The 2015 edition of The Masters is finally upon us as the world's best golfers descend on Augusta National, hoping by the end of Sunday night that they will be slipping into the famous green jacket.
The world number one Rory McIlroy arrives at one of the world's most famous golf courses with the expectation that he will complete Golf's Grand Slam and win all four majors at the age of just 25. McIlroy famously had a meltdown on the back nine at Augusta in 2011, otherwise last years win at The Open Championship would have already seen him complete an achievement only managed by five other players in history.
There is no doubting that McIlroy's long and accurate hitting, combined with his wonderfully good iron play and red hot putter on the greens can win at Augusta and he will win a Green Jacket one day. It is a matter of if 2015 is truly the man from Northern Ireland's year to do it.
And looking at his Augusta record and his form this season, I don't think McIlroy will be leaving with one of golf's iconic images on his back. His best finish at Augusta was tied eighth last year but he was eight shots off winner Bubba Watson and shot a 77 in the second round. In every year since 2010, he has had one horror round (77 in 2010, 80 in 2011, 77 in 2012, 79 in 2013 and a 77 last year) and that shows how McIlroy has struggled to get to grips with the course even as he's progressed to become the best golfer in the world.
His form this season in America has been patchy. Despite winning the Dubai Desert Classic in February and coming 2nd in the preceding Abu Dhabi Championship on the European Tour, McIlroy missed the cut at the Honda Classic and has only shot one round in the 60's in his other two tournaments on the PGA Tour this season.
The Americans have upstaged the man from Holywood this season so far and I believe they are primed and ready to do so at Augusta this week as well. Here's five Americans to put some cash on:
Jordan Spieth (12/1 at William Hill)
Still only 21, the Texan produced a superb performance on his Masters debut last year finishing in second place behind winner Bubba Watson. Spieth led by two shots early on in the final round but bogeys at holes eight and nine meant Spieth was unable to recover a deficit to his fellow American.
However, Spieth now looks even more ready to win his first Major Championship this week. He has been in terrific form since the end of 2014, winning the Australian Open in November last year and then the Valspar Championship on the PGA Tour in March this year, seeing off Patrick Reed and Sean O'Hair in a play-off.
Last week he narrowly missed out on winning the Shell Houston Open but this time he lost out in the play-off to J.B. Holmes. Despite that loss, he arrives at Augusta full of confidence in the way he is playing and determined to go one better this year. His driving distance stats might be below 300 yards on average, but he is still a long enough hitter to cope with Augusta's length and a more pleasing stat on the Spieth front is that he is taking the least amount of putts per hole this season on the PGA Tour.
Jimmy Walker (22/1 at Various)
Jimmy Walker remains a bit of an unknown outside of the golfing world. He was certainly a late bloomer in the sport, only winning his first PGA Tour title in 2013, at the age of 34.
Following that maiden success at the 2013 Frys.Com Open, Walker hasn't looked back and has won a further four times on the PGA Tour since including twice this season at the Sony Open in Hawaii and at the Valero Texas Open at the end of March, where he finished four shots ahead of a certain Jordan Spieth.
Having finished tied eighth on his Masters debut last year, Walker now looks hungry to have a real tilt at winning his first Major on his second appearance at Augusta. He finished in the top thirty of all four majors in 2014, including further top tens at the US Open and US PGA championships which shows his love of the big tournaments.
With Walker regularly hitting the ball over 300 yards and having a devilishly good touch around the greens, you'd be mad not to take those odds on him.
Matt Kuchar (45/1 at Coral)
Regular readers and people who know me, know that I am convinced Kuchar will win a Green Jacket one day. And this year he may well just slip under the radar with many of his other countrymen being talked up ahead of him.
Kuchar has a great record at Augusta over the past three years, finishing tied fifth last year which followed a tied eighth in 2013 and a tie for third in 2012. His great touch around the greens combined with accuracy off the tee and his irons make him ideally suited to the challenge of Augusta National.
If there's one problem with Kuchar, it is that he doesn't seem to have the ruthless streak to win more tournaments than he does, with his last win coming almost a year ago on the PGA Tour. Nevertheless, Kuchar is someone who comes alive during Augusta week and is certainly worth an each way bet.
