Top 25 Masters rankings
April 4, 2012
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As if we don't give everyone enough ammunition to call us know-nothing knuckleheads when we predict winners weekly, now I'm going to tell you how the leaderboard is going to look Sunday night at 7 p.m. ET after the green jacket ceremony is over. And I'm going the whole way down to 25th place.

When you hit the big parlay in Vegas, I expect my 10 percent caddie winner's percentage. If I'm wrong, well, I'm just a stupid caddie and you should have never listened to me in the first place because you're the pro, and you've been doing this much longer than me, and you don't even know why you hired me in the first place because & whew, sorry 'bout that. Went to a dark place there for a second.

Here's how I see the Masters leaderboard Sunday night, from first to 25th. Enjoy.

Player Analysis Best finish

1. Tiger Woods In the rise and rebirth of the dominance that once was Tiger, there is only one thing remaining for Woods to do to stand fully upright and roar: Win a major.

The symbolism of tying Jack Nicklaus with 73 wins and doing it at Augusta is almost too juicy for a scriptwriter to submit, but a fifth green jacket will send a message to all. "Everyone please be seated -- the second act is starting!" Win, 1997, 2001, 2002, 2005

2. Rory McIlroy He started off last year on the PGA Tour 17th, 70th and 10th. This year he comes into Masters week with this resume: 2nd, Win, 3rd. For the first time in a long time, we might be set up to see a legitimate challenge to Tiger's dominance over the world of golf. Some guys say they want to be world No. 1, but when they find out what goes along with it, they don't want it as badly. Rory wants it, badly.

Now with a chance for redemption against the backdrop of the first major that slipped through his grasp, this time there is a man who will stand in his way. 15th, 2011

3. Luke Donald Hey Luke, you want to be player of the year? OK, but you have to play Disney and beat Webb Simpson to take the money title. Check. Hey Luke, Rory just took the No. 1 ranking from you. You want it back? OK, but you have to win in Tampa. Check.

Every time he has to win, he does. And he doesn't do it in a flashy, showboat way. He's like a boxer who just pounds the body for 10 rounds and we all wonder, "Why is that other guy laying in the corner being counted out by the ref? I don't remember seeing him get punched in the jaw." 3rd, 2005

4. Lee Westwood I'm starting to think he should just start playing golf in ugly dresses with poofy shoulders, or maybe put a call in to Colin Montgomerie just to ask what it's like being a bridesmaid so much. For Westwood, every start of a major has to be in some sense, "I wonder how I lose this one? Anybody got Greg Norman's number?"

You wonder how many beat downs it'll take before he just stops coming back and even trying. I truly believe someday Westwood is going to get his major. He just has to remember that success means getting up one more time than you fall. 2nd, 2010

5. Nick Watney This is the epitome of Teddy Roosevelt American golf. Speak softly and carry a big, bada-- golf game. One of Butch Harmon's prized pupils, it's his putter that, when it's on, gets him paid.

We know the emphasis on putting at Augusta, and now that he's had a chance to be on these greens for a few tournaments, it's time for him to let that hot putter enjoy itself around Magnolia Lane. 7th, 2010

6. Adam Scott I have an idea. Bring the caddie from New Zealand who has won the Masters three times with a guy named Woods. It worked for you at the Bridgestone. Notice, too, that you're the first guy on the list using a long putter with a legitimate chance at winning.

Of course if you do find a way to find bring a green jacket to Australia, the Masters might decide on its own that it won't allow long putters for the tournament anymore. At least you'd have gotten yours! 2, 2011

7. Jason Day This guy has second place in majors tattooed on his glove hand. OK, maybe not really, but he should after back-to-back runner-up finishes at the Masters and U.S. Open last year. At 24, he doesn't have a ceiling anyone can see and given his performance last year, I would hope they at least know his jacket size, just in case.

If anyone in the top 10 slips coming down the stretch, do not be surprised if it's this young Aussie who is the first to bring the green jacket home to the dingos. 2nd, 2011

8. Phil Mickelson I said it before and I'll say it again. No matter how bad he might be hitting the ball coming to Augusta, something magical happens when Phil makes that drive down Magnolia Lane. I believe if they made him play right-handed, he'd still find a way to finish inside the top 10.

Ironically enough, now that the tournament the week before is played outside Georgia, it's almost better if he doesn't win or even play well. Win, 2004, 2006, 2010

9. Angel Cabrera He's got one green jacket in his closet already, but like Arnold Palmer, he hasn't won anything since he quit smoking. I can't lie, there's a part of me that wants to stand on the first tee with a pack and say, "Here, just this week." Most ducks (his nickname in Spanish is El Pato) also don't need a dental plan, but two years worth of implants and surgeries have taken their toll on the Argentine.

But remember, Augusta is a special place that for some, including Cabrera, has a magical healing power. OK, you're right -- leave the smokes at the store. Win, 2009

10. Hunter Mahan What part of his game did he have the least amount of confidence in? His short game, but that was until last week. So why would I say he's going to finish 10th at a course that demands touch around the greens if you miss them? Because one good chipping week is not a trend, and he's going lead the field in greens in regulation, that's how!

Hit it long enough off the tee, and don't be afraid of a couple of 50-foot 3-putts. Remember he won earlier this year (Match Play) on a course that had greens with sections and undulations the first year they played there that were considered much more severe than Augusta. 8th, 2010

11. Sergio Garcia Going back to 2011 he's 20-for-21 in cuts made and has almost $2 million in the bank. That's what happens when you walk away from the game to allow yourself to miss it, need it, love it again. No wonder he never has been married. Smart guy.

Just kidding, honey (my wife is not going to think that was funny). Anyway, in 13 trips to Augusta and only two top-10s in '02 and '04, there's nothing else inside the top 25. But a new attitude, especially on the greens, will change all of that this year. 4th, 2004

12. Dustin Johnson I asked someone last week, "How do you like Dustin Johnson at the Masters?" I got a quizzical look and this, "Well he seems to be slumping this year....
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