Tuesday 9 April 2019 01:00, UK
Of the nine Englishmen in the Masters field this week, Nick Dougherty believes the signs are good for Justin Rose and Tommy Fleetwood, but can rookies Matt Wallace and Eddie Pepperell defy the weight of history?
We had a record 11 Englishmen in the field a couple of years ago, and there are nine here at Augusta National this week, so the strength and depth of English golf continues to impress.
If I had to pick one that stands out for me, it would have to be Justin Rose. He's back to world No 1, he's got Fooch back on the bag this week, and his record around here is very good.
Justin has plenty of Masters experience, this will be his 14th appearance, and he's racked up five top-10 finishes including two runner-up places. He is such a consistent performer, and I'm very sure that he will be there or thereabouts fighting for the Green Jacket on Sunday.
He's been in decent form this year, and getting that win at Torrey Pines after changing equipment was hugely important. Justin has been a little quieter since then, but he had a top 10 at Sawgrass that proved his game is still in fine shape.
And I quite like that he's kind of been "bubbling under" heading into Augusta, and I get the feeling Justin is ready for the next big push in a big week. He took almost a month off a while ago so he's managed his schedule carefully, but he's continued to keep working hard on the range.
Justin puts in a lot of work away from the golf course and has never been afraid to put in the hard yards, and there's no doubt he'll be meticulously prepared for the challenge ahead this week.
And, with his immense experience, he knows the course better than the vast majority of the field. He'll know exactly how the course tends to change over the week, and he'll be ready to go on Thursday.
The fact that he's back to No 1 in the world rankings this week is testament to the quality and consistency of his golf, and there's not many better when it comes to accuracy and - in particular - distance control with his irons, and that's a crucial asset at Augusta National.
You're unlikely to see him playing any second shots from the trees, his iron play is as good as it's ever been, and if his putter works for him, Justin Rose will be very tough to beat.
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I'm also expecting a strong performance from Tommy Fleetwood this week. He enjoyed an excellent March and played some fantastic golf at Bay Hill and Sawgrass, although he'll be a little disappointed by his weekend play.
You could say he's a little more under the radar coming into the Masters this year when compared to the last two years, as he hasn't had the flying start to the year with a win in Abu Dhabi.
But his caddie, Ian Finnis, told me a few weeks ago that he had never seen Tommy swinging so well, and they have known each other since they were kids.
Tommy has long had the self-belief that his game is good enough to win at any level, at any place, at any time. He can be rather unassuming while being very respectful of the game and his fellow pros, and there have been times when he may not appreciate just how good he is.
This is only his third Masters, but he clearly learned much from his missed cut on his debut as he finished tied for 17th last year. He may not have the course form and experience of many of his peers, but when you play like Tommy, I'm not sure that's an issue for him.
The two English rookies in the field this week are Matt Wallace and Eddie Pepperell, and I think both could go well here. They are both the kind of characters that they will not buy into the notion that nobody wins the Masters on their debut, unless you're name is Fuzzy Zoeller - and that was 40 years ago!
They will disregard the fact that history is against them, and they'll both come here confident they can beat Rory, Tiger and the rest of them. That's a belief and attitude we should admire.
It was a very clever move by Matt Wallace to come here and play a practice round with Sir Nick Faldo. With so much to learn about this golf course, that is an extremely smart move.
When I played the Masters back in 2008, I actually went to Augusta two weeks beforehand because Nick Faldo convinced me to get the "wow factor" out of the way as early as possible, rather than trying to do that in tournament week.
You cannot be distracted by being overwhelmed by the aura of the place when you're teeing off in two or three days. As a golfer, the first time you play Augusta National is one of the best days of your life, it is that special.
But you don't want to be dealing with that when you are trying to compete for the Masters itself, or just trying to get in for the weekend. It's all about steady hands and steady minds, and trying your best to keep the emotions out of the picture.
It's a very tough gig for all the rookies, and the history proves that. But records are made to be broken, and wouldn't it be great to see the likes of Matt and Eddie emulating the achievements of Fuzzy back in 1979?
