Posted April 7, 2011, 12:00 am
Media Picks
MORRIS NEWS SERVICE | ||||
MEDIA MEMBER, NEWS ORGANIZATION | FAVORITE | RUNNER-UP | DARK HORSE | COMMENT |
David Westin, The Augusta Chronicle | Davis Love III | Rickie Fowler | Jason Day | Love is 46, just like Jack in 1986 |
Scott Michaux, The Augusta Chronicle | Luke Donald | Phil Mickelson | Bubba Watson | That said, I still believe Tiger can win this week |
John Boyette, The Augusta Chronicle | Ernie Els | Tiger Woods | Jeff Overton | Seems right to have an older, international champion |
Alan English, The Augusta Chronicle | Matt Kuchar | Dustin Johnson | Fred Couples | If not for the ribbing, I'd have Tom Watson on the list |
John Gogick, The Augusta Chronicle | K.J. Choi | Louis Oosthuizen | Paul Casey | One for the Asians |
Mike Wynn, The Augusta Chronicle | Phil Mickelson | Luke Donald | Davis Love III | Lefty becomes the Masters' fourth repeat champion |
Chris Gay, The Augusta Chronicle | Sergio Garcia | Anthony Kim | Justin Rose | Haiku: Garcia's ready, to win his first green jacket, for him and Seve |
Billy Byler, The Augusta Chronicle | Anthony Kim | Ian Poulter | Gary Woodland | Thumb's up for Kim this year |
Wayne Staats, The Augusta Chronicle | Nick Watney | Phil Mickelson | Adam Scott | Watney has five top-10 finishes this year |
David Ching, Athens Banner-Herald | Bubba Watson | Phil Mickelson | Trevor Immelman | A Watson win would make for good copy in Athens |
Joe VanHoose, Athens Banner-Herald | Nick Watney | Phil Mickelson | Hunter Mahan | In three Masters never finished outside the top 20 |
Garry Smits, Florida Times-Union | Justin Rose | Steve Marino | Jeff Overton | Rose is coming in consistently hot yet under the radar |
Gene Frenette, Florida Times-Union | Ian Poulter | Phil Mickelson | Tiger Woods | Maybe Poulter is right about Tiger not being top-five |
UNITED STATES | ||||
MEDIA MEMBER, ORGANIZATION | FAVORITE | RUNNER-UP | DARK HORSE | COMMENT |
Doug Ferguson, The Associated Press | Nick Watney | Lee Westwood | Tiger Woods | It will be a winner Dan Jenkins has never heard of |
Larry Dorman, The New York Times | Martin Kaymer | Phil Mickelson | Ben Crane | Kaymer gives European Tour the Tiger Slam |
Mark Cannizzaro, New York Post | Phil Mickelson | Bubba Watson | Matt Kuchar | Magnolia Lane mojo |
Michael Whitmer, Boston Globe | Anthony Kim | Phil Mickelson | Miguel Angel Jimenez | Likes course, plays it well, no distracting casinos nearby |
Hank Gola, New York Daily News | Phil Mickelson | Luke Donald | Fred Couples | How do you pick against Phil after Houston? |
Jeff Schultz, Atlanta Journal-Constitution | Lee Westwood | Phil Mickelson | Bubba Watson | He'll be great as long as he stays off planes this week |
Teddy Greenstein, Chicago Tribune | Luke Donald | Phil Mickelson | Justin Rose | Euro with money short game; what else do you need? |
Ron Green Jr., Charlotte Observer | Phil Mickelson | Anthony Kim | Davis Love III | Another Mickelson moment at Magnolia Lane |
Ron Green Sr., Charlotte Observer | Tiger Woods | Phil Mickelson | Rory McIlroy | I used to pick Greg Norman every year |
Steve Politi, Newark Star-Ledger | Bubba Watson | Geoff Ogilvy | Brandt Snedeker | Bet he won't be the first guy named Bubba with a green jacket |
Steve DiMeglio, USA Today | Tiger Woods | Vijay Singh | Rory Sabbatini | TW wins because he's watching his new App over and over |
Bob Harig,ESPN.com | Nick Watney | Luke Donald | Tiger Woods | In Nick I trust |
Ron Sirak, Golf World | Ernie Els | Lee Westwood | Davis Love III | With no clear favorite, Ernie gets major he wants most |
Gary Van Sickle, Sports Illustrated | Martin Kaymer | Graeme McDowell | Ian Poulter | National Lampoon's European Vacation meets Ryder Cup |
Jeff Shain, Orlando Sentinel | Phil Mickelson | Nick Watney | Adam Scott | Tough to ignore guy with hot hand playing his favorite course |
Rex Hoggard,GolfChannel.com | Lee Westwood | Phil Mickelson | Paul Casey | Because the world rankings can't be wrong |
Barry Svurluga, Washington Post | Nick Watney | Luke Donald | K.J. Choi | One of these young guys has to win someday, right? |
Steve Elling,CBSSports.com | Nick Watney | Phil Mickelson | K.J. Choi | Steadiest guy on tour this year; it's Watney's time |
Gary D'Amato, | Phil Mickelson | Dustin Johnson | Steve Stricker | Dustin was my pick until Phil's news |