Brooks Koepka (100/1 at various)
You would usually be declared mad for tipping a Masters debutant to win, but there is something different about Koepka that makes me feel he could be in contention come Sunday.
Firstly, he hits the ball a long, long way, averaging almost 308 yards this season on the PGA Tour which is bettered only by Dustin Johnson and Bubba Watson. Long hitting is absolutely necessary to succeed this week with Augusta lengthening every year.
Secondly, Koepka comes into the event in great form winning most recently in February at the Waste Management Phoenix Open, where he held off a challenge from Bubba Watson among others and shot 66-64 over the weekend to win. He also enjoyed a superb victory in the Turkish Airlines Open in November 2014, shooting a final round 65 to edge out Ian Poulter.
Only 24, he also enjoyed top three finishes in 2014 at the Dubai Desert Classic and Omega European Masters and subsequently won the Sir Henry Cotton Rookie of the Year title on the European Tour. No Masters debutant has won the green jacket since Fuzzy Zoeller in 1979, but Koepka's great driving and fearless attitude gives him a chance to break that long standing record.
Zach Johnson (100/1 at various)
The 2007 winner is well worth an each way bet. He might have only had one top 20 finish at Augusta since winning the tournament eight years ago, but Johnson is one of the most solid golfers of the last decade or so and loves a good challenge.
He might not be the longest off the tee, but he is accurate and that always leaves you with a chance at Augusta considering other players go wild off the tee. He remains one of the games greatest putters particularly from short-range and has always been someone who looked like he had no trouble with the pace of Augusta's greens.
He might not win a second green jacket this weekend but at odds of 100/1, 39 year old Johnson with his experience and temperament is more than capable of pushing towards the top of the leaderboard.
The Americans are hungry to wrestle back control of golf Majors from Rory McIlroy and there are plenty more names not on this list who it wouldn't be surprising to see lead the American charge at Augusta.
It's time to sit back and enjoy four days of brilliant golf from the world's best.
Wednesday 8 April 2015
Wednesday 1 April 2015
Andy Murray- 500 Not Out
Last night Andy Murray achieved history as he became the first British male tennis player to win 500 career matches.
He reached the landmark with a hard-fought three set win over South Africa's Kevin Anderson in the fourth round of the Miami Masters, a tournament he has won twice.
In many ways, the victory was similar to many of Murray's previous 499. He played well in parts, particularly in the first and third sets, but let his opponent back into the match as Anderson won the second set. His returning was also excellent for the most part, but his slow second serve continues to cause the man from Dunblane problems.
However, Murray won in the end and 500 career victories is a terrific achievement and one that should be cause for big celebration.
Having followed Murray since he first properly burst onto the tennis scene in the summer of 2005, I have seen many fantastic Murray wins, whilst also witnessing a fair share of his losses. But this is a positive article about Murray and with that in mind here are my five favourite Andy Murray wins to date.
1. 2013 Wimbledon final- Murray beats Novak Djokovic 6-4, 7-5, 6-4
I wouldn't have forgiven myself if I had chosen any other victory from Murray's 500. Murray was simply phenomenal against the man from Serbia as he made history on the centre court at Wimbledon.
Basking in roasting hot sunshine, from the word go Murray played as if he believed this was his time to finally become the first British male player since Fred Perry in 1936 to lift the coveted trophy. Whilst the scoreline doesn't reflect the true nature of the match (Murray was down 4-1 in the second set and 4-2 down in the third), he produced a brilliant display over the course of over three hours of tennis taking the match to Djokovic with a series of incredible ground strokes.
The match displayed Murray at his dogged and determined best and once that epic twelve minute final game had finished thanks to a Djokovic back hand into the net, the waiting was over.
Murray had delivered what people had been dreaming about for generations and for him to handle the mental pressure of the occasion, particularly after his emotional defeat to Roger Federer in the final on the same court the year before, this victory is Murray's best in his 500.
2. 2012 US Open Final. Murray defeats Djokovic 7-6, 7-5, 2-6, 3-6, 6-2
Closely behind the Wimbeldon final victory in the list, is another tremendous victory over Djokovic from Murray, this time at the 2012 US Open final.
This victory of course brought Murray his long awaited first Grand Slam title, at the fifth time of asking in a slam final as he withstood an onslaught from Djokovic, who was the defending champion at Flushing Meadows.
