Legends Collide at the Masters Tournament in Georgia

During The Masters Tournament being held in Augusta today, legends of the green Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus will be squaring off as the ceremonial first pairing.  The pair began their round at 7:40 AM est. this morning at the exclusive Augusta National Golf Club and unlike any other participants, Nicklaus and Palmer are the only group of two competing today. While Nicklaus and Palmer enjoy a two man group, the rest of today’s participants will be competing in three man groups.

In contrast to the two legends, six amateurs will be competing in today’s tournament: David Chung, Jin Jeong, Lion Kim, Hideki Matsuyama, Nathan Smith, and Peter Uihlein.  Each of these individuals likely dreams of becoming a golfing legend, and there is not any better proving ground than The Masters. Uihlein will have the opportunity to face off against defending champion Phil Mickelson; a good showing against Mickelson today could very well make Uihlein a household name.

Golfing superstar Tiger Woods will also be in competition today as he attempts to shake off his very public familial problems and reclaim the Masters championship, which the record setter first won at the age of 21 in 1997.  Woods will be competing in a group of three today, alongside Graeme McDowell and Robert Allenby.  Although Tiger Woods is often recognized as arguably the greatest golfer of all time, he is not the favorite to win the illustrious tournament.

In fact, Phil Mickelson, who will be competing today against Geoff Ogilvy and amateur golfer Peter Uihlein, at 1:48 PM est., is by far and large the favorite to win today’s tournament.  Like Tiger Woods, Mickelson is no stranger to adversity, be it a different kind, as he experienced his own set of problems with his wife’s onset of cancer in 2009 in addition to his own newly waged battle with arthritis.  Thankfully, Mickelson’s wife appears to be in better health these days, however, one has to wonder what kind of obstacles Mickelson’s arthritis may offer him today and whether he can overcome them to take the championship again.