One of These Golfers Will Win The Masters #golf

Which one of these golfers will win The Masters? Here is the leaderboard of 2016 Masters invitees as shown on the Masters.com website:

The list of players who have been selected above have qualified by March 21, 2016 (the field stands at 90), and can serve as a starting point for this golf blog's discussion as to favorites to win The Masters. For example, Tiger Woods is listed to play but, for the second year in a row, CBS Sports reports that Tiger Woods may not play in The Masters. Pairings and tee times will be available after the par-3 event on Wednesday.

Who is YOUR Favorite to win The 2016 Masters?

This is an invitation-only tournament so the golfers that have been selected are the cream of the crop and/or have won an event offering an exemption into this first of four major events of the year.

From the above list, here are the five players I suspect will be in contention on Sunday at The Masters:

Jordan Spieth - The top-ranked golfer in the world, already a Masters Champion in a wire-to-wire win and mentioned that this is his favorite tournament in the world. Also, Jordan set a Masters record last year for most birdies in a tournament (26).

Phil Mickelson - My favorite golfer... at 70 wins to date, made the cut in The Masters twenty-one times and has three green jackets in his closet. "The results will come if I continue to play the way I'm playing," Lefty recently stated.

Adam Scott - Not much for Match Play this year calling his recent halve "pathetic" but red-hot on the PGA Tour right now and, since golfers play in the moment, this is why I picked Scott as a possibility to win. Also, with Steve Williams confirmed as his Masters caddy, Scott has increased his winning potential, in my opinion.

Zach Johnson -Has a Claret Jug and a Green Jacket as his prized possessions. Very steady player.

Jason Day - Able to scramble and win against Graeme McDowell even after hurting his back during match play.

Okay, so I am not positively sure that any of my picks will win The Masters but, based on this season's performance as well as previous accomplishments, these players have a good shot at 2016 Masters glory.

Who are your picks? Let us know on this golf blog or on Twitter @Golf4beginners.

Which #Golf Club In Your Bag Inspires the Most Confidence?

How many times per round do you pull the driver out of your golf bag...hybrids...putter? Which golf club do you reach for when the going gets tough? Which golf club can you NOT live without?

Sure, there are some golf clubs are are more utilitarian than others, that you need to make it through each round. The driver, in most cases, gets you off of the tee and your putter serves its purpose at the end of every single hole which means you're ON the green (unless, of course, you chip-in or get lucky with a hole-in-one).

Some golf clubs, however, serve several purposes, for example, my husband reaches for his 8-iron on the tee of some par-3's, when he's aiming for the green off the fairway and, one of his favorite shots is chipping using his 8-iron just off the green. I would say Barry has a stronger affinity for his 8-iron than for other clubs in his bag.

My favorite go-to club is my Titleist Vokey Spin-Milled Sand Wedge. Sure I use it out of the sand but I also reach for it to chip around the greens, when I'm flopping over a bunker and when I have about fifty yards remaining and I need a bit more feel in my hands to let the club do the work (when I'm landing the ball safely on the green). Yes, I do believe I play more confidently with my wedge.

Tour players have favorite "go-to" golf clubs as well. Here's a tweet from European Tour player John Hahn (@_JohnHahn) showing off his 58 degree Titleist SM6...aka "the buzz saw". Sure I could have shown a photo of my Vokey but this one is definitely more ...gritty:

Be careful you don't run into the buzz saw 😉 new SM6's in play! Love the new design, much better distance control 👌🏼 pic.twitter.com/FBXqhweDHD

— John Hahn (@_JohnHahn) February 25, 2016

When you swing a club well and make repeatable contact, it inspires confidence and you find other uses for it. For example, you may not be consistent with your driver and may reach for your 5-wood instead; you may suffer a bit in distance but getting the ball onto the fairway gives the club a favorable spin. so to speak.

It takes hundreds of good golf shots to gain confidence, but only one bad one to lose it. 

    ~ Jack Nicklaus

Augusta Golf Instruction also adds that the reason you might have a favorite golf club could be the length of the club or the grip being "just right", which could mean that you have some clubs "with different lofts and lies which may perform very differently from the rest of the clubs in your bag." It might be time to get your golf clubs fitted by a professional. But, on the flip side, all of your clubs may well become your favorites!


Which golf club would you never part with...which club in your bag inspires the most confidence?
Tell us in the comments section below and on Twitter @Golf4Beginners!