Masters Predictions 2015: Projecting How Golf's Top Stars Will Fare at Augusta

Golf fans wait all year for the commencement of the Masters, but it can be argued that there is even more excitement surrounding the 2015 edition than usual due to the mix of star power and parity present at Augusta National.

While observers will undoubtedly be keeping a close eye on the likes of Rory McIlroy and Tiger Woods, it wouldn't be a shock to see someone take the green jacket from out of the blue. It has happened before, and it could very well happen again if someone manages to get hot over the course of four rounds.

Since that is so unpredictable, though, most viewers are likely to hone in on a small handful of competitors. With that in mind, here are some predictions for how a few of the top contenders will ultimately fare in the 2015 Masters.

Tiger Woods

It has been two months since Woods last competed in a tournament, and while his 2015 season to this point has been atrocious, there is reason for optimism.

Tiger stepped away in order to get healthy and refine his game, and he believes he has done that. According to Brian Costa of The Wall Street Journal, Woods decided to take part in the Masters due to the fact that he is comfortable with his form.

"I feel like my game is finally ready to compete at the highest level," Tiger said. "I had to have all the facets of my game come around, and they all have."

Although it was basically an exhibition, the four-time Masters champion looked strong in the Masters Par 3 Contest as well. One person who expects that to carry over to the tournament itself is Phil Mickelson, per Helen Ross of PGATour.com.

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He seems to be striking the ball very well. He played in front of me today and I saw him hit some shots and it looked impressive. His speed is up, the ball is flying long and straight and it looks like he's swinging free without any type of manipulation. It looks really good. ... 

I expect him to play well, but I'm sure he's going to have the same challenges I've had, that we haven't played well and been in contention in a while and that's going to be the mental challenge we've got to overcome.

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Expecting Woods to vie for his fifth green jacket may be a tall order, but any type of positive result would be a step in the right direction for him.

Simply making the cut would be an improvement based on his play earlier in the season, and ESPN's Mike Greenberg anticipates that he will accomplish that at the very least:

Things can change quickly in the heat of competition, but Woods seems comfortable and confident enough to play into the weekend.

A top-30 finish is definitely within reach, and one can only assume that it would give him a great deal of momentum ahead of the other three majors.

Jordan Spieth

Scott Halleran/Getty Images

He is only 21 years old, but Jordan Spieth is already among the best golfers in the world, and he could be in line for his breakthrough performance at the 2015 Masters.

With two PGA Tour wins and a Ryder Cup appearance to his credit, the Dallas native has accomplished a lot in a very short period of time. He finished as the runner-up for the green jacket last season, and he may be poised to take the next step.

In terms of current form, it can be argued that nobody is playing better than Spieth. As seen in this graphic, courtesy of ESPN Stats & Info, he is riding a wave of momentum into the event:

That doesn't always translate to strong performances in the major tournaments, but there is no doubt that Spieth's game is right where it needs to be.

Also, Spieth feels as though he is built to have success at Augusta National, according to Golf Channel on Twitter:

That may be the case, but there will be more pressure on Spieth to play well than ever before due to the fact that he is starting to emerge as one of the top stars in golf. Some guys are able to respond well to that while others fold.

Spieth isn't likely to get bogged down by the pressure, but it isn't quite his time yet, and he'll have to settle for a top-10 finish rather than his first green jacket.

Rickie Fowler

Rickie Fowler has developed into one of the most consistent and successful players on the PGA Tour at the age of 26, and while he enjoyed a spectacular 2014 season, his first major title eluded him.

His year was far from a failure, though, as he managed to pull off a top-five finish in all four major tournaments, according to Golf Channel:

That is no small feat, but for whatever reason, it doesn't seem as though Fowler is receiving a ton of attention regarding his chances of winning the 2015 Masters.

Perhaps that is a good thing for Fowler, who believes that his strong performances in majors last year helped prepare him to go for a victory, per Doug Roberson of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (h/t PGA.com).

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So I'm ready for this week. I know off of the majors last year, and like I said, I continue to feel more comfortable in the position and felt right at home on Sunday at the PGA. And then coming here where I just keep getting more and more comfortable with the golf course. Get myself in contention and see what happens.

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Fowler's confidence is encouraging, as is the fact that he knows what it feels like to be in the hunt on a Sunday in a major competition.

Some might argue that his failure to close one out is a detriment, but everyone went through the same thing before finally winning their first major.

Fowler is definitely among the top contenders to reign supreme at Augusta, and another top-five finish is very much within sight, but he'll have to wait a bit longer for his first major title.

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