Rory McIlroy a leading Augusta light in most captivating Masters for years

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John Huggan4 April 2018

This is, by a distance, the most anticipated Masters in years. Not since Tiger Woods claimed his second Green Jacket in 2001 and so completed what became known as the Tiger Slam - holding all four Major titles simultaneously - has golf’s most important tournament taken on such resonance.

The number of possible story lines is both bountiful and intriguing. Just about every member of the professional elite has arrived at Augusta National with good reason for confidence in their ability to don golf’s most iconic piece of clothing.

Already this season, world No 1 Dustin Johnson, Phil Mickelson, Bubba Watson, Paul Casey, Jon Rahm, Jason Day, Justin Thomas, Tommy Fleetwood and Rory McIlroy have all claimed victories on either the PGA or European Tours.

Throw in the steady excellence of defending champion Sergio Garcia, last year’s runner-up Justin Rose, Open champion Jordan Spieth, Hideki Matsuyama, Alex Noren, Rickie Fowler and the already amazing resurgence of Woods, mix well and the potential for an all-time classic is obvious.

All of which makes identifying the likeliest lad with any degree of certainty even more difficult than usual.

As many as 20 members of the 87-strong field have a legitimate chance of victory in the youngest of the four major championships.

Further complication comes in the not unreasonable expectation that at least one player outside the favoured group will almost certainly perform well enough to at least contend over the next four days.

“I don’t think there’s one clear-cut favourite,” said Woods. “There are so many guys playing well at the same time. And that’s what is going to make this Masters so exciting. There isn’t one person who is going to run away with it. We all know we are going to have to play well to win. It’s going to be quite a challenge. But I like my chances.”

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The weather is also set to play a part in determining who — assuming a new champion — will become the 52nd man to win the Masters. With the forecast calling for variable conditions of wind and rain as the week goes on, an ability to adapt and versatility of shot-making look like being prerequisites of ultimate success.

Still, it is difficult to look past the gifted McIlroy. Certainly, no one has a bigger incentive to win. With three legs already under his belt, victory on Sunday would make the 28-year old Northern Irishman only the sixth man to complete the career Grand Slam in the Masters era. Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan, Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus and Woods are the only current members of golf’s most exclusive club.

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Only a fortnight ago, McIlroy appeared back to his imperious best when he won the Arnold Palmer Invitational in Orlando. It has been said many times but if everyone performs at the top of their games, McIlroy wins. Which is easy to say, more difficult to produce. Although the four-time major champion sounded confident in the wake of what was his first victory anywhere in 18 months.

“I feel like I’m coming in here in great form,” said McIlroy, who will be competing in his 10th Masters. “I couldn’t have come in here in better form. It was great to get a win a couple of weeks back. And I feel as good as I have with the putter for a long while. Hopefully I can carry that forward over the next few days. I’m as prepared as I have ever been.”

Of the other Europeans, the highest hopes will surely belong to an English contingent that make up 10 per cent of the starting line-up here at Augusta National. Justin Rose and Paul Casey, in particular, have played well multiple times over the years without actually winning. Casey has amassed five top-10 finishes in 11 starts; Rose has been runner-up twice in the last three years and has two other top-10s in his 12 appearances.

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The most exciting scenario, however, would be a fifth Green Jacket for Woods. Only a few months on from the world gazing sadly at his unkempt and dazed-looking face in a Florida police mug-shot, the man who has already amassed 14 major wins — second only to Nicklaus’s 18 — has made himself a genuine contender for outright glory. But there is a but. While Woods’s recent play has been remarkable, given his well-documented physical problems, two of the events where the 42-year-old performed with notable distinction were won by members of golf’s true elite, McIlroy and Thomas.

In both events, the gap between first place and Woods was eight shots, or two shots per round. At the top level of the game, that is an enormous gulf. If he can bridge that gap, however, an already special Masters will take on an even more historic significance.

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