PGA - The Masters Preview
PGA - The Masters Preview
PGA - The Masters Preview
Dates: Thursday, April 8th through Sunday, April 11th
Site: Augusta National Golf Club, Augusta, Georgia
Course Architect: Alister MacKenzie, Bobby Jones (1934)
Re-design work: George Cobb, Joe Finger, Tom Fazio, Jack Nicklaus, Robert Trent Jones
Par: 72
Yardage: 7,435
Hole-by-Hole
Hole Par Yards Name
1 4 445 Tea Olive
2 5 575 Pink Dogwood
3 4 350 Flowering Peach
4 3 240 Flowering Crab Apple
5 4 455 Magnolia
6 3 180 Juniper
7 4 450 Pampas Grass
8 5 570 Yellow Jasmine
9 4 460 Carolina Cherry
36 3,725
10 4 495 Camellia
11 4 505 White Dogwood
12 3 155 Golden Bell
13 5 510 Azalea
14 4 440 Chinese Fir
15 5 530 Firethorn
16 3 170 Redbud
17 4 440 Nandina
18 4 465 Holly
36 3,710
Annual: 74th
Television: ESPN - Thursday/Friday -- 4-7:30 p.m. (et),
Thursday/Friday -- 8-11 p.m. (et) - replay,
CBS - Saturday -- 3:30-7 p.m. (et),
Sunday -- 2-7 p.m. (et)
Defending Champion: Angel Cabrera
Runner-Up: Chad Campbell, Kenny Perry
Tournament Record: 270 (Tiger Woods, 1997)
54-Hole Record: 201 (Raymond Floyd, 1976; Tiger Woods, 1997)
36-Hole Record: 131 (Raymond Floyd, 1976)
Course Record: 63 (Nick Price, 1986; Greg Norman, 1996)
Front 9 Record: 30 (Johnny Miller, 1975; Greg Norman, 1988; K.J. Choi, 2004, Phil Mickelson, 2009)
Back 9 Record: 29 (Mark Calcavecchia, 1992; David Toms, 1998)
Total Purse: $7,000,000 (2009 figures)
Shares: 1st Place - $1,350,000; 2nd Place - $810,000;3rd Place - $510,000
2009 Finish
Player Score Player Score
Angel Cabrera * 276 Steve Flesch 280
Chad Campbell 276 John Merrick 280
Kenny Perry 276 Steve Stricker 280
Shingo Katayama 278 Tiger Woods 280
Phil Mickelson 279 Three players at 281
* - Won in Playoff
Past Masters Champions and Runners-Up
Year Winner (Score) Runners-Up
2009 *Angel Cabrera (276) Chad Campbell, Kenny Perry
2008 Trevor Immelman (280) Tiger Woods
2007 Zach Johnson (289) Rory Sabbatini, Retief Goosen, Tiger Woods
2006 Phil Mickelson (281) Tim Clark
2005 *Tiger Woods (276) Chris DiMarco
2004 Phil Mickelson (279) Ernie Els
2003 *Mike Weir (281) Len Mattiace
2002 Tiger Woods (276) Retief Goosen
2001 Tiger Woods (272) David Duval
2000 Vijay Singh (278) Ernie Els
1999 Jose Maria Olazabal (280) Davis Love III
1998 Mark O'Meara (279) Fred Couples, David Duval
1997 Tiger Woods (270) Tom Kite
1996 Nick Faldo (276) Greg Norman
1995 Ben Crenshaw (274) Davis Love III
1994 Jose Maria Olazabal (279) Tom Lehman
1993 Bernhard Langer (277) Chip Beck
1992 Fred Couples (275) Ray Floyd
1991 Ian Woosnam (277) Jose Maria Olazabal
1990 *Nick Faldo (278) Ray Floyd
1989 *Nick Faldo (283) Scott Hoch
1988 Sandy Lyle (281) Mark Calcavecchia
1987 *Larry Mize (285) Seve Ballesteros, Greg Norman
1986 Jack Nicklaus (279) Greg Norman, Tom Kite
1985 Bernhard Langer (282) Curtis Strange, Ray Floyd, Seve Ballesteros
1984 Ben Crenshaw (277) Tom Watson
1983 Seve Ballesteros (280) Ben Crenshaw, Tom Kite
1982 *Craig Stadler (284) Dan Pohl
1981 Tom Watson (280) Johnny Miller, Jack Nicklaus
1980 Seve Ballesteros (275) Gibby Gilbert, Jack Newton
1979 *Fuzzy Zoeller (280) Ed Sneed, Tom Watson
1978 Gary Player (277) Hubert Green, Rod Funseth, Tom Watson
1977 Tom Watson (276) Jack Nicklaus
