Old could become new again when the Masters tournament tees off at Augusta National on Thursday.
That’s because two players, with seven combined green jackets, have both showed the type of form that could make them part of the discussion come Sunday afternoon.
Phil Mickelson won a World Golf Championship, one of the most important non-majors on the PGA Tour schedule, three weeks ago in Mexico. It was Lefty’s first victory since the 2013 Open Championship title he won in Scotland.
The other cagey veteran last won in August 2013, two weeks after Mickelson captured the Claret Jug at Muirfield; this golfer hasn’t taken a major in almost a decade.
You may have heard of him; his name is Tiger Woods.
Woods has played five times this year and has looked progressively better each time. In fact, if not for a couple of puzzling club selections, his second-place showing at the Valspar Championship and fifth at the Arnold Palmer Invitational could have been even better.
Aside from rust, understandable given that he’s barely played for much of the past four seasons while recovering from back surgeries, Woods looked a lot like the player that dominated golf for a decade-and-a-half while winning 14 major titles.
At 42 and 48, respectively, Woods and Mickelson still create a buzz despite their ages.
There are other reasons to anticipate a potentially epic battle, with Rory McIlroy now part of the mix, himself shaking off a prolonged slump to win at Bay Hill. The Northern Irishman showed the type of moxie that could, finally, see him complete his personal career grand slam by winning the Masters.
It’s difficult to call McIlroy old a month before turning 29 but it feels like he’s ceded ground to Justin Thomas and Jordan Spieth, who are four years younger than him. Unlike McIlroy, Spieth has already won at Augusta and Thomas has been the hottest player on the planet since he won his first major, the PGA Championship, last summer.
Johnson looks to make amends
World No. 1 Dustin Johnson, who is marginally ahead of Thomas on the most recent ranking, will be looking to make amends for last year when he fell down the stairs during tournament week and had to withdraw.
Johnson, like Rickie Fowler, has a certain green jacket destiny attached to his name, though neither has played well in the lead-up to this year’s tournament.
Adam Hadwin of Abbotsford, B.C., is back in action this year after making the cut and tying for 36th in 2017. Fifteen years removed from his 2003 victory, Mike Weir of Brights Grove, Ont., is also in the field as a past champion.
Defending champion Sergio Garcia’s victory last year was one of the most satisfying wins in recent memory as the Spaniard beat back competitive demons that had deprived him from seriously becoming one of Woods and Mickelson’s chief rivals for much of his career.
Having not done much since winning last year, it’s hard to call Garcia a favourite but he bears watching. As does Justin Rose, who looked all but fitted in green linen last year until a bogey on 17 led to his undoing in a playoff. In keeping with a European theme, Garcia’s fellow countryman Jon Rahm, at just 23, is already one of the world’s best and could partner with both Garcia and Rose when the Ryder Cup takes place in Paris in the fall.
A little further down the list of favourites, American Charley Hoffman led for almost three full rounds last year until he put his tee shot in the water on 16 on the Saturday. He’ll likely won’t make a similar mistake again. Belgian Thomas Pieters has been earmarked as a future great and showed it when he strung together four straight birdies on the back nine in the final round to finish fourth.
Extra anticipation for vaunted tournament
The Masters, of course, has its scuff marks even if they are hard to see through the technical, high-definition pictures that will dominate this week.
It’s limited field — 88 players this year — makes it statistically the easiest major to win. There are a few players not in the field this week who would at least push the leaders that couldn’t qualify. Augusta National’s traditions and decorum also create some angst among players because they can’t get in their comfort zone that comes naturally most tournament weeks.
But what the Masters has in spades is difficult to quantify. Coming when it does at the beginning of spring, before both the NHL and NBA playoffs begin and without baseball having hit its stride, the Masters is one of the most anticipated weekends on the sporting calendar.
If the pre-tournament hype surrounding Woods and Mickelson holds firm, and the young chase pack on their heels makes a charge, this weekend could be one worth mentioning long after the two most popular players of their generation finally head off into the sunset.
