Teeing Off: Masters preview, part 1

It’s the most wonderful time of the year. The Masters is just around the corner, and in less than two weeks we will have crowned a new winner, or better yet, a new winner will have slipped on that beautiful green jacket.

The first major of the year will be hosted at Augusta National in Augusta, Ga. as it is every year during the first full week of April. The Masters will run this year from Thursday, April 6 through Sunday, April 9 (my birthday ... it’s like God and Arnold Palmer got together and said “We love you, Sam”) and can be viewed on air on ESPN on Thursday and Friday, and CBS on Saturday and Sunday. Also, tune in on Wednesday afternoon for the Par 3 contest, hosted on ESPN. This short course features the professionals of the world playing on a ‘chip and putt’ par 3 track, and it’s just as immaculate as the rest of Augusta National!

Danny Willett won the tournament last year, or at least he took home the green jacket. Willett won the tournament after Jordan Spieth (last year’s defending champ) made a quadruple-bogey seven on the 12th hole, hitting two shots into the water. Spieth’s collapse opened the door for Willett. who held off Lee Westwood and Spieth’s attempts to make a comeback.

What and who to watch for this year: the course has experienced no major changes in construction so the play should be similar to previous years. The conditions of the week will have the biggest effect on scoring, as per usual. If the winds are swirling, club selection can be a challenge and you should therefore expect a higher score to be the winner (four to six shots under par for the week). But, if the wind is calm and the course is a little moist the greens can become slower and quite receptive to good shots leaving shorter birdie putts. This could lead to a tournament where the players are able to really go low (14 to 18 shots under par for the week could also be a winner).

This year will also be the first since 1955 where Arnold Palmer will neither be playing nor presiding over the tournament. The four-time Masters champ passed away last September, just before the Ryder Cup. His loss was felt not only by the golf world, but by the whole sporting world. Mr. Palmer will always be remembered as a great man who inspired an army of loyal followers, affectionately calling themselves “Arnie's Army.” Mr. Palmer was also one of the first athletes to be both a celebrity and an athlete, and effectively married professional athletes with corporate sponsors.

The azaleas, Augusta’s famous flower, have unfortunately already begun to bloom and will most likely not be flowering during the tournament. This comes despite the groundskeepers' best efforts, which include putting the buds on ice (literally encapsulating them in blocks of ice to prevent blooming). If there were ever a reason to go green and accept global warming, this is surely it!!

Next week I’ll give you my "who to watch" list, and my picks for the tournament ... including both a mainstream pick, a dark horse and a “deep track, never play the hits” pick.