1976 Ray Floyd (271) Ben Crenshaw
1975 Jack Nicklaus (276) Johnny Miller, Tom Weiskopf
1974 Gary Player (278) Tom Weiskopf, Dave Stockton
1973 Tommy Aaron (283) J.C. Snead
1972 Jack Nicklaus (286) Bruce Crampton, Bobby Mitchell, Tom Weiskopf
1971 Charles Coody (279) Johnny Miller, Jack Nicklaus
1970 *Billy Casper (279) Gene Littler
1969 George Archer (281) Billy Casper, George Knudson, Tom Weiskopf
1968 Bob Goalby (277) Roberto DeVicenzo
1967 Gay Brewer (280) Bobby Nichols
1966 *Jack Nicklaus (288) Tommy Jacobs, Gay Brewer
1965 Jack Nicklaus (271) Arnold Palmer, Gary Player
1964 Arnold Palmer (276) Jack Nicklaus, Dave Marr
1963 Jack Nicklaus (286) Tony Lema
1962 *Arnold Palmer (280) Dow Finsterwald, Gary Player
1961 Gary Player (280) Arnold Palmer, Charles Coe
1960 Arnold Palmer (282) Ken Venturi
1959 Art Wall, Jr. (284) Cary Middlecoff
1958 Arnold Palmer (284) Doug Ford, Fred Hawkins
1957 Doug Ford (282) Sam Snead
1956 Jack Burke, Jr. (289) Ken Venturi
1955 Cary Middlecoff (279) Ben Hogan
1954 *Sam Snead (289) Ben Hogan
1953 Ben Hogan (274) Ed Oliver, Jr.
1952 Sam Snead (286) Jack Burke, Jr.
1951 Ben Hogan (280) Skee Riegel
1950 Jimmy Demaret (283) Jim Ferrier
1949 Sam Snead (282) Johnny Bulla, Lloyd Mangrum
1948 Claude Harmon (279) Cary Middlecoff
1947 Jimmy Demaret (281) Byron Nelson, Frank Stranahan
1946 Herman Keiser (282) Ben Hogan
1945 Not Held due to World War II
1944 Not Held due to World War II
1943 Not Held due to World War II
1942 *Byron Nelson (280) Ben Hogan
1941 Craig Wood (280) Byron Nelson
1940 Jimmy Demaret (280) Lloyd Mangrum
1939 Ralph Guldahl (279) Sam Snead
1938 Henry Picard (285) Ralph Guldahl, Harry Cooper
1937 Byron Nelson (283) Ralph Guldahl
1936 Horton Smith (285) Harry Cooper
1935 *Gene Sarazen (282) Craig Wood
1934 Horton Smith (284) Craig Wood
* - Won in Playoff
Note: Formerly called Augusta National Invitational (1934-38).
Top Contenders in the Field
Player 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009
Angel Cabrera mc T-10 T-9 T-15 mc mc T-8 T-37 T-25 Won
Chad Campbell --- --- --- mc mc T-17 T-3 mc --- T-2
Kenny Perry --- --- mc T-39 mc T-29 --- --- --- T-2
Shingo Katayama --- T-40 mc T-37 --- T-33 T-27 T-44 mc 4th
Phil Mickelson T-7 3rd 3rd 3rd Won 10th Won T-24 T-5 5th
Tiger Woods 5th Won Won T-15 T-22 Won T-3 T-2 2nd T-6
Steve Flesch --- mc --- --- T-17 T-29 --- --- T-5 T-6
Steve Stricker T-19 T-10 mc --- --- --- --- mc mc T-6
Sean O'Hair --- --- --- --- --- --- mc --- T-14 T-10
Jim Furyk T-14 T-6 mc 4th --- 28th T-22 T-13 T-33 T-10
Hunter Mahan --- --- --- T-28 --- --- --- --- mc T-10
Tim Clark --- --- --- T-13 mc T-39 2nd T-13 mc T-13
Camilo Villegas --- --- --- --- --- --- --- mc mc T-13
Todd Hamilton --- --- --- --- 40th T-39 mc mc T-36 T-15
Geoff Ogilvy --- --- --- --- --- --- T-16 T-24 T-39 T-15
Nick Watney --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- T-11 19th
Trevor Immelman --- --- --- --- mc T-5 mc T-55 Won T-20
Paul Casey --- --- --- --- T-6 mc --- T-10 T-11 T-20
Ian Poulter --- --- --- --- T-31 T-33 --- T-13 T-25 T-20
Sandy Lyle mc mc mc mc T-37 mc mc 43rd 45th T-20
Rory Sabbatini --- mc mc --- --- mc T-36 T-2 mc T-20
