Today marks the opening round of the 2015 Masters Golf Tournament. Ahead of us lies a weekend with the best golfers in the world competing at Augusta National for the prestigious Green Jacket.
I know I am excited, but it is no secret that golf is not the most popular sport to watch. If I had a dollar for every time I heard “golf is stupid,” “golf is so boring,” “I hate it” or “I’d rather watch paint dry,” then I’d have enough money to buy my own Masters ticket, which is not cheap by the way.
Estimate prices from ticket brokers for this event begin around $1,500 and rise as high as $12,000 apiece. A ticket to Augusta is the hardest to get your hands on when it comes to sporting events, proving that there are definitely people out there that appreciate the game.
For people who enjoy golf, this tournament means golf season is upon us, and it’s time to break out the clubs and hit the links. And for those of you that hate golf … well, at least this is a sign spring is here and summer is right around the corner.
This year’s tournament should be a good one and it’s really anyone’s game, but here are a few guys I would suggest keeping your eye on. Rory McIlroy: Rory is the world’s best golfer right now and is coming off two consecutive major wins.
He has won every major tournament except for the Masters and a win this year could complete his career Grand Slam. He is this year’s favorite with betting odds of 6/1 to win it but has struggled at Augusta in previous years. His best finish there was a tie for eighth place, but this could be the year he masters the course, as he has been playing the best golf of his life.
Jordan Spieth: This young gun has 8/1 odds in the tournament. The 21-year-old is currently on a hot streak as he has had two second place finishes and a first place finish in his last three tournaments. He has yet to win a major, but came extremely close to becoming the youngest Green Jacket winner ever (at age 20) last year. He ended up finishing tied for second, but a win this year means he would share the record with Tiger Woods, winning at age 21.
Bubba Watson: The returning champ is an obvious one to keep your eye on as he has won two of the last three Masters (2012, 2014). Augusta is a lengthy course with a layout that really tailors to lefty power-hitters like Bubba. This unique, self-taught golf star knows how to play the course and will most likely find himself in the mix at the top of the leaderboard come Sunday.
There you have it, those are the three guys that I think will be duking it out for this year’s Green Jacket.
Some other guys to watch are Jason Day, Dustin Johnson and Adam Scott. Phil Mickelson is my dark horse of the tournament as he has won the Masters three times before and is another experienced lefty in the field. He didn’t make the cut last year but is out for redemption this year.
One final reason to watch the Masters would be that Tiger Woods will once again be looking to get back on track. He has been struggling and may not be able to compete to win it all, but he is still one of the biggest names in golf and is always fun to watch.
Hopefully, everyone has a chance to relax and enjoy some golf these next few days.
