With the Masters looming next week the three big names in golf have spent the first three months of the year getting their games in championship shape for the first major of 2013.
Phil Mickelson has won the Masters on three previous occasions. His last major victory came at the 2010 Masters. When he drives up Magnolia Lane his game automatically reaches a higher consciousness.
Mickelson has made seven cuts in eight starts this year. He quietly had a third-place finish at the WGC-Cadillac and won the Waste Management Phoenix Open. He has earned over $1.7 million and is No. 4 on the FedEx Cup Rankings.
In his last start before the Masters at the Shell Houston Open he barely made the cut on Friday but shot 67-68 on the weekend and finished T-16.
Mickelson always has a positive attitude but Augusta National puts an even bigger smile on his face and brings out the best in his game.
Rory McIlroy has struggled thus far in 2013. Playing his first event with his new Nike gear, he shot 75-75 and missed the cut in Abu Dhabi. He was knocked out in the first round of the WGC-Accenture Match Play in his next start by the lowest seed in the field.
McIlroy hit an all-time low when he walked off the course after just eight holes in the second round at the Honda Classic, where he was the defending champion.
Things started to turn around for him at the WGC-Cadillac and after a first-round 73 he shot three consecutive sub-par rounds, 69-71-65 and finished T-8.
He collected a T-45 at the Shell Houston Open and on the advice of his caddy decided to add the Valero Texas Open to his schedule this week in hopes of getting a few more competitive rounds in before heading to Augusta.
We have seen McIlroy perform poorly for a short stretch and then rebound to dominate. Just last year he missed cuts before winning the PGA Championship and two FedEx Cup Playoff events.
Look for him to have a good week in San Antonio this week and contend at the Masters.
After missing the cut in his first start of 2013 in Abu Dhabi, Tiger Woods has won three events on the PGA Tour. He won at Torrey Pines in California and twice in Florida.
Winning at Bay Hill for the eighth time in his career gave Woods his third win in five PGA Tour starts this year and his 77th career win. Six more wins and he will surpass career wins leader Sam Snead.
He vaulted past Rory McIlroy to reclaim the No. 1 spot on the Official World Golf Rankings and is leading the FedEx Cup standings on the PGA Tour.
Woods swing changes seem to be fully ingrained and his short game is vastly improved from 2012. His personal life appears to be stable and he has a new relationship with Olympic skier, Lindsay Vonn. His legs are sound and he seems to be in great physical shape.
He has not won a major since the 2008 U.S. Open and is stuck on 14 major victories.
Woods has to be the overwhelming favorite heading into the Masters but the idea of the budding rivalry with McIlroy has golf fans all atwitter.
Don’t forget Phil Mickelson. He may just have something to say who dons the Green Jacket come Sunday evening.