With the mindset of an underdog winning, the winner will be one who finds the mentality to assert himself through the constant pressure of media and the difficulty of the course during changing winds and conditions will find himself clothed in a brand new piece of clothing worthy of envy.

The Winning Criteria
The man with the green jacket has been one who has in the last five years has been accurate with his driver not to mention his irons and wedges, averages two or less putts per green, plays smart for four days, and most important of all, is consistent. That last statement will more than likely eliminate two-thirds of the field. The players who will likely compete until the very end are those who are veterans of fourth round championship runs, in essence, those who have seen the light at the end of the tunnel.

The course report states that everything plays tight, sometimes even the rough where, at The Masters, it's not known for its depth. The tight greens at The Masters this year reminisce of the 1999 U.S. Open at Pinehurst where keen putting decided the only major victory for the late Payne Stewart. The severity of tightness for the fairways mean that low trajectory drives will be punished and will find the plethora of deciduous trees that line every fairway.

The playability factor determines the style of play one must employ if he wishes to be dressed in the fancy piece of green attire. One of the few courses to have survived the recent onrush of distance drivers, Augusta National, calls for drivers who hit fairways over 80% of greens on regulation; more than 85% if one wishes to be in the winner's circle. The irons game calls again for accuracy above distance and trajectory along with controllable spin to check the ball on Augusta's notoriously tight greens. The putter is by far one's most lethal weapon in destroying his competition and ironically a suicidal one that can dash his hopes for a win. It was the putter that carried Singh and Olazabal in the stretch run the last two years. One must also play the course conservatively at all times because a score like Tiger's unprecedented 18-under par won't win the conventional Masters tournament. Although this year will prove to be liberal in many ways, conservative play will keep a player in the running but wont guarantee them a victory.

The Players
Given the winning criteria, here are the players with the likelihood of being on the fourth round leaderboard:

1. Tiger Woods
Everyone knows why this man is here and everyone is soon to know that this man's very human six tournament winless streak is over. Breaking out of his official slump on paper at Bay Hill, he's in the running with a second place finish at the conclusion of the third round at The Players Championship and looks to showcase his retained dominance. If Tiger doesn't come in with a focused mentality, a win is out of the picture and he could plummet off the first page of the leaderboard. More than likely, his face will be there because the Tiger never dies without a fight and a fight he will bring. By the way, I said the underdogs would win right? Thought so, but what's a golf article without Tiger Woods in it?

2. Scott Hoch
Frequently named "the most consistent man in golf", Augusta is among his favorite courses to play since accuracy is priority over distance, exactly the style of play that Augusta chants so loudly. He, along with Tiger, are attacking the leaderboard at the TPC and look to continue his recent turnaround from just another forgotten face on the PGA Tour.

3. Loren Roberts
A man mostly known for his short, but accurate distance game, he almost brings the quintessential style of play to The Masters, but he lacks the competitive aura to win. He has turned around his game a bit these last few years that have seen him higher in the leaderboard than before and looks to finish in the top ten again in consecutive years.

4. Mike Weir
The Canadian Maple Leaf has showcased the brilliance of his talent and his ability to compete in majors. He brings a strong driver as well as an iron game that could compete with Tigers and if he improves his putting, top ten is not out of the question.

5. Vijay Singh
A repeat, although unlikely, is not out of the question. Vijay has still kept his hard work regimen active, but continues to change putters more frequently than Jimmy Carter had liver pills. He's a guy who is always there on the leaderboard so he'll be there, but only expect a win if his putter can get him through Augusta's tough stretches.

Countless others like Carlos Franco, and Davis Love III will guaranteed be in the hunt, but the winner will be one well deserving of a Masters title that has overshadowed his undercurrent of glory on the PGA Tour:

6. Ernie Els
I saved this man for last on purpose. This man will soon let his anger rest in peace. In tribute to Dan Patrick, "Amen". Ernie Els, one of the most composite players in the face of PGA Tour golf, has yet to win a Masters. The reason he never won in a glorious run last year is because there was always one man better than he was: last year it was Vijay at The Masters and Tiger seemingly everywhere else winning on last minute heroics over Ernie. The man feels enough contempt to come out here and ruin the field at The Masters much the same way Tiger did in 1997. Channel the anger into skill and you've got a player capable of slaughtering Tiger. Amen.

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