Last years amazing finish will be hard to beat! Bubba Watson won on the 2nd playoff hole with a 164 yd hook shot that horseshoed around trees to allow him to beat the South African Louis Oosthuizen.

Augusta National is expected to be teeming with drama and excitement. Here are 5 players that could be involved with winning or losing the blazer on Sunday.

1. Tiger is On the Prowl
Woods isn’t back until he adds the 15th Major too his resume and The Masters is one of his favorite events. He has won the tournament 4 times previously (last in ’05) and trails only Jack Nicklaus’ 6 victories. His season has shown glimpses of the greatness that once was. His 3 victories have been at some of his traditionally successful venues and Augusta could be no different. He currently leads the PGA Tour in scoring average at 68.344, is first in Fed Ex points, and earned his World #1 ranking back…but none of that matters if he doesn’t take another step in the Major race, as he chases Nicklaus. Since his last victory at Augusta, he has finished in the top 6 every year except last year with a dreadful 40th. He makes golf better when he is competing, let’s hope his golf is good enough this weekend.

2. Dr. Phrankenwood
Of the last 10 Masters, 5 have been won by a left handed golfer, 3 of those times it was Phil Mickelson. “Lefty” last won in 2010 and will be looking to improve his current season form. He has had a victory this season but that was the Phoenix Open back in January and has had only one other top 10 this season. He will be utilizing a “special” club at Augusta that should allow him to control his tee shot without sacrificing distance. It is considered a modified 3 wood that will have a lower ball flight and less spin, apparently dubbed the “Phrankenwood”…Whatever it takes to make Sunday exciting!

3. Rosy Skies
Is this the year Justin Rose takes a Green Jacket back to London? He has improved his last three Masters finishing 20th(’09), 11th (’11), and 8th (’12). He has finished 22nd or higher in 5 of his 7 trips to Augusta National. He has had a great start to the year that includes 4 world wide top 10 finishes. His current World Ranking is 3rd behind Woods and Rory McIlroy. Rose is a steady player that may be more reserved than some of golf’s other big names, but his game is anything but. He has the ability to win…but has lacked Major success, will this be the year?

4. Graeme McDowell
I just like this guy. He has a great attitude and great game. His 2010 US Open though is becoming a faint memory as he has not posted another PGA victory. Despite his 45th place finish at the Arnold Palmer at the end of March, he has had 3 top 10′s this season and is playing well. He is 9th in scoring average, 4th in driving accuracy, and 1st on the tour in scrambling. The biggest issue for McDowell may be length. He ranks 135th on tour in driving distance which may be the biggest reason he ranks an even worse 167th in Greens in Regulation. Prior to the Tiger proofing renovations to Augusta, he may have been a better choice but he still has the game to win if he is hitting greens.

5. The Field
There are a ton of great players that could take the jacket. A different golfer has won the last 6 Masters going back to Mickelson’s victory in ’06. Defending champ, Bubba Watson, hasn’t been the same since his amazing victory but it doesn’t mean he won’t show up. Golfers from 4 different countries have won since ’08 so don’t think the Green Jacket may not have international plans in it’s future. Don’t be surprised if any number of golfers are in the title hunt including Matt Kuchar, Lee Westwood, Michael Thompson, or Jason Dufner.

It should be an exciting event and always worth watching!

I do want to mention a few things I took away from Bubba Watson’s victory.

1. Bubba Watson owns the General Lee!

Move over Beau and Luke,Bubba needs to make room for those big golf checks! This guy is living the dream. I don’t know if there is a more prized car from a childhood than the General Lee! Well, the guy that hits 330 yard drives with a pink driver owns one. The only way he could have ended the Masters better was if he jumped Rae’s Creek in the General Lee and Jim Nantz signed off saying, “Don’t look like the field’s gonna catch Bubba this week”

2. Bubba owns a Green Jacket!

Bubba won the most prestigious golf tournament in America. I was not a golfer growing up but I can imagine from the time a guy like Bubba starts to realize he has talent, he begins to picture himself wearing that Green Jacket. Such an amazing tournament to win and the way he won made it even better. Bubba also continues a trend of Lefty winners. Until Mike Weir’s victory in 2003 no left handed golfer had won this tournament. Weir’s victory along with Mickelson’s 3 and now Bubba really shows that the changes made to the course in the last 10 years could have possibly favored that side of the box. Obviously they are talented but it is something to think about.

