Azaleas in bloom, Magnolia Lane, Green Jackets… these are just a few of a golfer’s favorite things.

For much of the country battling snow, it seemed spring would never arrive. However, now that snow is melting we can focus on The Masters. The Bag Chatter Staff has diligently applied all their golfing insight into their tournament picks.  Will Tiger continue his dominance? Can Augusta National play even tougher than last year?

D. Grannan

Winner: Tiger Woods has been the most dominant player on the planet recently and I don’t foresee anything different come April and Augusta. This golf course is tailor made for Tiger; if his putter cooperates he should win his 5th green jacket. His focus is to peak at he majors and he usually plays very, very well at them.

Runner Up: Who will come in second? That is where it gets a little tricky. I tend to go with players who are running hot into Augusta. Padraig Harrington is one of those players. Quoted as saying he peaks in the 3rd week of playing 3 weeks in a row, Augusta happens to be the third week in a row. Aside from a poor shot on the final hole at the Zurich, Harrington looked spot on for the week and should be in good form for Augusta. Another player who is playing very well right now is Andres Romero. Fresh off of his first PGA tour victory, and was in contention at last years Open until his late round collapse, could be poised to make a run.

Dark Horse: My dark horse is Stuart Appleby. He has had a solid year this year but has just failed to put it all together. Maybe he can manage to do that at Augusta.

Final Score: Winning score will be even to 2 over par. Last year, Zach Johnson won with a score of one over par. They have made some slight adjustments to the course, and with continued improvement on the equipment front, I see even to 2 over par winning the tournament.

A. Raehtz

Winner: I just can’t select anyone but Tiger Woods right now. He is definitely on a hot streak, and there are few courses more perfect for his game than Augusta. Let’s be honest, there are two tournaments that Tiger sets his schedule around: The Masters and The Open.

Runner Up: I think that Phil Mickelson has what it takes to win, but Tiger will hold him off down the stretch. There has been a little inconsistency with Phil as of late, and I think that might be trouble for him on Sunday.

Dark Horse: Freddie Couples is going to do well this year at Augusta. He has already proven that he can win, and he posted a 29 on his second nine Saturday at the Shell Houston Open. This guy knows how to go low, and his back seems to be doing well for the time being. I see him in the top ten and possibly making a run at the leaders.

Final Score: I see something around -5 being the winning score. The course should be hard and fast, and we will get a look at what they tournament committee had in mind with the changes.

T. Schoch

Winner: How can you pick against Tiger? He’s on such a roaring tear.

Runner Up: Instead of a Runner-up, I’ll pick Contenders down the stretch: Phil may or may not be there. If he starts well, I think he’ll be in the top five. I don’t see him winning when Tiger is in top form. Phil’s got the talent, but perhaps not the psychology. So, watch Geoff Oglivy. He’s red-hot, confident, and unflappable.

Dark Horse: I’m going with Steve Stricker. He’s a low-putt machine and if he can light his own fire, he’ll contend. Also, another dark horse waaay back in the stable might be Hunter Mahan. He didn’t play well at Shell, but man, he can go low. And if you’re going to cage a tiger, you need a hunter.

Final Score: I’ll take a stab at -13.

K. Vakamudi

Winner: Every thread of common sense I have wants to pick Tiger Woods. However, I can’t do it. Tiger began the year with a red hot putter – when it cooled just slightly he was dealt his first loss in six months. I just can’t see his incredible putting continuing. My pick is Geoff Ogilvy. Riding momentum of a great win at the CA Championship and a solid weekend finish in Houston, I see this as being the perfect opportunity for Ogilvy to validate his U.S. Open win.

Runner Up: This is where I think Tiger will finish. His record is perfect after holding the 54 hole lead, but not so great when coming from behind. I see Tiger finishing in second much like the U.S. Open.

Dark Horse: Aaron Baddeley, another young Australian is coming into form and has all the tools to win a major. He has ample length, excellent touch around the greens, and is a very consistent putter. Yes, I know no Australian has ever won The Masters, but no dome team had ever won the Super Bowl until the St. Louis Rams proved it could be done.

Final Score: With great conditions in the forecast until Saturday I can see the score going a little lower than last year’s massacre. My prediction is a winner at -6.

M. Anderson

Winner: Choosing anybody but Tiger is always going to be long odds. Augusta is all about the short game and Tiger has the best in the business. Few can match him with a wedge in hand and nobody but nobody drains clutch putts like he does.

Runner Up: Justin Rose. He really established himself last year winning the European Order of Merit and has the game to do well around Augusta. He led after the first round last year and was only one shot off the lead with 2 holes to go before a poor drive and an unlucky bounce knocked him out of contention. Philly Mick should do well but I’m not sure that the mental side of his game is at its strongest right now.

Dark Horse: Possibly a bit of euro bias but I pick Sergio. He’s just too talented to not do well but, like always, it depends on his putting. He appears to be carrying a little bit of damaged confidence after the playoff at The Open but if he gets the flat stick going AND keeps it together on a Sunday then maybe we can finally see him win a major. Admittedly that a pretty big IF and AND but he can’t keep falling at the last hurdle, can he?

Final Score: -4. Last year the scores were at the mercy of the conditions when in freezing conditions the third round became ‘the cold day in hell’. While the same is unlikely to happen this year, the likelihood of a some rain and wind means that the teeth of Augusta are going to be just that little bit sharper than they otherwise would be and keep the score a little closer to even par.