It’s going to be a big week for BuffaloGolfer.com as we prepare to preview, cover and understand the outcome of The Masters at Augusta National Golf Club. The Mouth That Roars will offer his thoughts on who could, wont, might and will win the first major of the year. Monday’s post will focus on four players who you might think have a chance this week but really don’t. Here are four players who won’t win The 2011 Masters.
Bill Haas – The Wake Forest University graduate has delivered the strongest golf of his life over the opening weeks of the 2011 PGA Tour schedule. He’s earned three Top 10 finishes and jumped to 19th in FEDEX Cup points and 46th in the world rankings. Haas has all the tools to win a major championship with his combination of distance and accuracy (he’s 10th in greens in regulation percentage on tour this season). Still, Augusta National has a way of rewarding those who have come and tried before. Haas lacks the Augusta knowledge and past experience to contend for real this week.
Sergio Garcia – Garcia seems to have his personal life in order and his game is beginning to follow suit. Once heralded as the next great player on the planet, Garcia has had a solid career but never delivered with major championships. His strong play since returning to golf this season has many intrigued to see how he plays at Augusta National. Garcia will need to have the best putting week of his life to win The Masters, as the greens are just brutally tough. He’ll hit the ball well all week and continue to impress, but the flat stick won’t enable him to be a real threat come Sunday.
Mike Weir – Quick, who was the first left-handed player ever to win The Masters. You might be quick to say Phil Mickelson, but you’d be wrong. A year before Phil won his first major championship Weir earned his at The Masters. Being a past champion is the only reason Weir qualifies for this year’s event as his game has fallen apart over the past 24 months. Weir has made only one of six cuts this year and has fallen all the way to 260th in the world. Players who’ve won Augusta National tend to find a way to perform when they return, but Weir’s game might be in to much trouble for that to happen.
Justin Rose – Justin Rose will probably be a popular pick this week in the golf media. Rose has been hitting the ball beautifully and earned a T3 in his recent start at the Arnold Palmer Invitational. A week earlier, he carded a T5 at the Transitions Championship. He’s had one of the more consistent years in golf with no cuts missed. Those all add up to a strong recipe but The Mouth still thinks Rose isn’t gutsy and brave enough to win at Augusta. At some point you’ve got to hit shots you wouldn’t hit anywhere else in the world and Rose has yet to prove he can do that.