In a truly epic match lasting four hours and 54 minutes, the pair played some of the most pulsating tennis you are ever likely to see. The first set alone took 87 minutes (including 24 minutes for the tie-break) and involved a 54 shot rally at one point. Murray edged the tie-break 12-10 and that was hugely significant for him as he'd never won a set against Djokovic in the Grand Slam finals they had played before that night in New York.
Murray's tennis early in the second set was an absolute joy to watch as he raced into a 4-0 lead against the stunned Serb, but Djokovic isn't a multiple grand slam champion by luck and he fought back to level at 5-5.
However, Murray showed fantastic courage to hold serve and then attack Djokovic's serve as he went two sets to love up without the need of a tie-break. His fans inside the stadium and those at home including me felt sure that this was his moment to break his slam duck as he was now only a set away.
Djokovic wasn't quite done yet though and he took his tennis up several gears as he won the next two sets 6-3, 6-2 and suddenly he was in with a chance of completing a remarkable comeback.
Murray went off court before the end of the fifth and final set and psyched himself up with a pep talk in the mirror telling himself that this was his moment to win and that he wasn't losing this time. His words of wisdom worked a treat as he broke Djokovic's resistance and after almost five hours of tennis, he won the fifth set 6-2 and was finally able to call himself a Grand Slam champion.
I'm not ashamed at all to admit I was in tears at the sight of Murray holding the trophy aloft. After seven years of following him, I was so delighted but also so relieved that he'd finally overcome that hurdle which could no longer be used against him by critics. A performance that will stay with me forever.
3. 2008 Wimbledon 4th Round- Murray defeats Richard Gasquet 5-7,3-6, 7-6, 6-2, 6-4
Talk about a match that put me through the ringer. 2008 was the year when people first truly started to believe on a wider scale that Murray was capable of winning a Grand Slam title.
Having just turned 21 by the time Wimbledon came around, he had shown great improvement in his maturity and in his technique as an all round player. He had performed well in his opening three matches at Wimbledon 2008, defeating experienced campaigners Fabrice Santoro, Xavier Malisse and Tommy Haas respectively in the opening three rounds which set up a second week Monday clash with Frenchman Richard Gasquet.
Murray had lost his previous two encounters with the Frenchman who was seeded four places above Murray, so he knew he'd be in for a tough test despite optimism starting to grow among the British public.
Little did they know they were about to witness a thriller which ended up finishing in near darkness at 9.30pm. Murray produced an incredible comeback from two sets to love down for the first time in his career, sending the crowd wild as he flexed his muscles on centre court.
Gasquet had grabbed the first set 7-5, by breaking Murray's serve in the 12th game of the set at the fifth time of asking as his pressure told. That seemed to deflate Murray and the crowd and on the other hand give Gasquet, who had reached the semi-finals at SW19 the year before a huge confidence boost.
He was the better player throughout the second set, taking the game to Murray and eventually winning it 6-3. There appeared to be little sign of a comeback from Murray during the third as Gasquet remained composed. That was until the crowd pressure told as Gasquet failed to serve out the match and suddenly Murray had hope.
In a third set tie-break that he had to win, Murray produced what remains one of the most extraordinary winners of his career as hit a backhand winner on a point where he was outside the tram lines. That galvanised the whole crowd into chanting his name and this time it was Gasquet who was deflated.
Despite being a naturally talented player, Gasquet's mental confidence is always in question and the momentum was now all with Murray. He raced through the fourth set in little over 20 minutes to level the match and he then broke at the beginning of the fifth set.
A clearly rattled Gasquet asked about the light after failing to break back, but there was no way the officials were going to stop the match. Eventually at 9.29pm, in near darkness Murray ensured his place in the quarter finals after an unbelievable match.
This match was so good I got up the next morning and immediately watched the highlights of it on Yesterday at Wimbledon. A match that first showcased Murray's fighting qualities on a mesmerising scale.
4. 2008 US Open Semi-final Murray defeats Rafael Nadal 6-2, 7-6, 4-6, 6-4
I'd argue, that even seven years on this remains Andy Murray's finest victory for a number of reasons. Nadal was world number one at the time and seemed unbeatable. He had won the Olympic Gold and Wimbledon titles during the summer and the French Open earlier in 2008. He had also thumped Murray in the quarter finals of Wimbledon that year and boasted a perfect record from their previous encounters.
