“Hello, friends”...The Masters is finally here. The greatest tournament on grass gets underway on Thursday with the allure, drama and greenery from Augusta National Golf Club. Some view the place as heaven on earth; some want to be buried on Amen Corner; we all want to see eagles and birdies coming down the stretch on Sunday. The Masters has the unique quality of being played on the same course year after year, giving golf fans months to anticipate and dream of the various scenarios on 11, 12, 13, etc. coming down the stretch. Thoughts like “Will someone break Tiger’s and Jordan’s scoring record?”, “Is this the year the ageless Fred Couples pulls through for a second major at age 60?” “Will Patrick Reed make obscure comments in the media tent?” You know, the normal thoughts a golf fan sifts through.

All joking aside, this is the time of year that all golfers are itching for a magical week, free of distractions (you know, work!). I read that Masters week has the highest rate of vasectomy procedures out of the entire year. First...ouch. Second, who doesn’t want to sit on the couch and watch golf for 4 straight days? Tune into ESPN and CBS to catch the azaleas and picture perfect views while the best in the world battle it out for the green jacket.

Gregatron’s Pick of the Week: Rory McIlroy

Rory McIlroy is finally saying all the right things, and his game is following suit. Prior years, the pressure’s been on Rory to avenge his 2011 collapse and finally win the Grand Slam. This year, Rory is saying he’d like to win, but he doesn’t need to for his career. Stepping back from the world’s constant bickering and focusing on his own game, I think Rory is ready to slip into his own green jacket. He’s finished in the top-10 at Augusta the last 5 years and was chasing down Patrick Reed in the final group last season. Coming off a win at the Players Championship last month, Rory has shown he’s ready to check off another milestone. A lot of people forget he’s a 4-time major winner. He’s about to tie Phil Mickelson with a 5th.

Back to the Range Bro: Billy Horschel

Billy Billy Billy...The fiery personality hasn’t seen success at Augusta National. In 4 trips, he’s missed two cuts and his best finish is 17th. His best asset is his putting, gaining 0.5 strokes per round on the field, but his struggles off the tee (92nd in accuracy) and birdies (151st) means he’s bound for a scrambling week. If he gets the putter rolling on the slick greens, look out. I think he’ll realistically be watching the leaders from the clubhouse come Sunday.

Weekly Pick Scoreboard

Gregatron’s Picks of the Week

• Events: 17

• Wins: 1

• Top-tens: 8

• Top-25s: 12

• Missed cuts: 1

• Average Made Cut Finish: 15th

Back to the Range Bro Club:

• Events: 17

• Wins: 0

• Top-tens: 4

• Top-25s: 4

• Missed cuts: 4

• Average Made Cut Finish: 30th