´óÏó´«Ã½

Am I the only one that thinks an each way on LD @16/1 is a great shout?

You might call me cynical, but I have doubts Poulter can be called a key man for the Masters. Ryder Cup? Absolutely. Masters? Sceptical.

was trying to first to comment; anyway 3rd is good enough!!! I like Poulter, we come from same place!!

3. At 15:50 2nd Apr 2012, saintgina wrote:

What you come from Crazy Trouser Land too? I think he's great too, real personality! (shame he's a Gooner)

Augusta has created a special event.
The back 9 is probably the best known in Golf.
Plus who doesn't know the trials an tribulations of Amen Corner.
It's also great because the favorites don't always win.
Who would have thought Charle Shwartzel, Trevor Imelman, Mike Weir and Zac Johnson could win.
Rory's the guy for me but guys like Keegan Bradley, Dustin Johnson and Lee Westwood all have the ability to win at a canter.
For me Woods has too many frailties to win this year and one PGA win (Bay Hill) doesn't lay the ghosts that have been haunting him.

I really fail to believe that GMen on here knows anything about golf or golfers.His comment on the second greatest golfer-Woods-who has ever played the game is ridiculous! Tiger has progressed steadily until his performance at Bay Hill showed EVERYONE who was watching that Tiger is striking the ball as well as ever, has no discernible frailities, is putting beautifully and is now hitting fairways regularly-something he did not do even in his heyday. It would be a brave man who would bet heavily against him winning.

Still get goose bumps watching Sandy hitting his seven iron from the bunker in 1988.

"Michael Vaughan, former England cricket captain and ´óÏó´«Ã½ TV golf reporter"!!!!

Why on Earth is he being sent there? It's bad enough having his dreary, boring voice on the cricket commentary. I'm absolutely sick of these retired sportspeople - many who can hardly string a few words together (e.g. Brooking, Shearer) being given jobs on the ´óÏó´«Ã½. They virtually have a monopoly of commentating jobs now. I assume their agents secure a ´óÏó´«Ã½ contract before their sporting retirements are announced. No doubt Vaughan's fee will finance another hair transplant.

#8 Michael Vaughan is a genuine golf fan, and a very articulate and interesting person. While golf isn't his speciality he will be able to provide an amateurs insight into being at the Masters, something many of us would kill for. Personally, while a British winner would be fantastic, I will be backing Jason Day (33-1). Last year the pain of watching McIlroy lose it was awful, not to mention the £500 bet I had on him

Re 5 and 6.

I never was a fan of Woods, not because of the man himself but probably because like most Brits I prefer the underdog. But I remember watching him in his heyday - it wasn't that long ago, of course - and just marvelling at the sheer relentlessness of his game. Shot after shot from fairway to green, and in particular on the green itself, the constant pressure he would put on his opponents must have been unbearable at times, and I as a spectator would shake my head in wonder.

I watched his final round at Honda and then again at Bay Hill and there are shades of that old relentlessness - his approach shot into the last at the Honda Classic was just unbelievable - but it wasn't the constant stream of shots that we used to see. Even in winning at Bay Hill there were a couple of times off the tee in particular he became a little wayward. So he's not the Tiger of old and not head and shoulders above the rest. But he was still very very good.

For me, the question is how he will play the par 5s. I think I'm right in saying that in every year he won it he would finish the week -14 or -15 on the par 5s alone. If he can replicate that form he is definitely going to be there or thereabouts at the end of it.

What's Allis on about? There are no "fish and chip shops" in Augusta, Peter! C'mon, you know that. This is Augusta not Altrincham!

We have burger joints, sports bars and Hooters!

Poulter...Cmon get a grip, more favourite to miss the cut!!!!!/??

I love these blogs that include snippets that you struggle to find anywhere else. The caddie insights are especially fascinating. Imagine Hooters is just up Alliss's alley.

mattefc,
You'd be surprised how respectable Poulter's Masters record is - never finished worse than 33rd in seven trips.

Apart from the beauty of the course, my memory of Agusta will always be Jack Nicklaus winning his last one. Tiger's birdie putt at the 16th has also come close. Both legendary. Hope Tiger will go on to do great and win it eventually. It will be a fascinating addition to the history of the tournament.

What do I think of? Well the joy of getting to go ever since I met my Georgia Peach in 2005! Blimey it is so amazing I would have married her just for the ticket lol, but seriously things you might not know.

Yes all around it is a bit of a pit...burger bars gas stations basically your typical American strip....except here for a week they have a Marquee addition of Hooters with stunning staff from all across the USA it's worth a visit!

It is the only event I have ever been to where you aren't gouged for food and drink, a dollar a beer or a coke maybe 2 dollars for a really nice sandwich....just so nice to be able to eat drink as you wish and not be worried about the prices. No phones why can't all tournaments do this, although at the Open they would charge you a fiver to look after it I suppose.....oh and car parking that's free too!

Guys ever been to Wembley and wanted to use the bathroom....how long do you wait? in Augusta they even solve that...seriously there are half a dozen guys in the mens room directing everyone to available spots .....three down the left sir two on the right....amazing how it focuses the mind to get in and out!!

Sitting around the green at 10 is like you have died and gone to heaven....you can tell a Tiger roar from any other oh and you really can smell the Azaleas.

Tiger must go close......his recent 62 let alone the Bay Hill win was enough for me.....I expect a good performance from K j Choi and you could do a lot worst than an each way look at John Senden 200-1 but makes stack loads of birdies

Final comments ...gutted will miss this year due to family commitments here it should be a great one.

sorry but i think the open is the greatest tournament in the world,the masters is great tv viewing but the open has 50+years of history more and like wimbledon for tennis is the no1 and the home of golf,cant syat i get excited by golf but this is a rare time as woods and mcilroy and the rest of the field battle it out,to be fair ausgusta national is a stunning venue but not the most prestigeous title

#16 Totally agree. The Open, for me, will always be the greatest tournament in the world. The main reason being the history and that it is 'Open' with amateurs and qualifiers along side the best in the world. The Masters is a new tournament in comparison to The Open. I'm not suprised in the slightest that Poulter ranks The Masters above The Open, it simply confirms him as the idiot that he comes across as.

The Masters is an amazing spectacle and I look forward to it every season but it will never rank above The Open.

#12...I'm no big Poulter fan but don't understand the undue criticism he gets for his golf game, won as recently as November, 3rd at Bay Hill and a good Masters record. I don't see him winning but don't see him missing the cut either.

If Woods plays to the level of the Bay Hill win then he wins here as well for me, aside from Woods I really fancy Keegan Bradley to have a good week.

I have a feeling that McIlroy and the Masters will be story with more years to run, with a victory coming after 4 or 5 years of frustration!

#14 - I'm pretty sure woods' iconic birdie at the 16th was a chip-in rather than a birdie putt??

For me the most iconic thing about the place is the colour, everything is so defined, the course is green, rough, fairways etc. The bunkers are so white and the plants, pine needles and even the water - picture perfect.