The match was also rain-delayed with Murray leading by two sets to love so he effectively had to beat Nadal twice, in what was his first Grand Slam semi-final.
But Murray thrived on being the underdog in New York and blew Nadal away for most of the match with some truly breathtaking tennis. Murray's serving was absolutely impeccable as he took charge early on and gained the upper hand winning the first set 6-2. The second set might have taken a tie-break to have it settled, but it was Murray who ensured that he was in total command of the match by winning it as his forehand never seemed to miss.
Then came the rain delay after Nadal had got an early break in the third set. That delayed the match into a second day on the Sunday, when it was moved to an even bigger stadium, the Arthur Ashe stadium. It seemed as though Nadal had turned the match in his favour when he converted a set point to win the third set.
Murray was back to his best in the early stages of the fourth but Nadal somehow saved seven break points in game two before he immediately stunned Murray by breaking him to love. That seemed the cue for Nadal to take it into a 5th, but his opponent wasn't thinking along the same lines as he broke back to level at 3-3 and forcing mistakes from the Spaniard.
He eventually won the match with a superb backhand pass on the Nadal serve to reach his first Grand Slam final, where he was beaten by Roger Federer. The win over Nadal was the moment when I thought Murray proved he had all the attributes to truly make it at the top of the game, giving it a place in my top five.
5. Murray defeats Roger Federer, 2006 Cincinnati Masters 7-5, 6-4
A surprising choice for many people perhaps, but nine years on this match remains fresh in my memory for the way Murray brilliantly performed against Federer that day.
Only 19 at the time, Murray had come through a first round match against Tim Henman to set up the clash with a man who had only been beaten by Nadal in 2006 and this was a tournament taking place in August.
Murray wasn't to shirk the challenge though as he showed from the word go he wouldn't be intimidated by the then World No 1 who had reached 17 consecutive finals before being beaten by Murray.
Murray's ground strokes throughout the match took Federer aback time and time again as he took the game to the man from Switzerland. He seized an early break in Federer's second service game as he forced him into an error on his usually reliable backhand.
Instead it was Murray's backhand which was on form and despite allowing Federer to break back at 5-4 when he had served for the set, his backhand created another chance for him to win the first set 7-5.
It was a similar story in the second set as he pressurised Federer at every opportunity eventually forcing him to crack at 4-4, as he broke his serve for a remarkable seventh time. Murray held his nerve to secure what was then the biggest win of his career.
Federer in 2006 was arguably at his imperious best and Murray was one of only two men to beat him throughout the whole year. For that reason alone this win deserves a spot in my top five.
Other victories that came very close to my top five included his Olympic gold medal win against Federer in 2012, a five set win over Stan Wawrinka in Wimbledon's first roof covered match in 2009, a stunning victory over Andy Roddick at Wimbledon in 2006 and a 2008 Cincinnati Masters final win over Djokovic.
Murray goes for win 501 tonight against Austrian youngster Dominic Thiem and he'll be looking to keep on climbing the list after becoming only the 46th male player in the open era to win 500 matches on court.
He reached the landmark with a hard-fought three set win over South Africa's Kevin Anderson in the fourth round of the Miami Masters, a tournament he has won twice.
In many ways, the victory was similar to many of Murray's previous 499. He played well in parts, particularly in the first and third sets, but let his opponent back into the match as Anderson won the second set. His returning was also excellent for the most part, but his slow second serve continues to cause the man from Dunblane problems.
However, Murray won in the end and 500 career victories is a terrific achievement and one that should be cause for big celebration.
Having followed Murray since he first properly burst onto the tennis scene in the summer of 2005, I have seen many fantastic Murray wins, whilst also witnessing a fair share of his losses. But this is a positive article about Murray and with that in mind here are my five favourite Andy Murray wins to date.
1. 2013 Wimbledon final- Murray beats Novak Djokovic 6-4, 7-5, 6-4
I wouldn't have forgiven myself if I had chosen any other victory from Murray's 500. Murray was simply phenomenal against the man from Serbia as he made history on the centre court at Wimbledon.
