As we wave goodbye to the cold winter months and welcome the warmth of Spring, excitement is building among golf fans with The Masters set to return in April. As always it will be the first of the year’s four major golf championships and will be followed by the PGA Championship in May, the US Open in June and The Open in July. The world’s best golfers will compete for the championship with the likes of Jon Rahm, Jordan Spieth, Collin Morikawa, as well as last year’s winner, Hideki Matsuyama among the favourites for this year’s crown.
As dedicated fans will know, these tournaments aren’t always won by the top-seeded players. Last year’s Masters, for example, was won by the unfancied Japanese golfer Hideki Matsuyama. There are plenty of less fancied players with the potential to cause an upset this year, from young up-and-comers, to former champions.
Will Zalatoris
Since turning professional four years ago, San Francisco native Will Zalatoris has gradually risen to a respectable position in the game. He impressed in his 2018 majors debut at the US Open, although he failed to make the halfway cut. After some time off in 2019 due to a lack of funding he returned in 2020 at the US Open where he tied with Dustin Johnson in 6th place, his first top 10 finish at a major.
His career-best performance in 2021 came in the Masters, finishing as runner up behind eventual champion Hideki Matsuyama. He then went on to tie 8th at the PGA Championship to complete three consecutive top-ten finishes. He was named PGA Tour 2020-21 Rookie of the Year as a reward for his exceptional performances. Despite such impressive recent form, he has been quoted as high as 40/1 to win this year’s Masters, but at the tender age of 25, Zalatoris has plenty of room for improvement, and retains the potential to produce a shock.
Tiger Woods
A lot of fans aren’t aware that “Tiger” isn’t even his real name, as it fits so perfectly with his fearless personality on the course. The Golf Hall of Famer is already a legend of the sport, so it speaks volumes about his passion that he continues to push himself to compete with the world’s best. Since turning professional in 1996, he has racked up over 100 professional wins including 5 Masters Tournaments, 4 PGA Championships, 3 US Opens and 3 Open Championships. The majority of these titles were won between 1997 and 2008, a period in which he won at least one major in 8 out of the 11 years. A turbulent period followed for Woods, with personal problems and injuries threatening to derail his career.
He has had numerous operations on his back, which would have led many in his position to retire, but he has displayed immense mental strength and resilience. He won the 2019 Masters, his first major since 2008. Since then, the injury problems have continued to plague him, hence his long odds for this year’s Masters. Should he manage to stay fit, savvy golf fans will know better than to bet against him.
Justin Rose
Justin Rose is one of the most popular names on the golf circuit, thanks to years of entertaining performances. He only has one majors title to his name, the 2013 US Open, but 2022 could be the year that this changes. His 18 career top-ten finishes prove that Rose can mix with the world’s best when he’s on form, although he has struggled with consistency. He has been an unlucky loser in a number of tournaments like the 2018 Open Championship where he tied in second after a bold performance, or the 2019 US Open where he tied third. With a bit more luck on his side, many fans feel he could have added to his one championship trophy.
He usually saves his best for the Masters with 6 of his 18 top ten finishes being achieved there, including second place in 2015, and again two years later. He finished 7th in last year’s tournament after an impressive run to the final stages, so if he can just hold his nerve, 2022 could well be his year.