Throughout the hallowed Augusta grounds lie blooming azaleas, the towering dogwood pines, the gorgeous magnolias, the pimento cheese sandwiches, green jackets, and grand traditions. The Masters Tournament which was started in 1934 has been one of the most prestigious golf tournaments in the United States ever since. It isn’t comparable to anything else in the world, the magnificent design of the course and the pure beauty of the surrounding elements complement each other in such a way that makes Augusta National a golfer’s paradise.

The Masters, one of the greatest traditions in golf, will take place through Sunday showcasing the skills of the best golfers from all around the world. While remaining beautiful, the course is way harder than it may look, especially with rain and other uncontrollable factors that are projected to play a role in deciding how well participants may play. With strong winds and wet conditions, some players may struggle to find their stride and end up not making the cut. Wanting to give fans a preview or scouting report of how the tournament should end up, I decided to pick a few of the guys projected to finish at the top of the standings and break down reasons making them more or less likely to leave Augusta, Georgia with a green jacket.

Sergio Garcia

First off, I started with Sergio Garcia who is really off to a great start so far. Sergio is crushing it currently in Augusta, although I feel like the wheels may fall out from under his  run in the upcoming rounds. He clearly has a great possibility of finishing around the top of the tournament if he keeps playing as well as he has the first two rounds. He definitely does not lack experience at Augusta with this being his 19th career Masters tournament. If he continues with the hot streak through the rest of the weekend, I think he will no doubt come out with a green jacket.

Rickie Fowler 

Next, I moved on to my favorite ,Rickie Fowler, a young golfer who has only been short of making the cut only two times in his experience at Augusta. Rickie has also been very successful recently, placing top four in three out of his last six tournaments he is definitely getting things done out on the links. Rickie has a huge fan base who will be following him around all tournament long, wearing brightly colored shirts and hats as he does himself. Rickie is known for wearing orange on Sundays, especially at the Masters. So be wary of the Sunday Orange because you never know if Rickie can pull it out. Unfortunately for Rickie he struggles with his short game, which most golf fans will recognize as a huge factor in securing a green jacket from Augusta. Let’s hope that Rickie can battle it out and secure a finish in one of the top spots this year.

Phil Mickelson 

Last, I moved on to Phil, left handed golfer who although older than the rest of the bunch can still play golf at or above the same level as anyone out there. Age is important in sports because our bodies reach a certain point at which we can no longer perform, Phil isn’t at that stage yet though, frankly, he is barely in the same ballpark as that age. However, Phil’s experience with bad weather and the course could just be enough to get him his fourth jacket.

It is pretty hard to predict who will win and what place someone will come in , but I hope that this article gave you a little bit better understanding of the Masters tournament and a few of the members playing in it.