Anthony Kim --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- T-20
Rory McIlroy --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- T-20
Vijay Singh Won T-18 7th T-6 T-6 T-5 T-8 T-13 T-14 T-30
Larry Mize T-25 mc mc mc mc mc T-42 mc mc T-30
Ross Fisher --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- T-30
Dustin Johnson --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- T-30
Padraig Harrington T-19 T-27 T-5 mc T-13 mc T-27 T-7 T-5 T-35
Ben Curtis --- --- --- --- mc mc T-39 mc mc T-35
Henrik Stenson --- --- --- --- --- --- mc T-17 T-17 T-38
Robert Allenby --- 47th T-29 T-39 mc mc T-22 mc T-42 T-38
Luke Donald --- --- --- --- --- T-3 T-42 T-10 mc T-38
Sergio Garcia T-40 mc 8th T-28 T-4 mc 46th mc mc T-38
Lee Westwood mc --- 44th --- --- mc mc T-30 T-11 43rd
Miguel A. Jimenez T-49 T-10 T-9 mc --- T-31 T-11 T-44 T-8 T-46
Mike Weir T-28 T-27 T-24 Won mc T-5 T-11 T-20 T-17 T-46
Stewart Cink T-28 mc T-24 --- T-17 T-20 10th T-17 T-3 mc
Robert Karlsson --- --- --- --- --- --- --- T-30 T-8 mc
Retief Goosen T-40 mc 2nd T-15 T-13 T-3 T-3 T-2 T-17 mc
Zach Johnson --- --- --- --- --- mc T-32 Won T-20 mc
Justin Leonard T-28 T-27 T-20 mc T-35 T-13 T-39 --- T-20 mc
Adam Scott --- --- T-9 T-23 mc T-33 T-27 T-27 T-25 mc
K.J. Choi --- --- --- T-15 3rd T-33 mc T-27 41st mc
Ian Woosnam T-40 mc mc mc mc mc mc wd 44th mc
Fred Couples T-11 26th T-36 T-28 T-6 T-39 T-3 T-30 mc mc
Craig Stadler mc mc T-32 49th mc 50th mc T-49 mc mc
Ben Crenshaw mc mc mc mc mc mc 47th T-55 mc mc
Ernie Els 2nd T-6 T-5 T-6 2nd 47th T-27 mc mc mc
Bernhard Langer T-28 T-6 T-32 mc T-4 T-20 mc mc mc mc
Mark O'Meara mc T-20 mc T-8 T-27 T-31 mc mc mc mc
Tom Watson mc mc T-40 mc mc mc mc mc mc mc
Raymond Floyd mc mc mc mc mc mc mc mc mc mc
Michael Campbell --- mc mc mc mc --- mc mc mc mc
Soren Hansen --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- mc mc
Martin Kaymer --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- mc mc
Y.E. Yang --- --- --- --- --- --- --- T-30 --- mc
Ryo Ishikawa --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- mc
Soren Kjeldsen --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- mc
Louis Oosthuizen --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- mc
Oliver Wilson --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- mc
Lucas Glover --- --- --- --- --- --- mc T-20 --- ---
Edoardo Molinari --- --- --- --- --- --- mc --- --- ---
Kevin Na --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---
mc -Missed cut
--- - Did not play
wd - Withdrew
Sports NetworkSelections
Pick to Win - Jim Furyk, Paul Casey, Padraig Harrington
Darkhorse - Retief Goosen, Luke Donald, K.J. Choi
Last Week's Pick to Win (Ernie Els) - T44
Last Week's Darkhorse (Kevin Streelman) - Missed the cut
NOTES:
There's the Super Bowl in football, the World Series in baseball, the Stanley Cup in Hockey, Wimbledon in tennis, the Kentucky Derby in horse racing, or the Great American Race (Daytona 500), but there is nothing that quite compares to that first major in April for the men, The Masters. Although the LPGA Tour had its first major last week and just four weeks ago the golfers competed at the WGC-CA Championship at Doral, The Masters is the greatest spectacle in golf.