Basking in roasting hot sunshine, from the word go Murray played as if he believed this was his time to finally become the first British male player since Fred Perry in 1936 to lift the coveted trophy. Whilst the scoreline doesn't reflect the true nature of the match (Murray was down 4-1 in the second set and 4-2 down in the third), he produced a brilliant display over the course of over three hours of tennis taking the match to Djokovic with a series of incredible ground strokes.
The match displayed Murray at his dogged and determined best and once that epic twelve minute final game had finished thanks to a Djokovic back hand into the net, the waiting was over.
Murray had delivered what people had been dreaming about for generations and for him to handle the mental pressure of the occasion, particularly after his emotional defeat to Roger Federer in the final on the same court the year before, this victory is Murray's best in his 500.
2. 2012 US Open Final. Murray defeats Djokovic 7-6, 7-5, 2-6, 3-6, 6-2
Closely behind the Wimbeldon final victory in the list, is another tremendous victory over Djokovic from Murray, this time at the 2012 US Open final.
This victory of course brought Murray his long awaited first Grand Slam title, at the fifth time of asking in a slam final as he withstood an onslaught from Djokovic, who was the defending champion at Flushing Meadows.
In a truly epic match lasting four hours and 54 minutes, the pair played some of the most pulsating tennis you are ever likely to see. The first set alone took 87 minutes (including 24 minutes for the tie-break) and involved a 54 shot rally at one point. Murray edged the tie-break 12-10 and that was hugely significant for him as he'd never won a set against Djokovic in the Grand Slam finals they had played before that night in New York.
Murray's tennis early in the second set was an absolute joy to watch as he raced into a 4-0 lead against the stunned Serb, but Djokovic isn't a multiple grand slam champion by luck and he fought back to level at 5-5.
However, Murray showed fantastic courage to hold serve and then attack Djokovic's serve as he went two sets to love up without the need of a tie-break. His fans inside the stadium and those at home including me felt sure that this was his moment to break his slam duck as he was now only a set away.
Djokovic wasn't quite done yet though and he took his tennis up several gears as he won the next two sets 6-3, 6-2 and suddenly he was in with a chance of completing a remarkable comeback.
Murray went off court before the end of the fifth and final set and psyched himself up with a pep talk in the mirror telling himself that this was his moment to win and that he wasn't losing this time. His words of wisdom worked a treat as he broke Djokovic's resistance and after almost five hours of tennis, he won the fifth set 6-2 and was finally able to call himself a Grand Slam champion.
I'm not ashamed at all to admit I was in tears at the sight of Murray holding the trophy aloft. After seven years of following him, I was so delighted but also so relieved that he'd finally overcome that hurdle which could no longer be used against him by critics. A performance that will stay with me forever.
3. 2008 Wimbledon 4th Round- Murray defeats Richard Gasquet 5-7,3-6, 7-6, 6-2, 6-4
Talk about a match that put me through the ringer. 2008 was the year when people first truly started to believe on a wider scale that Murray was capable of winning a Grand Slam title.
Having just turned 21 by the time Wimbledon came around, he had shown great improvement in his maturity and in his technique as an all round player. He had performed well in his opening three matches at Wimbledon 2008, defeating experienced campaigners Fabrice Santoro, Xavier Malisse and Tommy Haas respectively in the opening three rounds which set up a second week Monday clash with Frenchman Richard Gasquet.
Murray had lost his previous two encounters with the Frenchman who was seeded four places above Murray, so he knew he'd be in for a tough test despite optimism starting to grow among the British public.
Little did they know they were about to witness a thriller which ended up finishing in near darkness at 9.30pm. Murray produced an incredible comeback from two sets to love down for the first time in his career, sending the crowd wild as he flexed his muscles on centre court.
Gasquet had grabbed the first set 7-5, by breaking Murray's serve in the 12th game of the set at the fifth time of asking as his pressure told. That seemed to deflate Murray and the crowd and on the other hand give Gasquet, who had reached the semi-finals at SW19 the year before a huge confidence boost.
He was the better player throughout the second set, taking the game to Murray and eventually winning it 6-3. There appeared to be little sign of a comeback from Murray during the third as Gasquet remained composed. That was until the crowd pressure told as Gasquet failed to serve out the match and suddenly Murray had hope.
