2017 Masters Preview: Final Two Group Predictions

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F I N A L T W O G R O U P P R E D I C T I O N S

H E N R I K S T E N S O N

Coming in at number five in the world, Stenson has a legitimate shot at being a frontrunner onSunday in Augusta. He was the embodiment of consistency at the end of 2016, and he picked up right where he left off this year. If he can drive the ball well like he has in past Masters tournaments and putt consistently he will be in good shape.

D U S T I N J O H N S O N

DJ is a fan favorite, and plenty of experts are picking him to win the whole thing. He finished tied for fourth in last year’s Masters, and he has been showing improvements in his game each tournament since. He took over the world number one spot and played well down the stretch in 2016. Solid iron play will be the key to his success.

R I C K I E F O W L E R

It seems like Fowler has been on the fringe of excellence for the past few years, and he is poised to break out in 2017. His putting has always carried him at Augusta, but he needs to be able to drive the ball consistently and hit more greens in regulation to have a legitimate shot on Sunday.

R O R Y M C I L R O Y

Rory has been nursing an injury that kept him sidelined for the majority of 2017 thus far. Augusta would be the perfect course for a return to top-tier competition as he strives to complete the career Grand Slam. He’s finished in the top 10 in each of the last three Masters, and if he can avoid any awful rounds like in 2014 and 2016 we could see him walk away with the Green Jacket.

J O R D A N S P I E T H

Spieth knows what it is like to win at Augusta (2015), and he also knows what it feels like to fall apart (12th hole in 2015) on Sunday. Nobody has played as well as Spieth over the last three months, and he is carrying that momentum from the West Coast to the Masters. Barring a meltdown or any bad luck, Spieth will be in the hunt on Sunday.

P H I L M I C K E L S O N

Masters experience. Lefty has more of it than the majority of the field combined, and that alone could be enough for him to fly under the radar to Sunday. He hasn’t played well as of late, particularly with his irons. If he can get his midrange game together, Mickelson will be mixing it up at the top of the leaderboard.

A D A M S C O T T

Scott hasn’t finished inside the top 10 at Augusta since winning the Masters in 2013. With the ability to crush the ball, keep it on the fairway, and play with extreme poise all weekend, he has the potential to tee off with the leaders Sunday afternoon. He will need to hit some challenging putts without his long putter to put himself in a position to win.

S E R G I O G A R C I A

There is no love lost between Sergio and Augusta, and this may finally be his year to contend for a Masters championship. He has not fared well at Augusta recently with only one top-10 finish in the last 10 years. His play has been streaky as of late, but if he can string together a few good rounds he will be playing as the sun is going down on Sunday.

T H A N K S