Masters the final lap in hunt for historic clean sweep

When Tiger Woods completed the first clean sweep of the majors by claiming his second green jacket, nobody could have thought that a decade later the golfing landscape would be so different.

Now, following a season of unprecedented success, a win at The Masters would complete a European Tour clean sweep - and leave America without any of the majors or the Ryder Cup for the first time.

Northern Ireland's Graeme McDowell got the ball rolling when he achieved Europe's first victory at the US Open in 40 years last June. South African Louis Oosthuizen took The Open at St Andrews by an amazing seven shots, then German Martin Kaymer grabbed the USPGA title and McDowell, of course, was the match-winning hero of the Ryder Cup in Wales.

With Woods currently in the longest barren spell of his career, it is Phil Mickelson who stands as the biggest stumbling block to Europe's hopes. He is the defending champion. He is the winner of three of the last seven Masters - Woods had his last victory in 2005 - and he was a winner in Houston last Sunday. He is the clear favourite.

Not that Mickelson has a problem with what has been happening since he produced his remarkable shot out of the trees on the 13th and pushed Lee Westwood into second place last April. "I think it's been great for world golf that we have had so many non-Americans playing well and moving up the world rankings," he said. "I think it's created some international exposure and really good for the game in general."

Kaymer and Westwood, paired together in the opening two rounds for the third time this year, stand first and second on the world rankings.

Westwood, runner-up in two of the three majors he played last year, could regain top spot with a top-four finish on Sunday. But it is a first major he craves and he tees off boosted by the knowledge that his 13-under-par score last year, although it left him three behind the inspired Mickelson, would have made him Masters champion in all but nine of the 74 tournaments so far. "The confidence in my game has moved on," Westwood said. "I have moved everything up a little bit and, hopefully, if I play the same (as last year] it will be good enough."

Kaymer has not made the cut on his three previous trips to Augusta, but do not put it past the 26-year-old to change that in the most dramatic fashion.

McDowell has made it to the weekend only once in his three attempts, but Pebble Beach and Celtic Manor showed he is capable of hitting the highest of highs.The Portrush golfer now has his first chance to go to world number one, and so has Luke Donald, whose short game in winning the World Match Play in February reminded everybody what he is capable of. Amazingly, though, Woods could climb back to world number one if he won. The possibility should not be ruled out. Last year, he had not played for more than four months and his private life was in turmoil, yet he managed fourth place - his sixth successive top-six finish on the course. Mickelson has to be the likelier winner of the two, but maybe the force is with Europe, and with Rory McIlroy, Padraig Harrington, Paul Casey, Justin Rose, Ian Poulter and Scot Martin Laird backing up the four leading lights, it would be a shock if the final nine holes arrives with one or more of them not in the hunt. Indeed, Laird will be full of confidence coming into his first Masters, having won the Arnold Palmer Invitational at the end of last month.

But if Woods does land his 19th major championship, Jack Nicklaus wants to be there to shake his hand. That said, the Golden Bear won't be all that unhappy if Woods comes up short. "Why would I want to give up my record?" Nicklaus said this week, shortly after arriving at Augusta National and wearing the green jacket he earned for capturing six Masters titles. "Why would I say that?"

He added: "I think Tiger will probably break my record. I hope I'm around to see it if he does. But nobody wants to see their record broken."

Heading into the first major of the year, it is by no means a surefire bet that Woods will become the greatest major champion this sport has had. "Last year was an important year," Nicklaus said, aware the 2010's biggest events were at courses that favoured Woods' game - Augusta National, Pebble Beach and St Andrews - all places where he's romped to dominating wins. "I knew if he won one or two, he would break the record more easily."

Woods didn't win any. "Now," Nicklaus said, "this year is a very important year for him."