To Pick Or Not To Pick?

Although never viewed with the same awe as the Ryder Cup, for those who play the President's Cup it is a highlight of the year. It allows international players the chance to experience something of that team golf feel that the Ryder Cup split denies them. One of the great shames in golf is that legends such as Gary Player, Peter Thomson, Bobby Locke, Ernie Els and Vijay Singh never played a Ryder Cup, and for the new generation - Jason Day, Adam Scott, Charl Schwartzel - the same applies. Two greats will face off as captains this year, with Fred Couples and Greg Norman taking the reigns.

The big story of the match so far is Fred Couples' selection of Tiger Woods as one of his two wildcards picks, which he both decided and announced publicly several weeks in advance of the due date. Both the pick and its manner drew much criticism, not only from the media, but also from Couples' own team, with senior man Phil Mickelson protesting on behalf of 2011 U.S. PGA winner Keegan Bradley, who can count himself unlucky to miss out on a seat on the plane to Australia.

Bill Haas took Couples' second pick, and after a playoff FedEx win which involved two incredible par saves before taking it at the 3rd hole, it's tough to say he doesn't deserve it.

What about Tiger? Can Couples justify picking a man in such poor form, who hasn't been playing much golf? The arguments against are obvious. Since that famous car crash in 2009, shortly after the last edition of the President's Cup, he has shown little form at all, his best finishes coming through a couple of hard-fought major top-10s. Respect amongst his peers is not what it was, and he has certainly lost the aura that he had when winning 14 majors. As players like Day, Schwartzel and Graeme McDowell have shown, youngsters today are no longer afraid to take him on down the stretch.

So why do Fred Couples and I think he should be on the team?

He is the greatest player of the generation, and arguably the greatest player of all time. No one has exerted the dominance over quality opposition in the same way as Woods. While that dominance may be at an end, he showed flashes of brilliance over the last year that tells us that he is not yet done. Matchplay is the perfect format for Tiger at the moment - he can afford a couple of errors as long as he can come back strongly, and no one has a mental approach like him.

He took the maximum 5/5 points from his last President's Cup appearance, when he played the four team games with Steve Stricker, and there is no doubt that the U.S. have finally found the perfect partner. Corey Pavin kept the partnership together at Celtic Manor last year, and was rewarded with Tiger returning 3 points from 4.

That Ryder Cup appearance came after the revelations, after his slump in form, after that disastrous performance at Firestone; the lowest point of his playing career. In the team scenario, he was able to pull himself together and build a telling partnership with Stricker, before taking out Miguel Angel Jimenez in the singles. Couples is banking on a similar performance in Melbourne - it is a strange reversal of the days where those said that Tiger couldn't play good team golf, that singles was where he belonged - a good dose of team golf might be just what he needs.

We all know that Tiger is not what he once was. We all know that an era is over. We disagree on his future - I remain convinced that he has another green jacket with his name on it, and maybe some of the other top prizes as well. The imminent drop out of the top-50 in the world should not be seen as too diabolical an omen - he will be back. To what degree, not even he knows. But he will be back, and this vote of confidence from Fred Couples might be just the fillip to get him going again.

One more reason to pick him? Who can wait now for the President's Cup?

The Home Straight

What did I say yesterday? That Mickelson and Westwood didn't have it in them this week because of their short putting? Maybe it's time for a rethink.

Yesterday was one of the greatest days of golf ever seen at Augusta, and one the best rounds you'll ever see anywhere. Phil Mickelson set the course alight for a 40-minute period in which he picked up 5 shots. Maybe his short putting isn't brilliant, so he decided not to bother with it. A 30-footer for eagle on the 13th, holing from the fairway for eagle on the 14th, and oh-so-close to a holed 70-yard wedge on the 15th. He had to settle for birdie there, but it was enough to put him, if not in the driving seat, at least in the front of the car.

Next to this dazzling display, you could be forgiven for thinking Westwood was failing to deliver. In reality, he shot a very composed 68, recovering well from a bogey at the 12th to take a one shot lead again by the end of the day. He's looked calm all week, and the putter didn't seem to give him too much trouble yesterday. Not to rule out the guys behind them, but if it is a two-horse race, it's going to be one hell of a race.

Tiger and KJ Choi will play together for the 4th day in a row, and on -8, they're still in the tournament. They need to get off to a fast start, but we all know Tiger's capable of anything. Choi probably doesn't have enough in the tank to win, but I'd expect him to turn in a lucrative 3rd or 4th place finish. Tiger's driving still looks a little too wild to rely on him to shoot a mid-60s score, and he missed some uncharacteristic putts yesterday. As always, I'm not saying he won't, but....

I don't see the winner coming from outside the final two pairings, and the guys behind Woods and Choi are playing for top-5s, barring heroics. The people's favourite Freddie Couples shot a great 68 yesterday, rolling in an eagle of his own down the stretch, and he looked to be in his comfort zone again. The dream is still alive, but only just. Knowing Freddie though, he's probably waiting a couple more years to win - a guy should have a bit of maturity. He's just waiting till he hits it a bit shorter.

It was a disappointing day for Ian Poulter, who never really got it going, and slipped back to -6. He won't be shrugging on the green jacket this year, but it's still been an important week for him in the major learning curve.

It's unusual for the winner in the Masters not to be in the final pairing, and with the 3-shot difference between 2nd and 3rd, that stat doesn't look like changing this year. There is one guy who might have a few words to say about that, but he's yet to win a major without holding the 54-hole lead.

Whatever happens on Sunday, we're guaranteed another exhilarating day of golf. That's what the Masters does. You're not comfortable with a 3-shot lead and four to play - there's plenty that can go wrong, or right, on that back nine.

That's Augusta.