The Five Most Intriguing Pairings for Days One and Two at Augusta
By Blake Lovell
The tee times and pairings were announced today for the first two days at Augusta, and at the Masters, you can usually expect some pretty interesting groups. That was no different today, as there are certain groups that I’ll certainly have my eye on when the tournament gets underway on Thursday.
Here are five that stand out to me as the most intriguing (besides the obvious Tiger, Choi, Kuchar group):
1. Ernie Els, Anthony Kim, Ryo Ishikawa
Thursday – 10:13 AM ET, Friday – 1:20 PM ET
This group is LOADED with winner potential, as Els and Kim are two of my favorites for the week (check in tomorrow for my official predictions). These two could bring out the best in each other in these first few rounds, as Els is on hot streak, while Kim is coming off of a win in Houston. If I had to put my money on a first round group that the winner would come out of, I might put it on this one. And we can’t forget about Ishikawa, who is on his way to greatness in this sport, though I’m not sure that he can win this week. But I like his swagger and confidence, so if his putting is there, he’ll have a chance.
2. Ryan Moore, Nick Watney, Ross Fisher
Thursday – 11:41 AM ET, Friday – 8:34 AM ET
This is the ultimate definition of a sleeper group. Moore and Watney are two of my sleeper picks for the week, and there’s no doubt that Fisher could be in that conversation as well. I like Watney’s length off the tee, I like Moore’s accuracy, and I like Fisher’s consistency. Any of these three could be the surprise of the week, and whether Augusta National meant to or not, they’ve made this pairing the complete center for people looking for players under the radar this week.
3. Kenny Perry, Camilo Villegas, Rory McIlroy
Thursday – 12:36 PM ET, Friday – 9:18 AM ET
Seriously, what’s not to like about this pairing? You’ve got Perry, the guy who should have won here last year. You’ve got Camilo, who has been a hot pick to possibly when here the past few years. And you’ve got McIlroy, who most believe is the young player with the best chance to win this week (finished T20 last year). Honestly, this might be the most likable group from a fan standpoint, so I would expect a nice little gathering around these three when the tournament gets underway. If I had to pick the player with the best shot at winning out of this crew, I’d go with Villegas.
4. Phil Mickelson, Robert Allenby, Y.E. Yang
Thursday – 10:35 AM ET, Friday – 1:42 PM ET
A very interesting trio here, as all are sort of different in their approach. Phil is Phil, while we all know about Allenby’s tendency to run his mouth quite a bit, and Yang is sort of the laid-back type (unless he’s beating Tiger at a PGA Championship) that will just stay consistent the entire way. I think this is another group that has three players that could potentially make a run. Phil’s biggest question will be his driver, and whether or not he can keep his tee shots out of the trees. I’m not sure that I expect Allenby or Yang to win, but I do think they are both looking at a Top 25 finish.
5. Stewart Cink, Padraig Harrington, Charl Schwartzel
Thursday – 1:20 PM ET, Friday – 10:13 AM ET
I like this group for several reasons. For starters, Paddy Harrington is easily one of my favorite players on tour, and a win this week would just be awesome to see, especially since he’s come so close in tournaments dating back to last year. Second, Cink is another player that it’s hard not to like, and with his constant interaction with fans on Twitter, the guy is just easy-going and seems to love what he does. Lastly, Schwartzel already has a few wins on the European Tour this year, so he’ll be coming into the Masters looking to prove that he’s got what it takes to win in the states as well. I expect all three of these guys to bring out the best in each other, but really hope that Paddy can off to a good start, and be in contention on Sunday.