta National.
Rory McIlroy
3 of 8
What He Has to Prove: He can handle the pressure
25-year-old Rory McIlroy has been the favorite to win the Masters since capturing the PGA Championship in August of last year. Further, no sooner had he raised the Wanamaker Trophy at Valhalla than seemingly everyone had the same question on their minds: Will Rory McIlroy capture the career grand slam at the Masters?
The Ulsterman has had to play and prepare, eat and sleep with the weight of great expectation on his shoulders for nearly nine months.
He finished tied for ninth at the WGC-Cadillac Championship and tied for 11th at the Arnold Palmer Invitational before taking the last two weeks off two prepare for the Masters.
McIlroy has never entered a tournament with as much pressure as this one. The 2015 Masters is the most significant competition of his professional career. He must prove that he can handle the pressure. He must prove that he is no longer the golfer who melted down on Augusta National’s back nine in 2011 or walked off at the Honda Classic in 2013.
Can he?
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Bubba Watson
4 of 8
What He Has to Prove: He can play well as the defending champ
Watson enters this year’s Masters Tournament as the defending champion.
Thing’s didn’t go so well for the Bagdad, Florida, native last time he entered the Masters as champion. After winning the 2011 Masters, Bubba Watson failed to break 70 in 2012. The coup de gras was a final-round 77, and Watson finished tied for 50th.
Last year, of course, Watson won the Masters.
This year, he needs to prove that he can handle the increased scrutiny and additional obligations that come with being the defending champion.
Jordan Spieth
5 of 8
What He Has to Prove: He can play well as a favorite
Conventional wisdom holds that Augusta National isn’t kind to a first-timer. Apparently, Spieth didn’t get that memo. As a 20-year-old, Spieth finished tied for second at the Masters last year and nearly chased down Watson on a thrilling Sunday.
Spieth largely flew under the radar until the final round last year. He entered the tournament at 25-1 odds. This year, Spieth has been front and center for the last three events, one of which he won and two of which he finished second place in. According to Odds Shark, he’s presently a 10-1 favorite, second only to McIlroy.
The Texas native must prove he can play well as a favorite to win the tournament.
Jimmy Walker
6 of 8
What He Has to Prove: He can ride the momentum and again rise to the occasion at Augusta
Jimmy Walker enters the Masters having won in his previous start. Walker was a solid front-runner at the Valero Texas Open and he pulled away from Spieth, and the field, during the final round.
A two-time winner on tour this season, the often-streaky Walker needs to prove that he can sustain his good play. Last year, in his maiden visit to Augusta National, Walker was impressive. Only a 78 in the third round kept his tied-for-eighth finish from being better.
Walker’s challenge is to stay hot and prove that his success at Augusta National last year wasn’t beginner’s luck.
Dustin Johnson
7 of 8
What He Has to Prove: He has the patience and discipline to conquer Augusta National
Since returning from his leave of absence, Dustin Johnson has played some quality golf. He’s made four of six cuts—but in the four tournaments he’s made the cut in, Johnson has finished no worse than tied for sixth, and he won the WGC-Cadillac Championship.
He has not, however, played quality golf at Augusta National since first teeing it up there in 2009. Johnson hasn’t cracked the top 10 at Augusta. His best finish is a tie for 13th in 2013, and he missed the cut at last year’s Masters.
Johnson has recorded at least two top 10 finishes in the other three majors. He needs to prove that he can take care of business at Augusta National in the same way does at other major venues.
Adam Scott
8 of 8
What He Has to Prove: A return to the long putter will give him a chance at Augusta
2013 Masters winner, Adam Scott has never been a particularly adept putter. He’s been passable in recent years—the Australian was 55th in strokes gained: putting last year.
Since experimenting with a conventional length putter in recent tournaments, Scott’s putting has been horrendous. At the Valspar Championship, he lost 2.589 strokes to the field with his putter. At the Arnold Palmer Invitational, Scott lost 1.052.
He’s put his beloved long putter back in the bag for the Masters saying, "It just seemed like the sensible thing to do. … I'm here to get the job done, and the odds are more in my favor of doing that with the longer putter considering I've used it the last four years” (per Doug Ferguson of the Associated Press).
If the return to the long putter doesn’t bring with it a return to passable putting, Adam Scott won’t be winning his second Masters.
All stats via PGATour.com.
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