This may be the most anticipated Masters in history, due to the fact that world No. 1 Tiger Woods is making his return to golf. Woods will be playing for the first time since winning the JBWere Masters is Australia in November. He has taken time off to concentrate on his personal life in the aftermath of the car accident Thanksgiving weekend that led to revelations of marital infidelity.
As was the case in 2009, there are plenty of interesting scenarios waiting to play out this year. Will the best player in the world, Woods, capture his fifth Masters crown in his return to the game? Can Phil Mickelson win his third green jacket and fourth major title? Will Ernie Els break into the Masters winners column after six top-10 finishes? Can Vijay Singh win his second Masters after finishing in the top-15 seven of the last eight years? Will Angel Cabrera be the first player to successfully defend his Masters crown since Woods in 2002? Will Jim Furyk, Geoff Ogilvy, or Padraig Harrington win their first Masters? Or will Sergio Garcia, Paul Casey, Henrik Stenson, Camilo Villegas, Lee Westwood, Steve Stricker or Ian Poulter win their first major championship? Only time will tell.
Last year, Angel Cabrera parred the second playoff hole to defeat Kenny Perry and Chad Campbell and win The Masters for his second major title. Campbell was eliminated on the first playoff hole after a bogey at Augusta National's 18th. Perry missed his approach left on 10, the second extra hole, and never recovered. His 20-footer for par slid by the left side and Cabrera had two putts from 15 feet for the green jacket. Cabrera ran the first just a few inches past the hole and tapped in for his second major. He won the 2007 U.S. Open at Oakmont. Perry led by two strokes with two holes to play in regulation, but bogeyed 17 and 18 to get into the playoff.
Cabrera, from Argentina, became the first South American to win The Masters. Cabrera's fellow countryman, Roberto DeVicenzo, appeared to have the 1968 Masters title, but he signed for an incorrect scorecard and Bob Goalby got the green jacket.
Mickelson matched the Masters record with a front-nine 30 last year in the final round and got himself within one of the lead. He hit into Rae's Creek at No. 12 en route to a double-bogey, missed easy birdie putts on 15 and 17, then bogeyed the last to finish with a five-under 67 and take fifth place at nine-under 279.
In 2008, Trevor Immelman built a lead he could not lose on the back nine in the final round and won his first major championship. Immelman fired rounds of 68-68-69, sharing the lead after the first round and holding the lead alone after the second and third rounds. Immelman, who held a five-shot lead with five to play on the final day, finished with a three-over 75 on Sunday for atotal of eight-under-par 280. It was enough for a three-shot victory over the four-time winner Woods. Immelman became the second South African to don the green jacket after his idol, Gary Player, who called him Saturday night to wish him encouragement. Immelman's final-round 75 matched Arnold Palmer's 75 in 1962 as the highest winning final-round score in Masters history. Itwas also the highest final-round score for a major winner since Singh shot a 76 in the final round of the 2004 PGA Championship.
In 2007, Zach Johnson captured his first major title, winning by two strokes over Woods, Retief Goosen and Rory Sabbatini. Johnson shot and impressive, three-under 69 in the final round to finish at one-over-par 289, which matched the highest winning score in Masters history set by Sam Snead (1954) and Jack Burke, Jr. (1956). Johnson played in the third-to-last twosome on thefinal day, breaking a streak of 16 consecutive Masters champions who came from the final pairing. Nick Faldo was the last player not to play in the final group and win, when he played in the next-to-last pairing in 1990.
Johnson became the first Nationwide Tour graduate to win The Masters. His win was the 11th major championship title by a former Nationwide Tour player and first since Shaun Micheel captured the 2003 PGA Championship.
In 2006, Mickelson claimed his second Masters title in three years, as he played steadily while others faltered. When he captured the green jacket in 2004, Mickelson holed an 18-foot birdie putt on the 72nd hole to top Els by a single stroke. In 2006, he was able to enjoy the experience better as he walked up the 18th fairway with a three-shot cushion. Mickelson posted his first round in he 60s all week with a three-under, final-round 69. He finished at seven-under-par 281 and won by two strokes over Tim Clark. The win was Mickelson's second consecutive major championship, as he also walked off with the 2005 PGA Championship.
In winning the Masters in 2006, Mickelson was 13-under par on the par-five holes. Raymond Floyd is the only past champion to have performed better when he won in 1976, as he was 14-under par. Mickelson became only the fifth player to win the tournament before The Masters and then go on to win at Augusta. Those players to have accomplished this feat are: Sandy Lyle (1988), Art Wall(1959), Snead (1949) and Ralph Guldahl (1939).
