The Masters 2015: 10 bold predictions

Three South Africans will finish in the top 15

A player from the United States has won the Masters 58 times between 35 different golfers. The next country with the most players to have won the Masters is South Africa, who owns five green jackets. The first three wins came from golf legend Gary Player, and the next two came in 2008 by Trevor Immelman and in 2011 by Charl Schwatzel.

There are five South Africans in the 2015 Masters field. Ernie Els (finished second in 2000, 2004), Schwartzel, Immelman, Louis Oosthuizen (finished second in 2012), and Branden Grace.

Any of these guys could win including Els, who is 45 years-old and has four major victories to his name but none at Augusta National. Guys over 40 have had proven success at Augusta National especially golfers like Fred Couples who has finished in the top 20 in the last six Masters. Don’t be surprised for Els to be near the top come Sunday.

A guy who could do really well is 26-year-old Branden Grace. He has had a great season so far winning two events on the European tour and adding two more top 20 finishes in six events. Grace is posting his career-best scoring average on the European Tour this year (69.96) and he also is driving the ball 305.2 yards on average this season, bringing up his career best by nearly 10 strokes. Driving the ball long at Augusta National is a big factor for winning the tournament and if Grace can keep it in the fairway, we may seem him wearing the green jacket.

Any combination of these five golfers could finish in the top 15 this year and I expect at least three of them will end up there by the end of the tournament. With the recent success of Immelman, Oosthuizen and Schwartzel as well as a guy you can’t ever count out in Els and a prime dark horse in Grace, South Africa is going to try and take over Augusta National this year.