Raleigh News & Observer Logo

Preview: The 2012 Masters | Raleigh News & Observer

×
  • E-edition
    • Customer Service
    • Support
    • Contact Us
    • About Us
    • FAQ
    • Sponsorships
    • Stay connected
    • Mobile & Apps
    • Facebook
    • Google+
    • Instagram
    • Twitter
    • Social Media Directory
    • N&O Store
    • Buy Photos
    • Databases
    • Archives
    • Newsletters

    • Blogs
    • Columnists
    • Crime
    • Education
    • Health
    • Local
    • North Carolina
    • Nation/World
    • Science
    • Thumbs Up
    • Traffic
    • Weather
    • Weird News
    • All News
    • Counties
    • Durham County
    • Johnston County
    • Orange County
    • Wake County
    • All Sports
    • Baseball
    • Canes
    • College
    • Columns & Blogs
    • High Schools
    • NASCAR & Auto Racing
    • NBA
    • NFL
    • NHL
    • Olympics
    • Outdoors
    • Panthers
    • Soccer
    • Schools
    • Duke
    • East Carolina
    • NC State
    • North Carolina
    • All Politics
    • The North Carolina Influencer Series
    • State Politics
    • Blogs
    • Columnists
    • PolitiFact
    • PolitiFact NC
    • Rob Christensen
    • Under the Dome
    • All Business
    • Blogs
    • Columnists
    • Health Care
    • Personal Finance
    • Real Estate
    • Shop Talk
    • Stocks Center
    • Technology
    • All Living
    • Video Now
    • Best-Kept Secrets
    • Blogs
    • Celebrations
    • Comics
    • Family
    • Fashion
    • Fitness
    • Food
    • Games and Puzzles
    • Home and Garden
    • Horoscopes
    • Mouthful
    • Past Times
    • Pets
    • Religion
    • Travel
    • Video Now
    • Arts News
    • ArtsNow
    • Books
    • Contests
    • Dining
    • Entertainment
    • Games
    • Movies
    • Music
    • Nightlife
    • Television
    • On the Beat
    • Happiness is a Warm TV
    • All Opinion
    • Columnists
    • Dwane Powell
    • Editorials
    • Influencers Opinion
    • Letters
    • Opinion Shop Blog
    • Other Views
    • Submit a Letter
  • Obituaries

    • Advertise with us
    • Place Ad
    • Apartments
    • Cars
    • Homes
    • Jobs
    • Legals
    • Obits/In Memoriams
    • Weddings
    • Today's Daily Deal
    • Special Sections
    • Today's Circulars
    • Rewards
    • Photo Store
  • Classifieds
  • Jobs
  • Moonlighting
  • Cars
  • Homes
  • Legals

Latest News

Preview: The 2012 Masters

By Ron Green Jr. - rgreenjr@charlotteobserver.com

    ORDER REPRINT →

March 31, 2012 12:00 AM

Taking a look at the 76th Masters, which begins Thursday at Augusta National Golf Club:

Five storylines:

1. Can Tiger Woods win his fifth green jacket?

It’s been seven years since Woods last won the Masters, beating Chris DiMarco in a playoff. He hasn’t won a major championship since the 2008 U.S. Open at Torrey Pines. But with his victory at the Arnold Palmer Invitational a week ago, Woods confirmed his return to prominence. He’s been stuck on 14 major championships for a long time.

Sign Up and Save

Get six months of free digital access to The News & Observer

SUBSCRIBE WITH GOOGLE

#ReadLocal

2. Will Rory McIlroy get redemption?

For three days last April, Rory McIlroy was borderline magnificent at the Masters. Then came Sunday and a final-round 80 that included his playing a shot from beside a cabin on the 10th hole and four-putting the 12th green. Two months later, he vanquished the field at the U.S. Open and now he’s trading the No. 1 spot in the world with Luke Donald. Many believe this is his week.

3. Will there be a new major champion?

Donald and Lee Westwood are first and third, respectively, in the world rankings but neither has won a major. Westwood has played in 12 Masters but managed only two top-10 finishes, which might speak to his putting more than anything. Donald has three top-10s in seven Masters appearances including a third-place in 2005. He’s nothing if not steady. And then there’s Steve Stricker. His track record at Augusta isn’t very good – five missed cuts in 11 starts – but if it’s about putting, it’s hard to leave him out of the discussion.

4. The Big Three – again

Gary Player joins Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus on the first tee Thursday morning for the ceremonial opening tee shots. Among them, they won seven Masters in a row starting in 1960. Nicklaus and Palmer won three apiece while Player won once in that span.

5. Beyond the obvious

Once you get past the favorites, who might be able to come in like Charl Schwartzel last year and win the green jacket?

Justin Rose looks ready to win a major. Same for Hunter Mahan. Keegan Bradley keeps hanging around leader boards. And what if Bubba Watson is in the hunt on Sunday afternoon?

