Golf’s greatest tournament, otherwise known as the Masters, begins this week.
The biggest talk of the tournament this year is the fact that Tiger Woods will not be playing.
This is the first time in 20 years that Woods will not be shooting for a green jacket.
Personally, I don’t think Woods’ withdrawal from the tournament is a huge deal.
Yes, everyone enjoys watching him play and he has won four times in his career. However, the greatest thing about the Masters is that the winner is never set in stone.
The No. 1 player in the world is not always the favorite to win and often times, he does not.
Because so many different factors have to come together to be successful in the game of golf, anything could happen.
The top players could have off rounds and miss the cut.
The newer, less experienced players could play the rounds of their lives and top the leaderboard.
In 2011, Rory McIlroy was atop the leaderboard going into Sunday play. McIlroy is consistently ranked among the top players in the world.
Charl Schwartzel came from behind to win the green jacket that year by sinking four straight birdies on the final four holes.
At that point in time, the Masters was the only PGA tournament win Schwartzel had.
There are always favorites to win. This year, McIlroy and Adam Scott top the prospects.
I’m going to root for Phil Mickelson this year. Maybe it’s because he’s a former Sun Devil, or maybe because he’s just a great golfer.
Reach the columnist at Megan.Kavy@asu.edu or follow her on Twitter @meggiekavy
