2009 Masters Preview: Tiger Woods, Paddy Harrington Favored

2009 Masters Preview. The Masters tournament is one of the four major championships in men's professional golf. Always played in early April, the Masters is the first major championship to be played each year. It is also the only major championship that is played on the same course every year at the Augusta National Golf Club. Heading into the 2009 Masters scheduled to start on Thursday, April 9th, Tiger Woods will be making his first major championship appearance since his return from his ACL surgery and is favored to win the tournament.

2009 Masters Favorites - Tiger Woods

If there was any doubt that Tiger Woods was not going to be ready for the 2009 Master's, he eliminated it with his come-from-behind victory in the 2009 Arnold Palmer Invitational. Down five strokes at the start of play on the final day, Woods came from behind and drained a 15 foot birdie put on the final hole to win the tournament. This was the third time that he was won a tournament with a final-hole birdie and signaled to fellow players and fans that he is back. In 2008, Woods finished second at the Masters by three strokes. The last time he won the Masters was in 2005 with four total Masters victories during his career.

2009 Masters Favorites - Trevor Immelman

Trevor Immelman is most famous for defeating Tiger Woods in the 2008 Masters by three strokes scoring 8 under par for the tournament. Immelman has two PGA victories in his career and will be attempting to defend his title for his third PGA tour victory. Immelman has not won a golf tournament since the 2008 Masters, however, and is considered a long shot to win the 2009 Masters.

2009 Masters Favorites - Paddy Harrington

Since Tiger Woods has been injured, Paddy Harrington won both Major Championships (British Open and the PGA Championship) played since then. In each Major victory, Harrington was able to piece together excellent final rounds to win the matches. He will be going for his third major victory in a row and his first Masters championship. Harrington's strengths have been in shotmaking and putting in his big victories and he will be looking for more of the same to compete with Tiger Woods at the 2009 Masters.

Refs:
http://www.masters.com/en_US/news/articles/2009-04-05/200904051238939213968.html
http://www.europeantour.com/publish.sps?pageid=127&pagegid={20E6AA6B-0225-4C71-BD89-2ACBEE615D69}&playerId=1937
http://www.golfdigest.com/golfworld/
http://www.golf.com/golf/
http://www.athlonsports.com/golf/16541/2009-masters-hole-by-hole-preview
http://www.tigerwoods.com/defaultflash.sps?page=bio