"Faldo was unpopular for his single-minded commitment and sometimes miserable demeanour, but I loved his determination to be the best. Choose from Justin Rose, Luke Donald, Lee Westwood, Ian Poulter or David Lynn as the Top English player this year."
Augusta serves up classic moments year after year so we sent Ralph Ellis to Youtube to pick us five of the best...
Tradition says the sound of the first cuckoo is the sign that spring is arriving. When I was little it was more the smell of cut grass for the first time at the cricket field where my dad ran the club. But now the sure sign that summer is finally on its way is the Thursday night when you sit up and watch the start of the action from Augusta.
If you didn't already love golf, watching The Masters would drag you in and make you hopelessly enchanted by the sport. Maybe it's the beautiful backdrop, the sumptuous colour of the flowers around Augusta National, the sound of birdsong, punctuated by the swish of a club. But mostly it's the compelling drama that gets played out on that stage - the fascinating fight of mind over matter watching top players deal with the challenge of the course and its lightening fast greens, while trying to handle the pressure to succeed.
Those greens. Downhill putts that roll, and roll, and roll some more. Peter Alliss once described them as "like putting down the bonnet of a car and trying to get the ball to stop an inch before it falls on to the bumper."
Here are my top five Masters memories. Will the 2013 tournament serve up some similarly classic moments? You couldn't bet against it.
Jack Nicklaus in 1986
This was the one that got me hooked on the Masters. Nicklaus, The Golden Bear, aged 46 and so far off the pace that even when he birdied the 9th nobody really noticed. But then came the greatest finish the Masters had produced as he took just 30 to play the final nine holes. An eagle at the 15th set up his challenge, and by the time he rolled in a putt on 17 to take the outright lead it was clear that history was happening. A compelling performance by the man who still holds the most Majors - and is still the oldest to wear the Green Jacket.
The Bet: In 2012 Fred Couples led after two rounds at the age of 52 - he's 120.0119/1 to be the first round leader this time.
Poulter's hole-in-one at the 16th in 2008
I love Ian Poulter's story. I'd love him to win at Augusta, just to put a final chapter on the tale of a boy who sold Mars bars and collected balls on a public driving range but found time to practise so hard he became one of the top players in the World. I've walked the course behind him at The Open and at Ryder Cups and I love his energy and his competitive instinct - even if the explosive temperament does seem to cost him when it comes to trying to win big tournaments for himself instead of a team. This was one of those moments where you are settled on the sofa, watching the action unfold, and then suddenly sit up and go "wow".
The Bet: It's 1.9620/21 there will be a hole-in-one at some time in this year's tournament.
The last Englishman to win, Nick Faldo in 1996
Golfing history has this down as the year Greg Norman crumbled, losing a six shot lead as the nerves bit deeper. I remember it as the year Faldo won, watching with pride as a home player showed guts and grinding determination to take his chance for a third Green Jacket. Faldo was a winner when winning wasn't fashionable for Brits. He was unpopular for his single-minded commitment and sometimes miserable demeanour, but I loved his determination to be the best.
The Bet: Choose from Justin Rose, Luke Donald, Lee Westwood, Ian Poulter or David Lynn as the Top English player this year.
Tiger announces himself to the world in 1997
A year after The Great White Shark got eaten alive by Augusta National, along came a slimly built American kid called Tiger Woods. We got so used to him winning everything for years after that it's hard to put into context just how dramatic was his first Major. At 21 it seemed ludicrous that he was the pre-tournament favourite, all the more so when he was four over after his first nine holes. But then he shot 30 for the back nine and we all sat up. It was his driving distances that we'd barely seen before - his average for the four days was 323 yards. Nine shots ahead of the field on Sunday morning, the last day wasn't even a contest but the procession was brilliant viewing as the young Tiger played stunning shot after stunning shot to wrap up the title.
The Bet: Is Tiger back to his best? He's 5.49/2 favourite to be this year's winner.
McIlory's meltdown
Oh dear. This was car crash TV, but you just had to sit and watch, even at times you felt like hiding behind the sofa. Rory McIlroy, a smiling, boyish 21-year-old, played three days of stunning golf to take a four shot lead into Sunday. Half way round he still led by one - and then came the hook that bounced off a tree into some cabins, a recovery that hit another tree, and a triple-bogey seven at the tenth. Hold yourself together, and he did with two shots to the 11th green, only for a three putt. By the time he'd four-putted on the 12th it was all over, and the drive into Rae's Creek on the 13th just piled up the agony. Sport hurts. Maybe you can't be physically injured playing golf, but this was mental torture.
The Bet: Is this the year McIlroy puts that misery behind him? He's 11.010/1 second favourite. http://www.betfair.com/exchange/golf/market?id=1.107077980
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