The 76th Masters Tournament will take place this week at Augusta National Golf Course in Augusta, Georgia. Participants in the season's first major will play for a $7,000,000 purse on the par 72, 7,435 yard course. The event is scheduled to get underway this Thursday, April 8th and it will conclude on Sunday, April 11th. Here are my top four picks to win it all in random order. I shoot in the low to mid 80s so maybe you will see me on The Haney Project. Like Ray Ramono, I have never broken 80.


Defending Champion: Angel Cabrera (two-hole playoff)


Camilo Villegas +2500

Winner of the Honda Classic this year and a solid 3rd place finish at the Acenture Match-Play Championship the time seems right for Camilo to win his first Major. Villegas is coming off a "Missed Cut" at the Arnold Palmer Invitational and he is too good not to bounce back this week. Camilo possesses the "Stack and Tilt" method of swinging and he has every shot in the book. He is ranked 6th in Driving (297.7), 13th in putting average (1.723), and 2nd in scoring average (69.34). He could be dangerous this weekend.


Geoff Ogilvy +2500

Geoff Ogilvy has not been firing on all cylinders lately, just last week missing the cut at the Houston Open after a double bogey at the final hole. Every cloud has a silver lining and that early exit allowed him to arrive at Augusta a couple of days ahead of schedule. Geoff won the SBS Championship this season but it's been all downhill since. In his next four events he finished T17, T28, T45, T62. Geoff is ranked 5th in putting average and did have his best finish (T15) at Augusta last year. Winner of 9 PGA Tour events including one Major (2006 US Open) Geoff has the skills to win it all.


Fred Couples +6000

One of the best swings you will ever see. Fred Couples made his debut on the Champions Tour at the opening event of the 2010 season, the Mitsubishi Electric Championship in Hawaii. He nearly won the tournament, finishing second to Tom Watson. He won his next three starts, The ACE Group Classic, the Toshiba Classic and the Cap Cana Championship, becoming the first player in Champions Tour history to win three of his first four career events. Freddy has won 15 PGA Tour events including The Masters back in 1992. He is putting great and can boom it off the tee which makes him dangerous this weekend. Confidence is very important right before a Major. Check out this quote from "Boom Boom" himself.

"I think my chances are good," said Couples, who earned his green jacket in 1992. "I'm not saying that because I've won a few Champions Tour events.


"I'm feeling good. I'm playing well. I have the ability to play well at Augusta."


Phil Mickelson +650

Phil has won 37 PGA Tour events including 3 Majors. He won The Masters back in 2004 and 2006. Phil has been knocking on the door at Augusta since he last won it and will always be in the Top 10. Phil is not only a great golfer but he is also a great person. Good things happen to good people so don't be surprsied if Mickelson takes home the green jacket this year.


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