Lin-Sanity… Tebow-Mania… The return of Tiger Woods. The media once again has jumped at the first sign of a big story and they are going to run with it like a child with a lollipop.
In the whole “Tiger Woods Is BACK” saga many have forgotten that Rory McIlroy is by far the favorite to win The Masters. He came close to winning it last year and since then he won his first major and finishes at or near the top of almost every tournament he plays. His game is solid and if he can keep it out of the trees he will be almost impossible to beat.
That being said, and going on the assumption that the favorite often times doesn’t win, I present to you a blind taste test for who will be Rory’s#1 challenge. You make the call!
Player A: This player has finished out of the top 15 in only 1 out of his last 8 stroke play tournaments. 6 of those he finished in the top 3.
Player B: This player is top-15 on the PGA Tour in driving accuracy, Top-10 in Scrambling, Top 5 in greens in regulation and is #2 in the entire PGA in scoring average for the young 2012 season.
Player C: This player has not struggled in years at Augusta. He has finished in 6th or better in each of the last 7 Masters.
Player D: In this player’s 2012 season he has finished 49th, 26th, missed the cut, 43rd, 24th, 2nd and he won once. And in his past 5 Masters he finished outside the top 20 twice.
There you have it. Four options to see who will challenge Rory for a green jacket. Is it player A who is coming into Augusta National hot? Or player B who is showing an all-around solid game tee to green? Player C has history on his side. And player D…well…isn’t very good.
What if player A, B and C were all the same guy? What if that guy was non-other than Tiger Woods? That’s right. Rory should be very scared of that man. He plays Augusta better than anyone still young enough to swing a club and he is playing better all-around golf than anyone on tour (OTR…Other Than Rory).
The 2012 Masters is shaping up to be the epic match we have all hoped for. Tiger Woods versus The Next Tiger Woods. Epic.
Oh yeah, player D. Phil Mickelson. My money is on a missed cut this year.
