One of finest spectacles in sports starts this Thursday as the 2012 Masters begins from Augusta National Golf Club. Tiger Woods, fresh off a win two weeks ago at Bay Hill, is once again among the favorites as he searches for his fifth green jacket. Woods is set to tee off at 10:35 a.m. on Thursday. He says his game is where he wants it to be heading into the the sport’s most anticipated tournament of the year.
Among the other favorites, Rory McIlroy, last year’s leader through 54 holes, tees off at 1:42 p.m. Thursday with Bubba Watson and Angel Cabrera. Three time Masters champion Phil Mickelson goes off at 1:53 p.m., while defending champion Charl Schwartzel will tee off his first round at 10:24 a.m.
The world’s #12 ranked player Dustin Johnson was forced to withdraw from the tournament Wednesday due to a back injury.
Conditions for the course are said to be ideal this week, with Mickelson saying he expects it to be a “birdie fest.”