Rose And DeChambeau In Pole Position For Masters

You simply cannot look past Rose and DeChambeau for Augusta this year...

Rose And DeChambeau In Pole Position For Masters

Christmas and New Year are fully out of the rear-view mirror and the golf season is really starting to get up and running as we start dreaming of Augusta.

Already in the past few weeks we have seen Xander Schauffele once again prove his talents as well as Matt Kuchar picking up his second win of the season, Shane Lowry tasting victory for the first time since 2015 and two huge wins this weekend gone.

Bryson DeChambeau won his first international title in Dubai, whilst World No.1 Justin Rose won his 10th PGA Tour title at the Farmers Insurance Open.

Why are these wins so significant? Well, they may just be the start of a special run that ends with a Green Jacket.

Both men can claim to be the world's hottest player right now. Rose is the World Number One but Bryson DeChambeau may feel like the best player in the world right now himself, especially when you consider that he has won four times in his last nine starts.

Either way, both men can call themselves the unofficial joint-favourites for The Masters as things stand. Why is that?

Firstly, let's start with Justin Rose.

The Englishman has controlled his golf ball and entire game in general the best of anyone in the last 18 months. He has missed one cut since the 2017 USPGA Championship and has 16 top-10s in his last 25 events dating back to the start of 2018.

In that time, he has won three times, after winning three times in 2017 as well.

Rose hasn't finished outside the top-25 at Augusta since 2008 and he has had plenty of close calls there. This year he'll be looking to finally slip on that Green Jacket.

In 2015, he finished the week at -14, a score good enough to win all but five tournaments this century (one year that score would have been in a playoff).

Unfortunately for him that year, Jordan Spieth was on fire and finished at -18, which was the same score as Tiger Woods in 1997.

Two years later and Rose was once again in the final group and the hunt for the season's first Major, although he eventually fell just short of Sergio Garcia after a poor drive on the first playoff hole.

Rose was very unlucky that day, with a huge moment coming at 13 where he was two ahead and Garcia was left in the ditch. The Spaniard somehow made a miraculous par whilst Rose somehow matched him with a five after a short missed putt.

You have to feel that Rose will end his career with a Green Jacket and this year may well be his. He has the experience, the know how, the form and the confidence to be victorious and add to his Major tally.

One man Rose will have to beat at Augusta, though, is the Golfing Scientist Bryson DeChambeau.

Already in his short career, the American has played in the Masters twice and he has made the cut on each occasion.

He came in as the US Amateur champion in 2016 and finished T21st to win the low amateur honours, but was actually tied for the lead after 35 holes before making an eight on the 18th on Friday evening.

DeChambeau missed 2017 but was T38th last year. Jordan Spieth, the same age as Bryson, figured out Augusta quickly, and DeChambeau seems like he has figured it out too.

The 25-year-old looks almost certain to win a Major at some point in his career and nobody will be surprised if Augusta in April is his time.

As it stands, Justin Rose is currently 11/1 with bookmakers, which is basically tournament favourite along with DJ, Rory and Spieth, whilst DeChambeau can be picked up as high as 20/1 with some outlets.

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