Mar27 TorranceMastersnew

Sam Torrance is one of the best pundits in the game – and one of the BBC’s commentators at the Masters next week.

 

So who better to talk you through some of the players at Augusta, and who he thinks might get that Green jacket a week on Sunday…

 

Tiger Woods

Augusta is tailor-made for him, I said that when he first started playing there 10 years ago and he’s proven it by winning four times. It’s an ideal scenario for him, and a fantastic way to start off this season. A grand slam is a genuine possibility for Tiger. To do it this year would mean that he’d effectively have to win six majors in a row, but with Tiger you can never rule anything out.

Phil Mickelson

Phil hasn’t been on top of his game, and he’s had a long time off over the winter. But he seems to be coming back fit and happy, and you know he will be very well-prepared for the tournament when he turns up at Augusta.

 

Ernie Els

Ernie now seems completely over his knee injury. He’s very fit and healthy, he’s spending a lot of time in the gym, and of course his game suits Augusta perfectly. He started playing well at the beginning of this year, and probably should have won in Dubai.

 

Retief Goosen

He may have had a quiet season by his standards last year, but he is a great player who hits the ball long and high which is so important at Augusta.

 

Paul Casey

He had a great finish to last year and a great start this year. A great player, and it’s no surprise that people are talking about him as a potential major champion.

Justin Rose

Justin is doing well. He stuck it through over in the States and all credit to him for doing so. It’s great to see him back and playing well again.

Trevor Immelman

He’s a beautiful player, and while he’s long enough he doesn’t have the same ability to effortlessly carry the ball over 300 yards the way the likes of Vijay, Tiger and Ernie do. It will help him that he has beaten Tiger on a Sunday afternoon… but Tiger will remember that too, and will be even more determined to get his revenge!

 
David Howell

His length might be a question mark, but there is no doubt at all that Howell is a world-class player who will have a chance.

Luke Donald

Not a long hitter, but such a fine iron player that he could genuinely be a factor.

 

Padraig Harrington

Nobody works harder than Padraig, and the hard work has turned him into one of the best players in the world. He’s definitely ready to win a Major.

Darren Clarke

Darren has had a very tough time over the last couple of years. How well he does this year is up to him: it’s all in his hands.”

Vijay Singh

A great player, and one who has a fantastic chance. He’s getting on a bit, but that really won’t count against him at all: after all, Jack Nicklaus won the event at the age of 46. That would give Vijay three more goes at it.”

The others

Augusta is one place that I don’t think will spring surprises. Henrik Stenson really started to step up just before the Ryder Cup, and again during it, and has become a truly world-class player. I don’t think that his relative lack of experience at Augusta counts against him – even the rookies know the course backwards, since they’ve been watching the event on television since they were kids.

 

In the April issue of Today’s Golfer an interview with BBC golf commentator Sam Torrance appears alongside a competition run by betfair.com We would like to make it clear to readers that Sam Torrance and the BBC are in no way associated with betfair.com and this competition.