What Lies in Store?

We take a look at the venues and likely contenders at this year’s major championships which, with the exception of Augusta National, have a distinctly links-like feel to proceedings

Look for Adam Scott to be in contention down the stretch at Augusta

Masters Tournament

All eyes will be on McIlroy’s Grand Slam bid and a personal Augusta redemption for his final nine-hole collapse in 2011, and for good reason. McIlroy was dominant in 2014 with four huge wins, including The Open and US PGA Championship, and is the best credentialed player to tackle the challenge of Augusta National, bar possibly Bubba Watson.

Tiger Woods was the last to win the Grand Slam when he won his first Claret Jug at St Andrews in 2000, the year he claimed the final three majors in succession followed by the Masters in 2001 to hold all four majors at once.

Woods attained the Grand Slam inside four years as a professional. Should McIlroy win in 2015, he will accomplish the feat inside eight years and join Woods, Jack Nicklaus, Ben Hogan, Gary Player and Gene Sarazen in the Masters-era Grand Slam club.

Other likely contenders for the Masters:

Adam Scott - all the experience in the world at Augusta nowadays and just needs the putter to fire, as it did in 2013.

Bubba Watson - in the right conditions and frame of mind, Watson makes Augusta National look like his personal backyard. Could win four or five of these before he’s done.

Jordan Spieth - runner-up on his debut last year, Spieth excelled at the end of 2014 with hugely impressive wins at the Australian Open and Hero World Challenge. The best player in the game under the age of 25, Spieth has the talent and now seemingly the temperament to earn one of those coveted Green Jackets.

Henrik Stenson - see Adam Scott. Very similar golf games: tremendous ball striker who just need to hole a few putts. Well and truly overdue for his first major: in fact, alongside Sergio Garcia he’s the best player without one.

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Written by The Editors

Photography by AFP

Click here to see the published article.

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