Fantasy Golf: The Masters preview

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The 2012 Today’s Golfer Fantasy Golf game, in association with Your Golf Travel, tees off at The Masters this week.

The first Major of the season always attracts a world-class field so managers are spoilt for choice, but face some difficult decisions to keep their six-man team within the $15m budget.

With the opening event being a Major and worth triple points, a fast start in pursuit of the £10,000 of prizes is vitally important.

While the likes of fader Jack Nicklaus and short-hitting Trevor Immelman and Zach Johnson have proved it’s possible to win at Augusta National without being able to draw the ball or bomb it with a high flight, these are certainly beneficial attributes.

Perhaps the most important quality to consider is short game. Augusta’s greens are famously slick and undulating so sharp chipping and putting is an absolute must.

It’s also worth taking previous Masters form into consideration; not only does the course suit a certain type of player but the entire atmosphere is very different to the majority of other tournaments.

Here is Today’s Golfer’s six-man team for The Masters:

Rory McIlroy, $5.0m
McIlroy may have collapsed in emphatic fashion on the back nine on Sunday last year, but let’s not forget that he absolutely dominated the field for 63 holes. Since then, he’s made a lot of improvements, including his putting, and romped to victory at the US Open. He has 12 top 5s in his last 13 starts worldwide, including three wins.

Tiger Woods, $4.5m
Many people believe his win at the Arnold Palmer invitational signalled his return to top form, and it’s hard to argue against that based on form. His last eight starts have yielded two wins, a runner-up and a pair of thirds. At Augusta, he boasts four wins and eight other top 10s.

Keegan Bradley, $2.4m
Rookies don’t often do well at The Masters, but Bradley is no ordinary debutant. The 2011 PGA Tour Rookie of the Year won the USPGA Championship, his first ever Major, and has a game perfectly suited to Augusta. He comes in off a string of 12 top 20s in 13 starts, including tied 4th at the Shell Houston Open.

Angel Cabrera, $1.2m
The 2009 winner has another four Masters top 10s, including last year’s 7th. Opened with a 65 before finishing T21 at Shell Houston Open.

Trevor Immelman, $1.0m
The 2008 champion has struggled with injuries in recent years but always seems to perform at Augusta and represents great value for money. Has top 20s in all three Masters since he won.

Kyle Stanley, $0.9m
The 24-year-old is making his debut, but he’s already won on the PGA Tour this year and bombs it miles. Probably the safest bet of the players in the field worth less than $1m.

> You can register for the free Today’s Golfer Fantasy Golf game and select you Masters team at www.todays-golfer.com/fantasygolf.

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