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel | conference; he's ready | |||
Jeff Rude, Golfweek | Phil Mickelson | Nick Watney | Hunter Mahan | With Houston win, 2011 finally has favorite other than pimento cheese |
Mike Kern, Philadelphia Daily News | Lee Westwood | Phil Mickelson | Nick Watney | Maybe he's just finally due |
Gerry Dulac, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette | Padraig Harrington | Hunter Mahan | Gary Woodland | Proven major champ has been hanging around leaderboards lately |
Bill Nichols, Dallas Morning News | Tiger Woods | Lee Westwood | Anthony Kim | At Augusta, Tiger can rely on feel instead of mechanics |
John Paul Newport, Wall Street Journal | Phil Mickelson | Nick Watney | Bubba Watson | If Bubba starts tearing up, watch out; he's in the zone |
Mark Whicker, Orange County Register | Nick Watney | Phil Mickelson | Sergio Garcia | One Bulldog (Fresno) who can make a 10-footer |
Ron Kroichick, San Francisco Chronicle | Lee Westwood | Tiger Woods | Nick Watney | Westwood is due to win a major |
INTERNATIONAL | ||||
MEDIA MEMBER, ORGANIZATION | FAVORITE | RUNNER-UP | DARK HORSE | COMMENT |
John Hopkins, The Times (London) | Phil Mickelson | Lee Westwood | Tiger Woods | Healthier and happier now; top of his game, too |
Derek Lawrenson, Daily Mail UK | Bubba Watson | Luke Donald | Aaron Baddeley | Lefty wins Masters, just not the one you think |
James Corrigan, The Independent | Luke Donald | Phil Mickelson | Y.E. Yang | Short hitter's short game will short his rivals |
Neil Squires, Daily Express | Paul Casey | Phil Mickelson | Miguel Angel Jimenez | Casey is overdue for something big and sets up well here |
Bernie McGuire, Irish Star/Scottish Herald | Martin Kaymer | Geoff Ogilvy | Robert Karlsson | A major winner now mature enough to step up to Masters plate |
Mark Garrod, PA Sport (UK) | Phil Mickelson | Luke Donald | Vijay Singh | Comes down to duel between the two best short-game players |
Andy Farrell, Independent on Sunday | Luke Donald | Phil Mickelson | Nick Watney | Short game is the new long game at Augusta |
Lawrence Donegan, Guardian | Ian Poulter | Tiger Woods | Ryan Moore | Time for an English victory |
Brian Keogh, The Irish Sun | Bubba Watson | Hunter Mahan | Padraig Harrington | Bubba has the game and the imagination for Augusta |
Karl MacGinty, Irish Independent | Phil Mickelson | Rory McIlroy | Padraig Harrington | Harrington's experience and short game make him best bet for Euro Slam |
Mark Lamport-Stokes, Reuters | Nick Watney | Phil Mickelson | Bubba Watson | Favorites have form and short games; Bubba long and creative |
Philip Reid, Irish Times | Nick Watney | Rory McIlroy | Gary Woodland | Time for changing of the guard and Watney has the tools |
John Huggan, New Zealand Golf Magazine | Geoff Ogilvy | Dustin Johnson | Francesco Molinari | Aussies overdue on MacKenzie masterpiece |
Shane O'Donoghue, CNN | Rory McIlroy | Hunter Mahan | Bo Van Pelt | Wide-open Masters, but time for young superstar to emerge |
Dave Perkins, Toronto Star | Luke Donald | Either Molinari | Tiger Woods | Who but Donald has been working with rugby specialist? |
Cam Cole, Vancouver Sun | Phil Mickelson | Dustin Johnson | Tiger Woods | Phil can play this course in his sleep; he's not sleeping now |
Ken Fidlin, Toronto Sun | Lee Westwood | Dustin Johnson | Bubba Watson | Made mistakes, learned lessons, now ready to win |
Neil McLeman, Daily Mirror | Phil Mickelson | Dustin Johnson | Anthony Kim | The wait for the next European winner will continue |
Paul Mahoney, Golf Magazine, Europe | Luke Donald | Bubba Watson | Charl Schwartzel | Proved to himself at match play that he can plod to victory |
Isabel Trillo, Unidad Editorial (Spain) | Lee Westwood | Luke Donald | Tiger Woods | After plane incident, he's calm in life to attack Augusta with fire |
Massimo Lopes Pegna, | Tiger Woods | Martin Kaymer | Francesco Molinari | Tiger will be tiger again; Kaymer will be La Gazzetta dello Sport |
David Facey, The Sun (London) | Nick Watney | Ian Poulter | Retief Goosen | Most open Masters, sadly Europeans may have to accept second best |
Reiko Takekawa, Kyodo News | Bubba Watson | Martin Kaymer | Tiger Woods | Long-hitting Lefty is suited for Augusta |