As everyone gets giddy about the Masters, all it does is highlight how the Official World Rankings have currently diluted one of the greatest events packed with history. In the past, I’ve had up to 20 players in the field, but due to the LIV Golf split — where many of my players are based — I’ve only got a couple this year.
Some of you might moan and say they knew the risk before signing with the Saudi-backed tour, but come on, let’s be realistic. To not have the likes of Stenson and Westwood involved, due to a lack of ranking points, is only damaging the game.
I couldn’t stop laughing when Lee told me his son Sam is now ranked higher than him on the Official World Golf Ranking. Sam is currently 3,248 and former World No.1 Lee is 4,549 — what a joke. It perfectly highlights the issue.
The Masters will also feel a little different this year, as I might be without my old friend and fellow Yorkshireman, Billy Foster. I’ve got to catch up with him and find out his plans now he’s no longer on the bag with Matt Fitzpatrick. We’ve house-shared at Augusta, along with Brooks’s caddie Ricky Elliott, for many years, and paired with the reduced number of my players, the event will just feel empty.
Masters Pick
Obviously, many of you will want to know who I think will win at Augusta this year, and you have to seriously consider Niemann and Åberg. They’re both young, fearless, talented players right on top of their games. Yes, Rory is in form, but he’s got his own demons to deal with at Augusta. His best chance is to stay in close contention going into the final round and go low, as the leaders try to manage the pressure.
It will be hard for Rory to lead going into Sunday as the chasing pack comes after him. The pressure of expectation on his shoulders right now — especially with Scheffler out of form — is immense. We all know Rory has the game, but this is the one he’s desperate for, and that makes it even harder.
As for Scheffler, he’s come back down to earth with a bump after that amazing 2024 season. But I’ve been around long enough to know that the only player to sustain that level of dominance was Tiger — and he was unique. There’s a lot of luck in this game, and you get out roughly 30 per cent of what you put in — but not necessarily when you expect it.
Just look at Hovland. Three missed cuts and then he wins the Valspar Championship, which was a real test of golf — deep rough and fast greens. Not a place you’d expect an out-of-form player, who’s been struggling to find fairways, to win.
Padraig Harrington knows the player cycle better than most, and he always said that players struggle to dominate at the top for more than two years — obviously excluding Tiger!
In 2015 and 2016, we had Jordan Spieth running away with everything, as his putter never looked like missing. Ironically, I’ve always said the best putters win events — even if they’re spraying it all over the place off the tee. Luke Donald was a similar player to Spieth, but their putters kept them at the top.
But when the putter goes cold, the belief fades — and suddenly, doubt creeps in for the first time. Mentally, that’s something many players fail to overcome.
Why Purity Of Strike Wins Events
I’ve spent thousands of hours on putting greens, and I’ll never forget the sound Spieth’s putter made in his golden years. It was different to all the rest. Just a pure pitch, time after time. That consistent quality of strike meant all he needed to do was read the putts correctly and the ball found the hole.
Obviously, that purity of strike isn’t there anymore, and he’s gone from first in putts gained per round on the PGA Tour to 147th!
It’s no different with iron play. The best iron players strike the same spot every time, so their yardage control is robotic. All they have to do is calculate where they want the ball to land.
This is why the Korean stars on the LPGA are just brilliant. Many have learned the game hitting into nets and analysing TrackMan data. They’ve learned to strike it purely, in a robotic fashion, safe in the knowledge the numbers will match.
I see many amateurs spray it all over the face, and as a result, their yardages are equally wild. They’re never going to stand over a 160-yard shot, confidently pull an eight-iron and know it’ll land within a yard or two of the target. Thankfully, they don’t have to pay the rent on the outcome — they can just enjoy the game for what it is.
Amateurs can get too serious about golf, just because the top pros make it look easy. But remember — these elite players are naturally talented and have spent thousands of hours practising since they were kids. Just go out there and enjoy it.
More importantly, golf has always been about bringing people together and building friendships — which is why the current split in the professional game infuriates me so much.
