The Masters: Dramatic build-up points to a clash of the titans

THERE has never been a build-up to a Masters quite like this one.

Rory McIlroy, Northern Ireland’s boy wonder, beats Tiger Woods to become world No 1.

Luke Donald then wins to go back to the top of the rankings – and does it in a play-off just as he did to dethrone Lee Westwood last May.

A week later Woods comes back from yet another injury scare to win his first PGA Tour title since the 2009 sex scandal which turned him from hero to villain in so many people’s eyes.

Throw in a Phil Mickelson victory, two for Hunter Mahan, a first world championship for Justin Rose and the extra spice of McIlroy’s rivalry with Lee Westwood and all the ingredients are there for a Masters to savour.

Augusta National is the perfect stage for such a clash of the titans – and if the drama comes remotely close to what happened last year then it will be gripping from start to finish.

McIlroy is back on the course where he led for the first three days last April, then imploded with a nightmare 80 that took him from four ahead to ten behind. For the 22-year-old to bounce back from that with an eight-stroke victory at the US Open only two months later also defied belief, but it was clearly no fluke – in his past 13 tournaments going back to last September he has only once finished outside the top five.

“That’s great to see,” said Woods, appearing to relish the challenge that lies ahead. “He has all of the makings of being a great champion for a long period of time. He just needs to get more experienced.”

Experience of playing at Augusta has always been viewed as a key ingredient for success in the opening major of the year.

After all, the only first-timer to win since Gene Sarazen took just the second tournament in 1935 was Fuzzy Zoeller 33 years ago.

McIlroy is playing only his fourth Masters, while Woods, hardly a veteran at 36, is already up to 18 once he tees off today.

Yet Mickelson, hoping to join Woods [and Arnold Palmer] as a four-time winner of the title, is of the opinion that experience might not count for as much as usual this year because of the thunderstorms that have been around this week.

“A lot is going to depend on how soft the course is, how aggressive you can be,” said the left-hander. “I think that if it plays like this there won’t be the big mistakes made by any of the young players, it will be a crowded leaderboard and we’ll see a big birdie fest.

“If there’s some firmness that comes out and the green speeds get a little bit quicker and get a little bit firmer, I think we will see some of the young players make some mistakes that will cost them the tournament – and the experienced players who position the ball properly and vary their risk-reward shot-making, I think they will have an easier time staying on top of the leaderboard.”

Part of McIlroy’s record-breaking 16 under par total in the US Open was attributable to the soft conditions at Congressional, so the rain could be good news for him – and not such good news for Donald.

Not one of the game’s big-hitters, but brilliant in so many other parts of his game, the 34-year-old admits he prefers the course to be “hot and fast”. Donald came fourth last year and third on his 2005 debut, when he played the last eight holes in six under.

McIlroy’s 80 showed what Augusta National was capable of doing to a player. But on the same day, Charl Schwartzel showed what a player could do to the course.

The South African chipped in for birdie at the first, pitched in for eagle on the third and birdied the final four holes for a 66 and a two-stroke victory.

With McIlroy capturing the US Open, Darren Clarke the Open Championship and Keegan Bradley the USPGA – the first major he had ever played – there have now been 13 different winners of the past 13 majors.

Not only that, but the past seven have all won their first majors. That makes trying to predict what will happen over the next four days impossible, but it is Woods and McIlroy who are centre stage entering the tournament.

And if you think it is still early to be putting such a spotlight on a 22-year-old who has yet to finish in the top ten at Augusta, take note of what Mickelson said.

“I think that he’s an incredible player. He plays without fear, which is a great way to play.

“When you get soft conditions like at the US Open he’s going to light it up. If he ends up learning this golf course, I think he’s going to win here a number of times.”

Yesterday, of course, was the eve-of-tournament par three competition – an event that many players prefer not to win because nobody has ever become par three champion and Masters champion in the same week.

Last night Padraig Harrington became the first player to win a hat-trick of par three titles – but, just like his first victory in 2003, he had to share the honour.

The competition could not be completed because of a thunderstorm, leaving Harrington as joint winner with American Jonathan Byrd after both returned five-under-par scores of 22.

Nine years ago, the 40-year-old Dubliner tied with David Toms, but bad weather prevented a play-off then as well. Twelve months later he beat Argentina’s Eduardo Romero in sudden death.

Last year’s Wednesday champion Luke Donald did not even take part this time because he wanted to focus on the main event, while Open champion Darren Clarke was another non-participant because he wanted to rest a sore groin.

Most players treat it as light relief and invite family, friends or even celebrities to act as their caddies.

Lee Westwood and Thomas Bjorn had television presenters Ant and Dec – Anthony McPartlin and Declan Donnelly – carrying their bags, with Bjorn finishing with a hole-in-one.