In a third set tie-break that he had to win, Murray produced what remains one of the most extraordinary winners of his career as hit a backhand winner on a point where he was outside the tram lines. That galvanised the whole crowd into chanting his name and this time it was Gasquet who was deflated.
Despite being a naturally talented player, Gasquet's mental confidence is always in question and the momentum was now all with Murray. He raced through the fourth set in little over 20 minutes to level the match and he then broke at the beginning of the fifth set.
A clearly rattled Gasquet asked about the light after failing to break back, but there was no way the officials were going to stop the match. Eventually at 9.29pm, in near darkness Murray ensured his place in the quarter finals after an unbelievable match.
This match was so good I got up the next morning and immediately watched the highlights of it on Yesterday at Wimbledon. A match that first showcased Murray's fighting qualities on a mesmerising scale.
4. 2008 US Open Semi-final Murray defeats Rafael Nadal 6-2, 7-6, 4-6, 6-4
I'd argue, that even seven years on this remains Andy Murray's finest victory for a number of reasons. Nadal was world number one at the time and seemed unbeatable. He had won the Olympic Gold and Wimbledon titles during the summer and the French Open earlier in 2008. He had also thumped Murray in the quarter finals of Wimbledon that year and boasted a perfect record from their previous encounters.
The match was also rain-delayed with Murray leading by two sets to love so he effectively had to beat Nadal twice, in what was his first Grand Slam semi-final.
But Murray thrived on being the underdog in New York and blew Nadal away for most of the match with some truly breathtaking tennis. Murray's serving was absolutely impeccable as he took charge early on and gained the upper hand winning the first set 6-2. The second set might have taken a tie-break to have it settled, but it was Murray who ensured that he was in total command of the match by winning it as his forehand never seemed to miss.
Then came the rain delay after Nadal had got an early break in the third set. That delayed the match into a second day on the Sunday, when it was moved to an even bigger stadium, the Arthur Ashe stadium. It seemed as though Nadal had turned the match in his favour when he converted a set point to win the third set.
Murray was back to his best in the early stages of the fourth but Nadal somehow saved seven break points in game two before he immediately stunned Murray by breaking him to love. That seemed the cue for Nadal to take it into a 5th, but his opponent wasn't thinking along the same lines as he broke back to level at 3-3 and forcing mistakes from the Spaniard.
He eventually won the match with a superb backhand pass on the Nadal serve to reach his first Grand Slam final, where he was beaten by Roger Federer. The win over Nadal was the moment when I thought Murray proved he had all the attributes to truly make it at the top of the game, giving it a place in my top five.
5. Murray defeats Roger Federer, 2006 Cincinnati Masters 7-5, 6-4
A surprising choice for many people perhaps, but nine years on this match remains fresh in my memory for the way Murray brilliantly performed against Federer that day.
Only 19 at the time, Murray had come through a first round match against Tim Henman to set up the clash with a man who had only been beaten by Nadal in 2006 and this was a tournament taking place in August.
Murray wasn't to shirk the challenge though as he showed from the word go he wouldn't be intimidated by the then World No 1 who had reached 17 consecutive finals before being beaten by Murray.
Murray's ground strokes throughout the match took Federer aback time and time again as he took the game to the man from Switzerland. He seized an early break in Federer's second service game as he forced him into an error on his usually reliable backhand.
Instead it was Murray's backhand which was on form and despite allowing Federer to break back at 5-4 when he had served for the set, his backhand created another chance for him to win the first set 7-5.
It was a similar story in the second set as he pressurised Federer at every opportunity eventually forcing him to crack at 4-4, as he broke his serve for a remarkable seventh time. Murray held his nerve to secure what was then the biggest win of his career.
Federer in 2006 was arguably at his imperious best and Murray was one of only two men to beat him throughout the whole year. For that reason alone this win deserves a spot in my top five.
Other victories that came very close to my top five included his Olympic gold medal win against Federer in 2012, a five set win over Stan Wawrinka in Wimbledon's first roof covered match in 2009, a stunning victory over Andy Roddick at Wimbledon in 2006 and a 2008 Cincinnati Masters final win over Djokovic.
Murray goes for win 501 tonight against Austrian youngster Dominic Thiem and he'll be looking to keep on climbing the list after becoming only the 46th male player in the open era to win 500 matches on court.
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