Local connections: Charlotte residents Martin Laird, Robert Karlsson, Webb Simpson and Johnson Wagner are in the field. Others with Carolinas connections include Jonathan Byrd (Clemson), Tim Clark (N.C. State), Lucas Glover (Clemson), Bill Haas (Wake Forest), Kyle Stanley (Clemson), Dustin Johnson (Coastal Carolina), Mark Wilson (North Carolina) and Bubba Watson (part-time Lexington resident).

By the numbers:

1 Champion who closed the final round with four consecutive birdies (Charl Schwartzel, 2011)

8 Number of times a round has been rained out

75 Highest first-round score by a champion (Craig Stadler, 1982)

91 Age of Paul Runyan, the oldest ever to play the par-3 event (2000)

506 Number of birdies Jack Nicklaus made in his Masters career


Did You Know...

• Only four players have birdied the 18th hole to win the Masters by a stroke. (Arnold Palmer 1960; Sandy Lyle 1988; Mark O’Meara 1998; Phil Mickelson 2004).



• Of players who have played at least 100 competitive rounds in the Masters, Fred Couples has the all-time lowest scoring average (71.90).



• Since cumulative stats began in 1942, the three most difficult holes at the Masters have been, in order, No. 10, No. 12 and No. 11.



• Jack Nicklaus won six Masters and finished second four times, tying him with Ben Hogan and Tom Weiskopf for most runner-up finishes.



• The main clubhouse building, originally a manor house at an indigo plantation, was built in 1854.



Related stories from Raleigh News & Observer

HOMEPAGE

<b>The Masters:</b> Updates, info

April 04, 2011 10:26 PM

HOMEPAGE

<b>Blog:</b> Golf in the Carolinas

July 18, 2008 10:11 AM

HOMEPAGE

More golf news & numbers

April 25, 2011 06:55 PM

  Comments  

Videos

North Carolina coach Roy Williams following win over Florida State: ‘We had ten turnovers, I thought we had 103’

Mark Harris calls for new election in 9th district

View More Video

Trending Stories

NC judge throws out voter ID and income tax constitutional amendments

February 22, 2019 05:38 PM

Dad was found dead with a dog leash on his neck. Now his son is charged with murder.

February 22, 2019 04:07 PM

Chapel Hill removes Confederate road marker, black history marker ahead of planned protests

February 22, 2019 11:40 AM

United Methodists pray and brace for decision on same-sex marriage and gay clergy

February 22, 2019 02:31 PM

Wake Forest dean apologizes after 37-year-old yearbook photo resurfaces

February 22, 2019 04:36 PM

Read Next

Silent Sam is gone, but pro-Confederacy and anti-racist groups still clash at UNC

Local

Silent Sam is gone, but pro-Confederacy and anti-racist groups still clash at UNC

By Martha Quillin

    ORDER REPRINT →

February 23, 2019 04:26 PM

Silent Sam Confederate monument supporters clash again at UNC-Chapel Hill with anti-racist protesters.

KEEP READING

Sign Up and Save

#ReadLocal

Get six months of free digital access to The News & Observer

SUBSCRIBE WITH GOOGLE

MORE LATEST NEWS

No. 8 North Carolina uses late run to defeat No. 16 Florida State 77-59

Sports

No. 8 North Carolina uses late run to defeat No. 16 Florida State 77-59

February 23, 2019 05:48 PM
A good time for UNC for star freshman to play a Little better

Luke DeCock

A good time for UNC for star freshman to play a Little better

February 23, 2019 07:14 PM
What to Watch on Saturday: Oxygen ends ‘Smiley Face Killers,’ Hallmark has ‘Love on the Menu’

Entertainment

What to Watch on Saturday: Oxygen ends ‘Smiley Face Killers,’ Hallmark has ‘Love on the Menu’

February 23, 2019 07:00 AM
Final NCHSAA playoff brackets set

Sports

Final NCHSAA playoff brackets set

February 23, 2019 06:04 PM
Two Durham police officers charged with DWI while off duty

Local

Two Durham police officers charged with DWI while off duty

February 23, 2019 05:39 PM
Injury will sideline Duke’s Zion Williamson at Syracuse

Sports

Injury will sideline Duke’s Zion Williamson at Syracuse

February 23, 2019 10:56 AM
Take Us With You

Real-time updates and all local stories you want right in the palm of your hand.

Icon for mobile apps

Raleigh News & Observer App

View Newsletters

Subscriptions
  • Start a Subscription
  • Customer Service
  • eEdition
  • Vacation Hold
  • Pay Your Bill
  • Rewards
Learn More
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Newsletters
  • News in Education
  • Triangletoday.com
  • Legal Notices
Advertising
  • Advertise With Us
  • About Our Ads
  • Place a Classified
  • Local Deals
  • N&O Store
  • N&O Photos
Copyright
Commenting Policy
Report News
Privacy Policy
Terms of Use


Back to Story