3. Bubba has friends!

I have been watching golf as a fan since the mid-90s and I can not remember a group of other pros waiting to hug the winner the way I saw Sunday. I have seen a few old buddies congratulating each other but these guys were hugging and it meant something. You don’t need to talk to Bubba to know he is a good guy after seeing that. The likes of Ben Crane, Rickie Fowler, and Aaron Baddeley embraced Bubba with emotion and joy. It was truly an amazing sight and it makes the victory seem that much better.

So congrats to Bubba for making his childhood dreams come true and even more that he has turned out to be such a great guy that other grown men were waiting to rejoice in his victory.

On Paper
The Vottery!

The Reds took a huge step in showing their fans that they are ready to compete today and in the future by signing Joey Votto to a 10 yr extension worth $225 million. The 2010 NL MVP and career .316 hitter is only 28 and barring injury should continue to produce. This week the Reds also announced they should also be able to sign Brandon Phillips to a long term deal very soon. The Reds are ready to get back to winning like it’s the 70′s again.

Upset Potential
2012 or 1992?

The 2nd Round of the Masters is in the books and one of the guys at the top of the leaderboard is a blast from the past! Fred Couples played a great round of golf, shooting a 67 to put him at 5-under for the tournament. I was waiting to see a Lynx commercial with his sweet swing. The 52 yr. old Couples is the oldest man to hold the 36 hole lead at Augusta. Fred Couples won this tournament in 1992, his only Major, and a victory this weekend would certainly be a huge upset.

Don’t Bother
Demarcus Cousins mouth

Demarcus Cousins has never been at a loss for words and now he is challenging Blake Griffin. Of course ,he is only challenging him with his words! After their last meeting, a rough contest, Cousins called Griffin an “actor” after Griffin downplayed the head-to-head matchup. Cousins fouled out in 18 minutes of action which included the loss by the Kings. The former Wildcat should stop concerning himself with how “tough” Blake Griffin is and figure out how to make his team better.

This week we will have all the drama as the Tour’s most prestigious golfer is seemingly ready to make his long awaited return to Major greatness. The world’s most daring young gun is ready to close the deal this time around. The golf world can expect plenty of fireworks again this year. All the top players are in good form and there are plenty other top performers waiting to take that leap into greatness. Let’s take a look at 3 different aspects that will be huge stories and could possibly decide who gets to wear home that Green Jacket!

1. Redemption
There are two huge stars that are looking for redemption.

Rory McIlroy did his best Roy McAvoy in last years Masters. His 54 hole lead quickly evaporated as he shot a 43 on the back nine on the final day to shoot an abysmal 80 to finish T15. Watching his downfall was difficult to stomach but like a good NASCAR crash was much more memorable than Charl Schwartzel’s victory. Even though he went on to win the US Open in convincing fashion, Rory’s historic demise still weighs heavy on his mind and ours!

Tiger Woods is ready, right? Tiger has won this tourney 4 times but not since 2005. He finished strong last year and even found himself at the top of the leaderboard before a 3 putt bogey and missed eagle putt ended his chances. We have been waiting for Tiger to return and his victory two weeks ago was a great start but the Majors is what he plays for. His quest for 15 has been a long road. He hasn’t won a Major since the amazing one-legged performance in the 2008 US Open. There will be plenty of stories and people will pretend to be sick of the Tiger obsession, but he is the most significant golfer since Jack. His importance is undeniable and his performance in Major’s is the measuring stick for eternity.

2. Dark Horses
Can the Master’s produce another first time Major winner?

Anyone that has the ability to win a Master’s isn’t really a dark horse but 3 of the last 5 winners claim the Masters as their only Major victory. There will be several possible players who could upend the biggest names but I look towards one to make a run. Hunter Mahan is coming off a victory at the Shell Houston Open and won the WGC in February over Rory so he isn’t afraid of the big stage. He carries a world ranking of 4th so he has been consistent force. I wouldn’t be surprised if Mahan accepted the jacket from Charl!

3. Amen Corner
2011 saw the 11th, 12th and 13 play key roles and expect the same this year.

Last year Rory and Tiger’s stumbles included the difficult 12 with a 4 and 3 putt in their final round. Amen Corner finds a way to insert itself into the conversation every year and this year will be no different. One of the most famous stretches in golf for it’s beauty and venom figures to live up to it’s reputation.