Well, life has been dull and boring since baseball ended. Hopefully I can find something to pick it back up and Masters week could be what I need. Not to mention, The Office starts back up on NBC tomorrow night! I'm sure a bunch of my readers don't like golf, but I beg you to reconsider. At the least, follow the world of Tiger. What he is accomplishing in his sport will never be matched by any athlete in their respective sport in your lifetime. That's just a fact. What he has done by only age 32 on and off the course surpasses what Jordan has done since he began playing basketball. There's just no comparison. Take this number for instance: Only one under 50 in the world has more than 3 Majors. That player is Tiger and he has 13. And the beauty of it is golf is a game in which we'll get to see Tiger playing for 3 more decades. Honored the way Arnold Palmer and others are. Anyway, on to this year's Masters.

                                             

What To Watch For:


Wednesday's Par-3 Challenge
     -Most everybody's favorite part of the Masters is the Par-3 course on Wednesday. Each player lets loose and has fun playing one of the most prestigious par-3 courses in the country. The best part is how everybody tries NOT to win because if there's one curse in golf, it's that nobody ever wins this and the Masters. But just the general enthusiasm of each player is what I watch. Especially the involvement of the players' kids and families. I'm calling 4 hole-in-ones.


Tiger Woods' 1st Step Towards a Grand Slam
       -If you missed it, Tiger said at the end of 2007 that a 2008 Grand Slam is "easily within reach." It obviously stirred some controversy, but I agree completely. And Tiger also said it best when he claimed, "If you're gonna dream, why not dream big." So why the heck not say it. Tiger doesn't play to see how much money he can win. He plays the game for Majors. He specifically designs his schedule around being at his peak during each of the four Majors. And if he wins the Masters we can keep discussing it.


Bubba Watson's Drives
       -This is Bubba Watson's first Masters and first chance to make a name for himself. He won't win, but a good finish can do wonders for his career. What I'll be watching is his PGA Tour leading 313.5 yards per drive. This may seem like a small number for the PGA Tour, but keep in mind that the pros don't just grip and rip every shot. They take as much as 50 yards off drives to put it in the right spot. Each shot affects the next shot more than the present one. How far you can hit it does not mean everything on the Tour. But keep in mind that the 2nd longest average is 307.7. The tour average is 281.6. Enough numbers for you? Let's not forget that to win the Masters you've got to be long and accurate off the tee.


Australia Looking for #1
        -No Australian player has ever won the Masters. They keep trying and trying, but no dice. And if Greg Norman couldn't win one, what chance do today's crop really have!? Well, I actually really like two guys' chances. Geoff Ogilvy and Adam Scott. Adam Scott is the best Aussie player on the Tour and although he is coming off the flu, look for him to finish in the top 10 at least.


MY PICK: GEOFF OGILVY