In 2005, Woods birdied the first hole of a playoff to defeat Chris DiMarco and win The Masters for the fourth time in his career. It was the first major championship for Woods since the 2002 U.S. Open at Bethpage. On the par-three 16th hole during the final round, Woods missed the green and pitched his second above the hole and waited as his ball rolled down the slope, stayed on the edge of the cup for a second, and dropped for a birdie and one of the most memorable shots in Masters history. Woods joined Jack Nicklaus (six) and Arnold Palmer (four) as the only players with four or more Masters titles. Forty-five of Woods' 58 rounds at Augusta National have been at par or better and 42 of 52 as a professional. In his four wins at the Masters, Woods is a combined 58-under par and has won by a total of 17 strokes.
In 2004, Mickelson shed the title of "Best Player Never to Win a Major" when he birdied the final hole to defeat Els by one shot. With the win, Mickelson broke an 0-46 drought in golf's four major tournaments. With his birdie at the last, Mickelson became just the fourth player in tournament history to birdie the 72nd hole for the championship. He joined Palmer (1960), Lyle (1988) andMark O'Meara (1998) in that illustrious category. In 2003, Mike Weir became the first left-hander and first Canadian to capture the coveted green jacket, as he defeated Len Mattiace in a playoff.
In 2002, Woods joined Nicklaus and Faldo as the only back-to-back victors of The Masters. Nicklaus turned the trick in 1965-66 and Faldo accomplished the feat in 1989-90. Woods set a new Masters mark that year with 10 consecutive rounds under par, breaking the previous record of nine set by Palmer and Floyd. That streak ended in 2003 when he opened with a four-over 76.
International players have fared well at The Masters, winning 12 of 22 and 14 of the last 27. No player has ever won The Masters after winning the par-three tournament held on Wednesday. In 2009, Tim Clark captured the par-three event and finished tied for 13th in The Masters. A total of 111 players have been invited to this year's event, with a total of 99 expected to compete.There are 18 first-time participants and six amateurs in this year's field.
Qualifications for entrance into the Masters are: past Masters champions; U.S. Open, British Open and PGA Championship winners (Honorary, non-competing after five years); winners of the last three PLAYERS Championships; current U.S. Amateur champion and runner-up; current British Amateur, U.S. Amateur Public Links and U.S. Mid-Amateur champions; the top-16 finishers -- including ties -- from last year's Masters; top-eight players -- including ties -- from lastyear's U.S. Open; top-four players -- including ties -- from last year's PGA Championship and British Open; the top-30 PGA Tour money leaders from 2009; Winners of PGA Tour events that award a full FedExCup point allocation from previous Masters to current Masters; those qualifying for the 2009 TOUR Championship; 50 leaders on the Final Official World Golf Ranking for 2009, and the 50 leaders on the Official World Golf Ranking published during the week prior to the 2010 Masters Tournament. The committee can also invite any international player not otherwise qualified.
Player and Fred Couples share the record for most consecutive cuts made at 23. Couples missed the cut for the first time in 2008. Player made his 52nd and final career start last year at the Masters, the most all-time.
There were no holes-in-one in 2009. Ian Poulter aced the 16th hole in 2008 with a eight-iron from 170 yards. There were no aces in 2006 and 2007. Immelman aced the 16th hole in 2005 with a seven-iron from 177 yards. In the history of The Masters, there have been 19 holes-in-one. In 2004, Harrington and Kirk Triplett made back-to-back aces on the 16th hole.
There have only been four wire-to-wire winners of The Masters: Craig Wood (1941), Palmer (1960), Nicklaus (1972) and Floyd (1976). Nicklaus holds the record for most eagles in The Masters with 24. Four players have won The Masters for their only top-10 finish in Augusta: George Archer, Lyle, Ian Woosnam and Johnson. There have been only three players who have won in their first appearance at The Masters: Fuzzy Zoeller (1979), Gene Sarazen (1935) and Horton Smith (1934). Only two players in the history of The Masters have birdied the final two holes for the win: Palmer (1960) and O'Meara (1998). The Masters is the only PGA Tour major played on the same course each year.
Former Masters champion Jose Maria Olazabal and Michael Sim have withdrawn from the championship. Olazabal withdrew due to aches and pains due to rheumatism and Sim pulled out due to a right shoulder injury.
The PGA Tour moves to Hilton Head Island, South Carolina next week for the Verizon Heritage, where Brian Gay captured the title last year.
