Fantasy Golf: Masters preview
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The first event of the 2014 Today’s Golfer Fantasy Golf game is the first Major of the season, the Masters at Augusta National, Georgia, USA. Like all Majors in the free-to-play game, this event is worth triple points so it’s important to pick your six-man team wisely within the £15m budget and make a good start.
Augusta National is a par-72 course that measures 7,445 yards off the tips. The layout favours a right-to-left ball flight but Jack Nicklaus proved you can still be very successful here if you move the ball the other way.
Big hitters will have an advantage but it’s on and around the famed Masters greens where the destination of the Green Jacket is often decided. The lighting-quick and undulating putting surfaces require precise approach play to find the right sections, supreme touch and imagination to pitch and chip close to the hole and a fantastic putting touch under pressure.
The Masters is also an event that favours experience and no rookie has won since Fuzzy Zoeller in 1979.
>> Click here to read TG’s betting tips of the week for The Masters
Here is the six-man Today’s Golfer team for the Masters:
Phil Mickelson, £4.0m
Lefty already has three Green Jackets in his wardrobe and he’s finished inside the top 10 on another 11 occasions. A T2 in Abu Dhabi is his only top 10 this year but a T12 in Houston last week was encouraging and allayed any injury doubts.
Jason Day, £3.0m
The Australian has two wins and three other top 10s in his last six starts and has a T2 and 3rd in three Masters appearances. He hasn’t played since injuring his thumb winning the WGC – Accenture Match Play but he should be fit and rested for this week.
Matt Kuchar, £3.0m
Kooch looked set to win in Houston last week before losing a play-off after a disappointing 72 in the final round. He’s finished T3 and T8 the last two years at Augusta and is known as one of the best putters on tour.
Hunter Mahan, £2.4m
Mahan has quietly made a good start to the year with four top 10s in eight starts. He’s proven he can win in big fields with two WGCs to his name and he’s mixed three top 12s with two missed cuts in the last five Masters.
Angel Cabrera, £1.4m
The 2009 champion has played well here since winning, including a 7th in 2011 and losing to Adam Scott in a play-off last year. He showed good signs in a T43 in Houston and often comes alive at the big events.
Trevor Immelman, £0.7m
The South African won a Green Jacket in 2008 and has three more top 20s since then. He missed the cut last week but represents good value for a player who knows what it takes to compete around Augusta.
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