The Masters is just days away and the golfing world is abuzz with guesses on who will win. Can Adam Scott repeat? Will Phil Mickelson find his game? Will one of the young guns break through?

For me the question for this years Masters is quite different. I will be watching the 18th hole and wondering if this will be another historic turning point year. Will this be the year that a player carries the fairway bunkers 300-to-335 yards from the tee, and will he do it on Sunday to win the green jacket?

Those two bunkers first appeared on Augusta’s 18th hole in 1967 because of a guy by the name of Jack Nicklaus and what he did in breaking the tournament scoring record two years before. Long-hitting Nicklaus pounded his drives down the right center through the fairway and down the hill into the great open field that had been the members’ practice area. From there, Nicklaus was left with just a short iron to the green. Clifford Roberts felt he needed to put an end to that, so two huge bunkers were added and order was restored to Augusta’s 18th. Again, a carefully placed fade was needed to find the fairway and set up a good shot to the green.

For decades, the two bunkers served their purpose, and middle and long irons were needed to reach the 18th green. At the same time, the bunkers were not without controversy. In 1978, Ben Hogan wrote the club asking that the bunkers be removed. Augusta National declined Hogan’s request.

It was 1991 when the strength and character of Augusta’s 18th hole was shaken once more. Ian Woosnam walked onto the 18th tee with a one-stroke lead. The Welshman played his best golf with a right-to-left draw and had a difficult time with the opposite fade. Nervous and at the same time pumped-up, Woosnam was going to have a hard time starting the ball down the right side of the fairway and preventing it from drawing into the first bunker.

Woosnam’s caddy, who went by the nickname Wobbly, rose to the occasion. Wobbly said to his loop, “The tees are up today. It’s 265 to carry the bunker and I know you can do that!” With the burst of confidence he needed, Woosnam hit that drive over the bunker to the same area Jack Nicklaus had 26 years earlier. He then duplicated Nicklaus by hitting a short iron to the green and was awarded a green jacket.

That was the last time the Augusta tournament committee placed the tees anywhere near the front of the 18th tee.

In 2000, Titleist introduced the Pro V1 golf ball and driving distance on the PGA Tour increased by almost 10 yards in one year. The Masters must have read the writing on the wall. Tom Fazio was hired to assist in making changes to the course. A new 18th tee was built 45 yard behind the original. Any farther back and the tee would be in No. 10’s fairway. Most pros now needed their best drive just to get to the corner of the dogleg.

In 2001, only John Daly had a driving average better than 300 yards. As of today, there are no less than 18 PGA Tour pros with driving averages better than 300. Bubba Watson is leading the stat at a whopping 317 yards. Dustin Johnson and Nicolas Colsaert are very long off the tee and have the game to win at Augusta. Bubba already has a Green Jacket and he is hitting his driver longer than ever.

Come Sunday, will one of these pros walk onto the 18th tee and pound a drive 325-plus yards to fly past the bunkers and repeat what Nicklaus and Woosnam have done in the past? It certainly will be fun watching them try.