2017 Masters: 5 Bold But Problematic Predictions

There’s so much more to predict about 2017 Masters action than the green jacket!

We’re definitely in the countdown to the 2017 Masters now. Who will get the green jacket this year? That’s only one of many questions I’m pondering.

Who will make the cut? And who will miss it? Who will set the pace? Who will unravel and cave in to the pressure that is Augusta National?

How many birdies and eagles will the field collect? Will there be any holes-in-one? Who will win the Par 3 contest, a certain kiss of death so far as getting a green jacket is concerned.

The first Major of the season, the Masters Tournament embodies much that is good in American golf culture. For starters, it’s always played on a picture-perfect golf course that’s off-limits to most of us except as annual spectators.

The Masters annually marks the beginning of the golf season in the US, not just for the pros but for all of us. Even if we’re fortunate enough to live in temperate zones, golfers are uniquely calibrated to the Masters. It’s the official start of golfing, much like the March equinox marks the first day of spring, even if its snowing!

The Masters is about so much more than winning that green jacket. Who will emerge from the first round as the pace setter this year? Will there be some Aces? The par 3 16th, The Redbud, seems unusually receptive even though it plays long and involved a tricky tee shot over water. Will there be a back nine meltdown this year?

Here’s how I see the 2017 Masters unfolding.